CHRO of Tomorrow – A Double Click on Differentiating Skills for High-Impact CHROs

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12.11.25-A Double Click on Differentiating Skills for High-Impact CHROsA...

This discussion featured Dave Gartenberg , Chair of i4cp’s Up Next Cohort and former CHRO of Avanade, in conversation with Alexis Fink , Chair of i4cp’s People Analytics Board and former VP of People Analytics and Workforce Strategy at Meta.

Meeting Details

Across their conversation, one message was clear: the CHRO role is no longer about managing programs. It is about shaping how work gets done.

Insights from our discussion on effective CHRO leadership

Building Organizational Capacity for Ongoing Change: The pace and overlap of disruption require HR leaders to move beyond project-based change management toward building durable organizational resilience and adaptability.

“Change really needs to be much more of an ability than a project.”
— Alexis Fink

Elevating the CHRO Role to Enterprise Leadership: The most effective CHROs bring strong business acumen, clear perspectives, and peer-level influence, enabling them to translate enterprise strategy into people and workforce decisions.
Balancing the Full Scope of the CHRO Role: Sustained impact comes from developing capability across multiple dimensions, including operational leadership, strategic insight, executive coaching, and partnership with the CEO and board.
Driving Focus Through Intentional Prioritization: Strategic clarity requires explicit trade-offs. Effective CHROs help organizations focus by naming non-priorities and aligning resources to the work that matters most.

_{One of the frameworks that Dave used as a CHRO and enforces in the Up Next class that addresses HR organizations burning calories on too many things}

“Every time you work on one thing, you’re saying no to twenty other things.”

— Dave Gartenberg

Leading AI Through Workforce and Work Design: Organizations derive greater value from AI when it is approached as a workforce and work design challenge. HR leadership plays a critical role in shaping how technology and talent interact to support long-term performance.

The themes explored in this discussion reflect the same leadership challenges addressed within the Up Next Cohort, i4cp’s CHRO-readiness experience. Through direct engagement with former and sitting CHROs, participants build the strategic, operational, and influence capabilities required to lead at the enterprise level. This offers a preview of the types of conversations, perspectives, and real-world leadership lessons that define the cohort experience.

Our next webinar will feature Pete Ramstad and John Boudreau, HR thought leaders and co-authors of Beyond HR: The New Science of Human Capital as they continue the conversation on how HR leaders can architect future-ready organizations. We’d love to have you join us on January 21 at 2:00 PM PT. (event page coming soon).

Sponsor:

The Up Next Cohort, i4cp’s CHRO Readiness Program

Resources:

Continued Learning:

i4cp’s Up Next Webinar Series brings together former and sitting CHROs, senior HR executives, and leading thinkers to explore what it truly takes to lead at the top of the HR function today. Each session is designed for senior HR leaders and those preparing for the CHRO role who want more than theory.

This event is approved for certification credits.