In today’s fast-changing business landscape, the role of the CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) has expanded far beyond traditional HR. Thanks to the rise of AI and people analytics, CHROs now hold something every CEO and board craves: business clarity. For the first time, leaders can see in real time how work is being done, who is driving progress, and where execution is stalling. This level of insight goes beyond surveys and lagging reports—it allows organizations to manage people with the same rigor as financial and operational performance.

The next decade of business will be defined by CHROs who harness these human signals, pairing AI and people data to answer the questions executives lose sleep over: Do we have the skills to deliver on strategy? Are we creating an environment where innovation can thrive? And how can we connect culture to performance at scale?

Beyond HR Optimization: CHROs Driving Workforce Transformation

For years, HR technology focused on efficiency—payroll automation, faster onboarding, smoother surveys. But the future of HR is not just optimization; it’s workforce design. Modern CHROs are embedding people data into the DNA of enterprise strategy, showing boards and CEOs that culture, technology, and performance are now inseparable.

Examples are already visible at leading companies. Moderna combined HR and IT under Tracey Franklin as Chief People & Digital Technology Officer, while Microsoft elevated Kathleen Hogan to EVP of Strategy and Transformation. These moves highlight a shift: CHROs are no longer support functions; they are strategic architects of growth.

The People OS: CHROs as Business Growth Engines

According to EY’s CHRO 2030 report, 85% of employers believe that a strategic HR function will be critical to success in the next five years. This reflects a fundamental truth: HR has evolved into a business engine. By leveraging AI-driven recognition data, CHROs can uncover hidden leaders, identify emerging skills, and prevent culture risks before they derail performance.

At Cisco, Chief People Officer Kelly Jones uses recognition as a cultural feedback loop—tying everyday employee contributions to organizational values. Similarly, bp’s Kerry Dryburgh calls recognition a “game-changer” for continuous feedback. These real-time human insights create what some call a People Operating System (People OS)—an organizational MRI that shows strengths, weaknesses, and untapped potential.

The CHRO as Growth Partner: Humanity + Clarity

What sets today’s CHROs apart isn’t just access to data—it’s the courage to act on it. Recognition and AI-powered insights often reveal uncomfortable truths, such as collaboration outperforming individual star power or legacy assumptions limiting innovation. The best CHROs embrace these truths, reshaping performance management, rewards, and leadership to drive real transformation.

That’s why CHROs are more than HR leaders. They are stewards of humanity, ensuring that AI enhances—not diminishes—the human experience at work. And they are stewards of clarity, equipping leaders with decision-ready insights that fuel growth. In a world where technology is increasingly democratized, it will be people—and the CHROs who unlock their potential—that determine which companies rise and which fall.

The next decade of business won’t just be supported by CHROs. It will be defined by them.