Greg McCaw, our Chief People Officer, has contributed to Ciphr’s whitepaper People powered: unlocking CPOs’ potential to deliver organisational success.
This guide is aimed at HR leaders who aspire to grow from operational experts into strategic partners, trusted advisers and culture shapers. Greg gives insights into his role as a member of our senior leadership team, supporting BKL’s journey with private equity investment and mergers & acquisitions.
The persistent myth of ‘tea and tissues’ HR
BKL is private equity backed and is growing through acquisition, and [Greg] was brought in to steward the company through this period of change. “My CEO [Lee Brook] will always consult with me on key decisions and not always on things you’d consider to be ‘HR’,” says McCaw. “I support everything from business to people strategy. To add that value is immense and it feels good.”
The expanding influence of today’s CPO
There’s a growing awareness that HR might need to be involved in activities that, historically, it hasn’t been consulted on, so it can act as a voice for employees. Mergers and private equity deals, once the preserve of CFOs, the CEO and some non-executive advisors, now benefit from a strong CPO voice.
“I like to think of [M&A] as rewiring two businesses because you’re delicately bringing together organisations that may operate in fundamentally different ways,” says McCaw, whose firm has been involved in both private equity investment and M&A (mergers and acquisitions). “On the surface, [the companies involved] might seem similar, but there are often deeply ingrained ways of working, whether it’s how decisions are made, how teams collaborate, or even the pace at which things get done. HR can spot where tensions might emerge and shape a path that blends the best elements of each business.”
CPOs with strong skills in communication and mediation can provide a steady, guiding hand, he adds. “Without that, employees can find the adjustment challenging.”
How to craft a successful CEO-CPO partnership
Informed by insights drawn from data, and relationships with employee networks or affinity groups, the CPO can understand and amplify when certain groups experience the workplace culture differently. McCaw is currently serving as a CPO but has also worked in DEI and culture roles. He says: “This job is about ensuring fairness and equity, measuring the impact of things and closing the experience gaps for different groups.”
The full guide is available to download from Ciphr here.
People & Culture consultancy from BKL
Greg’s decades of senior HR experience are available to ambitious businesses as fractional leadership and embedded support. When you need experienced leadership but don’t require a full-time role, we embed a senior People professional into your team to drive your business forward.
Learn more about our flexible, scalable People & Culture consultancy services here, our get in touch today for a chat with Greg and our team about how we can help you.