Gerald Edelman appoints first chief people officer

Accountancy firm Gerald Edelman has appointed Olivia Parrish as its first ever chief people officer.

Parrish will work with chief executive officer Carl Lundberg as part of the senior leadership team, to align people and culture with its growth journey.

She will be pivotal in scaling the organisation while ensuring cultural cohesion. The new role is part of the firm’s commitment to culture as the foundation for growth and building a framework and environment that empower its people to thrive.

Parrish has more than two decades of HR and leadership experience across professional services, accountancy, and large-scale organisations. She has held senior roles at accountancy firms Haines Watts and Cooper Parry, where she helped shape people strategies that drive cultural transformation and business growth.

Parrish said: “The creation of the chief people officer role demonstrates a real commitment to investing in our people and culture. My focus will be on creating an environment where our teams can thrive, innovate, and grow. As part of this, I will be looking to continue efforts to embed a culture that fosters collaboration, innovation, and wellbeing, whilst also empowering employees at all levels and fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship that will allow for career development, leadership opportunities and ultimately boost business performance.”

Lundberg added: “Olivia’s experience in cultural transformation and her passion for building strong, inclusive workplaces make her ideally placed to shape the future of our firm. Our firm’s vision is so heavily reliant on having the right people in the right roles and developing and building on our high-performance culture, that I believe this role is fundamental to our ability to achieve it.

“After all, it is our team’s expertise and guidance that keeps our clients coming back, so it is crucial that they are kept at the front and centre of our vision. Olivia will be crucial to ensuring that investing in our people is treated as a core business priority.”