CHRO Executive Search

Global Experts in CHRO and People Leadership

Redgrave’s People & Culture executive search practice works with Boards, CEOs and investors to appoint Chief People Officers, CHROs (Chief Human Resources Officers) and HR Directors who go beyond operational HR. Leaders who shape culture as a commercial strategy, build the capabilities the business needs and earn the trust of both the board and the workforce.

Every search is led by a partner throughout. We approach CHRO executive search with the rigour and seniority the role deserves.

Why Boards Choose Redgrave For CHRO Executive Search

Today’s CHRO and Chief People Officer operates across some of the most important issues facing a business: performance, culture, organisational design, leadership, succession and transformation. The strongest combine deep people expertise with commercial judgement and the ability to influence at CEO and board level, operating as genuine strategic partner to the CEO. Finding the right person means understanding which of those capabilities matter most for the business, and assessing candidates against that context.

Here is what sets Redgrave apart:

1. We understand the modern CHRO brief

We have spent years placing CHROs and People Directors who influence business performance, not just manage HR processes. We know the difference between a strong operational HR leader and a CHRO who can hold the mirror to the leadership team, influence culture through change and earn a seat at the board table. Our role is to understand which combination the business needs and find the person who can deliver it.

2. Partner-led from day one

Every people and culture executive search at Redgrave is led by a senior partner throughout. The person who understands the brief, assesses candidates and presents the shortlist is the same person. For a role as consequential as CHRO, that seniority matters.

3. Access to People & Culture leaders who aren’t looking

Many of the strongest CHROs and Chief People Officers are not actively looking for their next role. Reaching them requires a proactive search of the market, alongside the credibility to start a conversation with someone who may not have been considering a move. Our long-standing relationships with senior people and culture leaders help us open those conversations, while our research ensures we look beyond the people we already know.

4. Assessment that goes beneath the competency framework

We don’t assess CHRO candidates against a generic framework. We assess them against the specific context, the culture, the leadership team, the current challenge and the board’s expectations. The capabilities needed in a PE-backed business may be very different from those required in a listed or privately owned organisation, and our assessment reflects that.

HR and Chief People Officer roles we place

Our People & Culture executive search practice recruits across the full range of senior HR and people leadership:

Chief People Officer (CPO) and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
HR Director and Group HR Director
People Director and Director of People & Culture
Head of Talent and Talent Acquisition Director
Head of Organisational Development (OD)

We also work with PE Operating Partners who require interim or permanent HR leadership in portfolio companies, and support board-level advisory searches where a Non-Executive Director (NED) with deep people and culture expertise is required.

People And Culture executive search For every business context

The business context and people agenda shape every CHRO and Chief People Officer search: from the profile and assessment criteria to how we approach the market. We have experience appointing People and Culture leaders across every major ownership structure:

Private equity moves fast and expects people leaders who move with it. The CHRO in a PE-backed business is a value creation lever. We understand what PE Operating Partners need from a people leader: the ability to move quickly on talent decisions, build culture through rapid change and support management through the demands of sponsor ownership. We work across the full investment lifecycle and have placed interim and permanent HR leaders in PE-backed businesses at every stage.

In a listed environment, CHROs operate under a distinct set of expectations, from workforce reporting and executive remuneration to board relationships, investor scrutiny and public company governance. Whether operating in the FTSE, NYSE, Nasdaq or other international public markets, we understand the experience and judgement required of People and Culture leaders in these environments and assess candidates accordingly.

Family businesses often need a CHRO who can navigate the complexity between family governance and professional management, building people practices that professionalise without disrupting the culture that made the business what it is. These are nuanced searches that require genuine sector understanding. We bring that understanding and handle these searches with the sensitivity they require.

Rapid-growth businesses typically need a Chief People Officer who can build an HR function while the business is scaling, creating structure, process and culture simultaneously. Whether you are appointing your first CHRO or an established scale-up that has outgrown its existing HR infrastructure, we understand the profile and where to find it.

Our Clients

We partner with organisations across the UK, Europe and the United States to appoint senior People & Culture leaders. Our clients range from listed and PE-backed businesses to privately owned companies, each with different priorities for their people agenda. Whether appointing a CHRO to shape culture and performance, strengthen leadership and succession, or support significant organisational change, we focus on finding leaders with the experience and judgement to make an impact in that specific business.

A search process shaped around each appointment

We agree the brief, priorities, search parameters and timetable with you at the outset, adapting the process to the requirements of the appointment.

We research and map the relevant market, approach potential candidates and manage conversations throughout the search.

We present a focused shortlist and support you through interviews, referencing and final selection. Where useful, clients can also draw on our leadership assessment expertise to provide additional insight into a candidate’s capabilities, leadership style and fit with the organisation.

We manage offer and negotiation and remain close as the successful candidate prepares to join. Onboarding support is also available, helping the new leader understand expectations, build key relationships and establish priorities as they move into the role.

Our Impact: Case Study

Redgrave led an absolutely exemplary search for us, which resulted in a successful appointment within 3 months. I was impressed by their pace, and the quality and depth of their relationships across the market. This is by far one of the most effective PE search processes I have ever seen and I would have no hesitation in recommending Redgrave.

John Petter

CEO, Zellis

Frequently asked questions about CHRO executive search

1. What is CHRO executive search?

CHRO executive search is the process of identifying and appointing Chief Human Resources Officers and Chief People Officers through proactive market research and direct candidate approach. At this level, the strongest People & Culture leaders are rarely actively looking. An executive search firm with deep knowledge of the HR leadership market, who knows where the best candidates are, what motivates them and how to assess them, is almost always the right approach for a CHRO appointment.

2. What roles do you recruit in people and culture executive search?

We recruit across the full range of senior people leadership: CHRO, Chief People Officer, People Director, HR Director, Group HR Director, senior Talent and OD Director roles, and interim appointments across all of the above. We also support board-level advisory searches where a NED with specific people and culture expertise is required.

3. How do you assess CHRO candidates?

We assess CHRO and Chief People Officer candidates against the specific context of the role, the leadership team, the culture, the business challenge, and the board’s expectations. That means looking beyond technical HR competence to commercial impact, cultural credibility, board presence, and the specific demands of the ownership structure. Every candidate on a shortlist has been interviewed and assessed by a partner before you see them.

4. Do you work with PE-backed businesses on CHRO executive search?

Yes. It is a significant part of our practice. We understand what PE Operating Partners need from a people leader, and we assess CHRO candidates specifically against the demands of sponsor ownership: pace, value creation focus, the ability to operate with limited resources and the commercial orientation that PE businesses expect. We also place interim HR leaders in PE-backed businesses that need people and culture capability quickly.

5. How long does a CHRO executive search take?

Most searches conclude within eight to twelve weeks from brief to accepted offer. This varies by seniority, the specificity of the brief and market conditions. We will give you a realistic timeline at the outset and update you regularly throughout.

6. What makes Redgrave the right people and culture executive search firm?

Our approach to CHRO search is built around the commercial impact of the role, not its operational mechanics. We assess candidates against what the business actually needs, not what a good HR person looks like generically. Our partner-led model means senior involvement throughout, and our directness means you will always know where the search stands and why.