Meet the HR head who became a CEO

Considering most business leaders lie awake at night worrying about eminently people-related things (‘workforce’ fears were ranked the third-highest business priority for CEOs last year according to Gartner), it’s long been a constant source of irony (or is that frustration?), that more CPOs haven’t moved up to the take the top CEO role.

In fact, save for a handful of exceptions (see below), it’s still statistically the case that it’s CFOs and COOs that are the most likely C-suit members to take the CEO role.

This is despite the fact it’s HR professionals that best know how to create a thriving culture, and are the best people capable of pivoting businesses from being behind the times to being future-ready (from a skills and agility point of view).

But just don’t tell this to Diane Offers.

On April 1st (and it was no joke), Offers became a member of a very rare club indeed – an HR professional that’s moved up to being the chief executive.

For nearly 12 years, Offers was the human resources manager at charity YWCA Yorkshire – which has provided a number of services to women, children and families (including hostels) since the 1940s.

Stepping up after Tracy Gollins – the former CEO – stepped down after 32 years, Offers now occupies a position few HR professional do – and it wasn’t just given to her on a plate either, with the HR head having to prove she had the necessary chops to excel in the role.

So, what’s her secret to being CEO, and what advice does she give to other aspiring HRDs to want to lead the organisation from the top?

HR Grapevine decided to speak to her: