What Does a Chief People Officer Do?

Imagine an executive function that is responsible for developing a thriving work environment, nurtures talent, and aligns people and culture goals with overall organizational strategy: that's a Chief People Officer, or CPO.

A Chief People Officer plays a central role in how culture takes shape across an organization. They ensure that decisions around talent, organizational structure and development are fully integrated with the company's broader goals. And rather than treating culture as a separate initiative, CPOs infuse it into a company's everyday operations — through leadership expectations, employee programs, team-building exercises, and long-term planning.

More and more companies are introducing this role to their leadership structure, as organizations continue to trend toward prioritizing retention and engagement as key indicators of organizational success.

What's so special about a CPO?

The role of a CPO intentionally differs from a Chief Human Resources Officer, or CHRO. A CHRO tends to focus more on the operational aspects of HR functions like policies, compliance, and day-to-day process. A CPO's scope, however, covers everything from talent acquisition to employee experience development, learning and development, and leadership collaboration. To succeed in this role, CPOs must perform with a high level of emotional intelligence, as well as strong interpersonal and communication skills.

A VP of People or Head of People often supports a CPO in implementing a people strategy, but it's the Chief People Officer that operates at a more strategic level. With a direct line to the CEO, the CPO is positioned to directly influence decisions around talent strategy, learning, and organizational culture.

What are a CPO's core responsibilities?

At its core, the CPO role is about seeing clearly — knowing what's happening inside the organization today, as well as what's coming next. Great CPOs blend insight with foresight, using data and context to shape decisions that support both immediate needs and long-term goals. In practice, that means CPOs:

• Shape people strategy: CPOs are responsible for aligning talent plans with business objectives, advocating for L&D initiatives at the executive level.
• Drive organizational values and culture: Because they serve at the executive level, CPOs take charge of stewarding purpose, values, and workplace culture.
• Oversee talent development and succession planning: This ensures future leaders are identified and developed.
• Enhance employee experience and retention: They do this by focusing on engagement, performance, and well-being.
• Champion DEI: The best CPOs will embed equity and belonging into every stage of the employee lifecycle, and lead the charge on building trust and creating psychologically safe workspaces.
• Lead workforce planning and change management: This includes navigating shifts in structure, growth, and market conditions.

How does a CPO support L&D Managers?

L&D Managers and CPOs make a powerful team. While L&D drives the design and delivery of growth programs, the CPO ensures those efforts are tied to the big picture — including organization strategy, culture, and executive buy-in. CPOs can also help to clear roadblocks. Need budget? A strategic nudge from the CPO goes a long way.

When a CPO is in your corner, L&D Managers can understand and align individual initiatives with organizational direction, driving greater employee impact and building stronger, more resilient teams. You can spark progress toward CPO qualities by investing in leadership training and our strengths-based, people-first startup manager training.