The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has appointed Elizabeth Wallace (pictured right) as interim chief people officer as a step to build trust in its culture and purpose.
Wallace will sit on the executive committee and will report directly to the board on matters of workplace conduct and culture.
In her new role, she will start to implement the 35 recommendations put forward by Fox Williams following an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct. This included integrating the post of chief people officer into the organisation’s culture, and consolidating corporate values and employee experience as a matter of strategic importance.
Wallace previously held several leadership roles focusing on people strategy, including as head of portfolio talent at Hg and director of executive search at BlackRock.
Wallace said: “I am delighted to have the trust of the director general and the board to lead the way on cultural transformation here at the CBI. Making sure the newly created chief people officer role becomes a permanent part of the CBI’s DNA will be front of mind, as I work with people across the organisation to strengthen our employee experience offering.”
Rain Newton-Smith (pictured left), director general at CBI, added: “I am so pleased to welcome Elizabeth on board as chief people officer. Her role will be integral in reforming our people strategy, defining our shared values as we collectively recover from the challenges of recent weeks. With over two decades’ worth of experience, I’m confident that her guidance will accelerate our efforts to effect meaningful change across CBI.”
