154 | Step-by-Step Career Advice to Become a Successful CHRO/CPO (With Nicola Lyons)
HR Coffee Time26 Sep 2025

154 | Step-by-Step Career Advice to Become a Successful CHRO/CPO (With Nicola Lyons)

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
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.


Other Relevant HR Coffee Time Episodes
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:

Learn More About HR Coffee Time's Sponsor - Personio

Personio

Avsnitt(166)

143 | 4 surprising training options to achieve excellence in your HR role

143 | 4 surprising training options to achieve excellence in your HR role

After completing your CIPD qualification, it can be hard to decide what training to invest in next. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, host Fay Wallis shares four valuable and perhaps surprising train...

17 Jan 202528min

142 | The 5 key factors that will help you achieve your goals, with Dr Ben Levy

142 | The 5 key factors that will help you achieve your goals, with Dr Ben Levy

Do you want to set yourself up for success for the year ahead? In this episode of HR Coffee Time, host Fay Wallis is joined by Dr Ben Levy, creator of the ABCME® framework, to explore the five key fac...

3 Jan 202531min

141 | Look back to look forward: how to reflect on 2024 to help you set goals for 2025

141 | Look back to look forward: how to reflect on 2024 to help you set goals for 2025

As the year comes to a close, taking time to reflect on 2024 can be a wonderful way to celebrate your successes and uncover inspiration for your goals in 2025.It’s so easy to fall into the trap of foc...

20 Dec 202434min

140 | 5 brilliant resources to transform your workshops & training sessions

140 | 5 brilliant resources to transform your workshops & training sessions

Have you ever been asked to design or deliver a workshop and found yourself worrying whether it will be as good as it could be? Whether you’re preparing your first training session or looking to enhan...

6 Dec 202434min

139 | Creating an inclusive workplace: a focus on religion and Faith, with Binna Kandola

139 | Creating an inclusive workplace: a focus on religion and Faith, with Binna Kandola

As organisations work to create more inclusive workplaces, some aspects of diversity receive more attention than others. Being able to express religious beliefs at work is an area that often remains u...

22 Nov 202435min

138 | Can’t find time for strategic work in HR? 5 tips to help

138 | Can’t find time for strategic work in HR? 5 tips to help

When you're in a busy HR or People role, finding time for strategic work can feel incredibly challenging. There are always urgent issues that need your attention and endless tasks on your to-do list. ...

8 Nov 202424min

137 | How to recognise and break free from the lies we tell ourselves at work, with Emma Djemil

137 | How to recognise and break free from the lies we tell ourselves at work, with Emma Djemil

Are there lies you're telling yourself at work that feel like cold, hard facts? Whether it's believing you don't deserve a promotion, thinking you're not qualified enough to apply for a different role...

25 Okt 202433min

136 | How to shape a winning workplace culture when you work in HR, with Annabelle Lawson and Paula Brockwell

136 | How to shape a winning workplace culture when you work in HR, with Annabelle Lawson and Paula Brockwell

Shaping workplace culture is becoming an increasingly important part of HR's role, with many HR functions being renamed as "People and Culture" and culture-related responsibilities appearing in job ti...

11 Okt 202431min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
badfluence
varvet
rss-jossan-nina
rss-borsens-finest
avanzapodden
rss-svart-marknad
svd-tech-brief
uppgang-och-fall
rss-dagen-med-di
fill-or-kill
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
24fragor
lastbilspodden
dynastin
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
borsmorgon