What if there’s no Chief People Officer role in your organisation - but you know it needs one, and you think you’re the right person for it?

In this episode of HR Coffee Time, host Fay Wallis is joined by Victoria Pounder, Chief People Officer at Moore Kingston Smith - a multi-disciplinary firm providing audit, accountancy, advisory and tax services to a diverse range of clients. Victoria shares her inspiring journey of growing with the firm over 14 years - from being the first Head of HR to HR Director, and eventually making the case for a brand-new Chief People Officer role that she then stepped into.

She talks openly about what the step up has been like so far, how she’s built influence and trust over time, and how she’s stayed focused on culture during rapid growth and change. There’s plenty to take away - especially if you’re aiming for a CPO role yourself, or want to lead with more impact and confidence in your current one.

Chapters From This Episode

[00:00] Welcome and introduction to Victoria Pounder

[01:00] Creating a CPO role from scratch

[03:20] Building the business case and going through the panel interview process

[04:03] The differences between being an HRD and a CPO

[06:40] The importance of influence in the CPO role

[08:51] How trust helped her lead behind the scenes

[12:32] Key skills and habits that have helped her succeed

[14:45] How a non-HR project changed her perspective

[18:17] Culture, growth and protecting values under pressure

[23:06] Balancing career, family and mental wellbeing

[25:19] The role of HR communities

[27:08] Advice for aspiring CPOs

[28:22] Final advice for new CPOs

[37:16] Book recommendation and conclusion

Useful Links

Book Recommendation From This Episode

HR Disrupted by Lucy Adams (Amazon affiliate link – Fay will earn a small commission from Amazon if you choose to purchase the book via this link)

Other Relevant HR Coffee Time Episodes

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive the free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

Mentioned in this episode:

Ready to learn more about Inspiring HR?

Learn more about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme, and sign up to join the next cohort, that starts on 10th September 2025.

Inspiring HR

HR Disrupted

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 0 episodes

The AI-powered Podcast Player