Healthcare Insight
The rise of the Chief People Officer – driving value in healthcare
July 22nd 2025
In the UK’s private healthcare sector, the Chief People Officer (CPO) is stepping into a powerful new role, one that goes far beyond traditional HR.
No longer siloed, the Chief People Officer is emerging as a strategic leader, playing a critical part in driving top-line growth and bottom-line efficiency.
As staffing shortages persist in a post-pandemic, post-Brexit landscape, and M&A volumes decline by 15%, investors and boards are zeroing in on value creation. And increasingly, that value is found in people. At a recent Compass Carter Osborne round table of healthcare and retail CPOs, leaders discussed how CPOs now bring unique insight into cost bases, human capital planning, productivity, and compliance, insight that is essential to building resilient, high-performing organisations.
According to Abigail Bada, Director of the People and Culture Practice at Compass Carter Osborne, “The role is now akin to a hybrid CFO and CMO, data-driven people insights are being used to shape strategy and analyse outcomes, resulting in better staff engagement and driving commercial success.”
“The role is now akin to a hybrid CFO and CMO”
Modern CPOs speak the language of the P&L. They understand financials, communicate directly with CEOs and CFOs, and push workforce strategy upstream, right alongside finance and IT. This shift elevates HR from a support function to a central pillar of business transformation, whether it’s through acquisition, expansion, or organic growth.
Put simply: people drive quality, and quality drives financial performance. In healthcare, where front-line staff like nurses, carers, and pharmacists are revenue generators, getting the people strategy right is essential, not optional.
Are you seeking a trusted partner to support your executive search in healthcare?
We bring decades of executive search experience and a proven track record of success across our dedicated sectors. Our investor clients rely on us time and again to build exceptional leadership teams that drive growth and deliver results.
