In recent years, leadership approaches have undergone a notable shift. While CEOs with backgrounds in finance or operations still dominate, leaders with human resources experience are increasingly stepping into the spotlight. This trend reflects the growing recognition of people-centric leadership as a strategic advantage.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends report, businesses are now facing a new set of dilemmas like choosing empowerment over control and prioritizing investment in people over automation. This reality places the HR perspective directly at the leadership table, making it indispensable to modern corporate strategy.
The greatest strength of leaders with HR backgrounds lies in their ability to view employee experience not as a support function, but as a core driver of growth. Topics like hybrid work models, talent acquisition and retention, employee engagement, and mental health have moved beyond HR departments to become CEO level priorities. The direct connection between employee experience and customer experience further enhances the transformative impact these leaders can have on company culture and brand equity.
Global Examples and Impact
This shift is already evident in global success stories. Leena Nair, formerly CHRO at Unilever, was appointed CEO of Chanel in 2022. Under her leadership, the company’s revenues in the luxury segment grew by approximately 17% between 2022 and 2023. Natasha Adams transitioned from Chief People Officer at Tesco to CEO of the company’s Ireland operations in 2019, where she oversaw significant improvements in customer satisfaction by 2021. Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors since 2014, increased the company’s operating profit margin to 10% by 2021 and significantly grew its market capitalization during her tenure. These cases demonstrate that people-focused leadership can deliver not only cultural but also measurable financial success.
The CEO Profile of the Future
Korn Ferry’s 2025 CHRO survey highlights how today’s HR leaders have evolved into executives shaping the entire corporate strategy, not just the talent agenda. The findings show that HR executives are now strategic partners to the C-suite, driving growth, talent development, and cultural transformation.
Leaders with HR backgrounds offer unique advantages during periods of crisis, demonstrating agility in decision-making, improving employee engagement, and effectively managing cultural change. Their deeper understanding of workforce needs enables them to build organizational cultures that directly enhance customer experience.
Respected business publications such as The Times and Financial Times have underscored this trend, noting the pivotal role HR leaders played in crisis management and cultural transformation during the post-pandemic era.
While examples of CEOs rising directly from HR roles remain rare in Turkey, the growing emphasis on AI integration and talent management signals that this shift may soon take hold. As organizations increasingly recognize the value of people-centered leadership, similar career trajectories are likely to emerge in the near future.
