The article at a glance
This Cambridge CHRO Programme faculty interview features insights from Co-Academic Programme Directors of the CHRO Programme, Professors Thomas Roulet and Jochem Kroezen. Together, they explore how Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) can respond to changing workplace dynamics while strengthening organisational culture, employee well-being and the role of people leadership in organisational change.
The Chief Human Resources Officer Programme from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education approaches the changing employee expectations and broader organisational transformation that increasingly define the CHRO role today from a strategic and multidisciplinary perspective. This CHRO programme examines how HR leaders can align workforce strategy with organisational purpose and culture while addressing areas such as motivation and performance, hybrid and remote teams, trust, responsible leadership and technology-enabled change.
In this Cambridge CHRO Programme faculty interview, Professors Thomas Roulet and Jochem Kroezen, Co-Academic Programme Directors of the Chief Human Resources Officer Programme by Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education, share their perspectives on the changing workplace and what it means for people leadership.
What capabilities matter most for HR leaders navigating organisational change?
Professor Roulet: We live in an era of constant change. Whether we’re talking about hybrid working, the evolving nature of work, emerging technologies such as AI or multiple generations working together within organisations, the workplace is changing rapidly.
An important part of the remit of a CHRO is to manage this change and help organisations navigate it successfully. Rather than being overwhelmed by disruption, organisations need HR leaders who can guide them through periods of transformation and position them to thrive.
At the same time, issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion, alongside broader geopolitical tensions, continue to reshape the organisational landscape. All of these factors require CHROs to adapt their approach and help their organisations respond effectively to an increasingly complex environment.
Professor Kroezen: One of the main premises we start from with the programme is that we don’t just live in an era of change. We actually live in a change of era, to quote Professor Jan Rotmans.
And that means that we need different kinds of leaders in organisations, especially leaders who can lead people through major transitions happening in the world right now, including around climate change, geopolitical turbulence and of course the AI transformation.
HR leaders need to lead the organisation with a vision of where the future is heading. Leaders need to navigate both the promise of AI and its risks. But most importantly, they must ensure that the organisation is not just AI-first but also people-first. This is essential for organisations to thrive.
What sets the Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education CHRO Programme apart?
Professor Roulet: Cambridge is an 800-year-old university that combines the rigour of the social sciences with the hard sciences, technology and a rich academic tradition. As one of the world’s oldest universities, it brings together deep intellectual foundations and a forward-looking approach to addressing today’s challenges.
That combination allows us to think about the future while equipping leaders to adapt to it. For CHROs, this means understanding the social and organisational forces shaping the workplace, while applying rigorous, evidence-based HR methods, approaches and practices in the context of rapid technological change, including AI.
What makes the Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education CHRO Programme distinctive is its ability to combine a scientific approach to human resource management with practical insights into the modern challenges facing CHROs. The programme helps participants navigate technological transformation and lead people and organisations through change with confidence and an evidence-based mindset.
Professor Kroezen: We have an exceptional team of faculty who work with participants throughout the programme. I remember how excited I was when designing the programme and bringing together such an accomplished group of people. It is genuinely a programme that I would want to experience myself.
It is a well-rounded programme that goes beyond the traditional boundaries of HR. We explore established topics such as motivation, hybrid working, teams, culture and trust, while also challenging participants to think more strategically.
As an HR leader, you need to contribute a clear perspective in discussions with the CEO and the board and develop your own view of the right strategy for the organisation. The programme, therefore, places a strong emphasis on critical thinking. Participants consider fundamental questions: what is an organisation? What should it do? How can we embed purpose within it?
We also explore creativity and, most importantly, help participants develop the confidence to assess major trends. This is particularly important when considering AI, where leaders must be able to separate the hype from its genuine potential. That ability is critical for succeeding in leadership roles.
What key takeaways, perspectives and frameworks do participants gain from the Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education CHRO Programme?
Professor Roulet: Throughout the programme, we introduce participants to a range of science-based frameworks that help them think about key HR challenges, covering areas such as rewards, motivation, strategy, change and disruption.
They provide practical lenses through which CHROs can better understand and respond to change. These frameworks also help participants explain the rationale behind strategic people decisions to other parts of the organisation, including the board and the CEO, enabling them to manage human capital more effectively.
Professor Kroezen: We offer participants a wide range of benefits, but one of the most important is the cohort experience. Participants come together at Cambridge for the final capstone module, where they connect with practitioners from around the world. Each cohort is highly diverse, both geographically and in terms of industry representation. These relationships often continue beyond the programme, creating a valuable professional network for participants.
The programme also provides extensive content grounded in current research. We review and update our frameworks every year to ensure they remain relevant. These frameworks help participants think strategically and assess developments such as the impact of AI on work, including where it may reshape specific tasks and make certain skills, rather than entire roles, redundant.
How does the CHRO Programme equip leaders to address evolving challenges and drive organisational impact?
Professor Roulet: One of the key considerations when we designed this Chief Human Resources Officer Programme, and something we emphasise throughout the learning experience, is that we want CHROs to have a seat at the strategy table.
We want them to be able to engage in meaningful conversations with their CEO and the board about the implications of strategic decisions for people, human resources and human capital. Every strategic choice, whether it’s business expansion, cost reduction or the pursuit of a new competitive advantage, has significant HR implications. Yet these people-related considerations are often overlooked.
Too often, CHROs are asked to implement strategic decisions without having had the opportunity to shape the conversation around their impact on the workforce.
Through the programme, participants develop the frameworks and confidence to engage with senior leadership, explain the human capital implications of strategic decisions, and demonstrate why those implications matter to organisational success. This is especially important in today’s environment, where skills are evolving rapidly, driven largely by technological disruption and AI.
Professor Kroezen: One of the fundamental challenges facing organisations, particularly in relation to people, is that there is no precise formula for success. Instead, organisations need well-rounded leaders who can think critically, draw on a broad range of tools and respond effectively to the specific context.
These leaders have the confidence to develop better practices and tailored solutions rather than simply copying established approaches. Throughout the programme, we challenge participants to think on their feet, formulate their own ideas and perspectives, and apply them to advance their organisation’s goals.
How do you see the programme shaping the future role of the CHRO?
Professor Roulet: We hope the programme will have a meaningful impact on the profession and help redefine what it means to be a CHRO. Our ambition is not only to respond to these changes but also to shape them — helping CHROs broaden their remit, develop the skills this expanded role demands and strengthen their influence within the organisational hierarchy. Ultimately, we want them to contribute more meaningfully to decisions made at the highest levels of their organisations and industries.
Professor Kroezen: This programme is deliberately designed to elevate the role of the CHRO or chief people officer. Rather than simply following the direction set by the business or senior leadership, participants develop the capabilities and confidence to contribute to key organisational decisions.
They learn to challenge strategic decisions from a people perspective and take the initiative in shaping the organisation’s people agenda. This helps organisations develop balanced strategies that extend beyond adopting the latest technologies to consider how employees can be supported through change. It also reinforces the importance of investing in people, who remain — and are increasingly becoming — an organisation’s primary source of competitive advantage.
How does the programme equip HR leaders to navigate AI’s impact on workforce strategy, skills and organisational design?
Professor Roulet: The impact of AI on CHROs, skills, human capital, recruitment and every step of the HR process is absolutely crucial.
When we deliver sessions on the impact of AI, we encourage participants to think critically about how AI is reshaping organisations. More importantly, we help them consider how they can respond not only to the changes happening today but also to the next wave of technological advances that will transform the workplace and disrupt organisations.
It is important for future CHROs to develop the tools needed to adapt human resources to technological disruptions and other forms of change, including those driven by geopolitical tensions and broader organisational shifts.
Professor Kroezen: One of the first things we do in the programme is step back and consider how organisations and people management have evolved. There have been multiple waves of technological innovation, each accompanied by significant promises of automation and greater efficiency. Throughout these transformations, the role of HR has continued to evolve.
Before examining the present day, we look to history for valuable lessons. This perspective helps participants critically assess current developments and build the AI literacy required to navigate them effectively.
The 9- to 12-month Chief Human Resources Officer Programme from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education is designed for experienced CHROs and senior HR leaders preparing for enterprise-wide leadership roles. Combining self-paced online learning, live virtual sessions and an immersive in-person capstone in Cambridge, the Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education CHRO Programme enables participants to examine the changing nature of work, strengthen strategic people leadership capabilities and learn alongside a global cohort of peers and distinguished faculty.
