Chief People Officer in London

Location: London (Global remit)

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Organisation Size: 1,000 employees across the UK, India, Poland, South Africa and Australia

The Opportunity

This is a pivotal executive leadership role within a global fintech organisation undergoing continued international growth and organisational evolution. As Chief People Officer, you will partner directly with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to shape a modern, high-performing global organisation capable of scaling effectively while attracting, developing and retaining world-class talent. You will lead the evolution of the People function from a traditional HR model into a digitally enabled, strategically aligned capability focused on organisational performance, leadership development and long-term value creation.

Role Purpose

The Chief People Officer is accountable for defining and delivering the global People strategy, ensuring the organisation has the leadership capability, culture, operating model and reward structures required to achieve its commercial objectives. A key element of the mandate will be modernising the People function through digital transformation, strengthening leadership and talent frameworks, reviewing reward strategy, and ensuring the global HR operating model is efficient, scalable and fit for future growth.

Key Strategic Priorities

• Lead the global People & Culture strategy across multiple international jurisdictions, ensuring alignment with business objectives while balancing local requirements.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Executive Team and Board on organisational capability, leadership and culture.
• Build and strengthen leadership pipelines, succession planning and talent development frameworks to support long-term growth.
• Design and modernise reward, incentive and performance structures aligned to retention, competitiveness and shareholder value.
• Drive People technology and digital transformation, embedding data-driven decision-making and scalable HR platforms.
• Optimise organisational design and the global HR operating model to improve efficiency, clarity and impact.
• Lead and develop the global People function, building a high-performing, strategically focused leadership team.
• Provide strong governance through regular engagement with Board and Committee structures, partnering with Finance and Legal on risk, compliance and remuneration.

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience operating at Chief People Officer, HR Vice President or HR Director level within complex, international organisations.
• Strong track record leading organisational transformation, including operating model redesign and organisational effectiveness initiatives.
• Experience building global leadership pipelines, succession frameworks and talent development strategies at scale.
• Deep expertise in reward strategy, executive compensation, incentive structures and governance at Board or Remuneration Committee level.
• Proven experience modernising HR technology, digital people platforms and data-driven people analytics.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence and communicate effectively at CEO, Executive Committee and Board level.
• Comfortable operating across multiple jurisdictions, cultures and regulatory environments, with a pragmatic global mindset.

Qualifications & Professional Credentials

• Degree educated (Business, Human Resources, Psychology, Organisational Development or related discipline preferred).
• Chartered Member or Fellow of CIPD (or equivalent recognised international HR qualification).
• Postgraduate qualification (MBA, MSc HRM, Organisational Psychology or similar) advantageous but not essential.