154 | Step-by-Step Career Advice to Become a Successful CHRO/CPO (With Nicola Lyons)
Episode description
What does it take to land your first Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) or Chief People Officer (CPO) role – and succeed once you’re in it?
In this episode of HR Coffee Time, host Fay Wallis is joined by Nicola Lyons, Group CHRO at Getlink Group. With more than 15 years of international experience leading transformation and culture change, Nicola shares a wide range of valuable insights from her career. One of the highlights of this conversation is her clear, step-by-step advice on how to secure a CHRO/CPO role and succeed once you’re in it.
From career planning and building visibility, to working with headhunters and handling the step up, Nicola’s guidance is packed with practical tips you can put into action straight away.
You’ll hear Nicola’s thoughts on:
- What makes her role as Group CHRO unique
- How her network opened the door to her first CHRO opportunity
- Smart ways to build visibility with headhunters and recruiters
- The value of career planning and feedback in preparing for the step up
- The biggest shift when moving into a CHRO role
- Practical habits that support success and wellbeing
Whether you’re aiming for a CPO/CHRO position or want to strengthen your career in HR, you’ll come away with a wealth of actionable insights from Nicola’s experience.
Useful Links- Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn
- Visit Fay’s website
- Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR leadership development programme
- Buy a copy of The Essential HR Planner
- Connect with Nicola Lyons on LinkedIn
Books Mentioned in This Episode
Please note - book links are Amazon affiliate links. This means Fay may earn a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase through them.
- Your First 100 Days– Niamh O’Keeffe
- The Strategy Book– Dr Max McKeown
- Head and Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership– Kirstin Ferguson
Other Relevant HR Coffee Time Episodes
- Episode 31: Three Little-Known LinkedIn Features to Help You Get Your Next Job
- Episode 106: Seven Types of Posts to Share on LinkedIn That Will Help Your HR Career
- Episode 78: 5 Tips to Get Useful Feedback at Work to Help Your HR/People Career
- Episode 37: The First 100 Days Plan to Succeed in Your New HR Leadership Role (With Niamh O’Keeffe)
- Episode 108: HR Leadership: How to Create a Simple but Powerful One-Page Strategy (With Dr Max McKeown)
Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified when new episodes are released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Join the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
Build your confidence, credibility & impact through the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme. The next cohort is now open for booking.
Help That’s There when It’s Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they don't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.