The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Head of Digital Workplace / Senior Manager, Transformation
3-5 years in a previous senior leadership role.Skills to master
- Mastering cross-functional programme leadership, managing large budgets (multi-£M), building and leading teams of managers, and consistently delivering measurable ROI for transformation initiatives.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led 2-3 major enterprise-wide technology rollouts from strategy to adoption.
- Consistently secured significant budget approvals (e.g., £500K+) for your programmes.
- Proven ability to influence C-suite stakeholders and resolve complex inter-departmental conflicts.
- Developed and mentored a high-performing team, with clear succession planning in place.
- 2
IT Director / Head of Business Applications
4-6 years in an IT leadership role, with a strong focus on user experience.Skills to master
- Developing a deep understanding of organisational change management, employee experience design, and the strategic business value of technology beyond just infrastructure. Shifting from 'keeping the lights on' to 'shaping how we work'.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully delivered major application modernisations with high user adoption.
- Demonstrated strong collaboration with HR and business units on technology initiatives.
- Moved beyond technical delivery to focus on user-centric design and business outcomes.
- Managed significant IT budgets and vendor relationships.
- 3
Senior HR Leader (e.g., Head of HR Operations, Head of People Experience)
5-7 years in a senior HR role, with a strong technology focus.Skills to master
- Deepening technical literacy, understanding enterprise architecture, and developing robust business case development skills for technology investments. Bridging the gap between people strategy and technology execution.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led HR technology implementations (e.g., HRIS, LXP) with strong employee engagement.
- Demonstrated a passion for leveraging technology to improve the employee experience.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with IT and business leaders on strategic initiatives.
- Strong understanding of organisational design and change management principles.