the foHRsight podcast: The Secret Sauce: Building an Effective CEO-CHRO Partnership
In today's complex business landscape, the relationship between a CEO and CHRO can make or break organizational success. But what exactly makes this partnership thrive? Mike Clementi, former CHRO at Pet Vet Care Centers and Unilever, recently shared his insights on the strategic alliance between these key executive roles.
The Foundation: Trust and Credibility
According to Mike, the CEO-CHRO relationship must be built on a solid foundation. "It has to start with trust," he explains. "Trust is the foundation of any relationship."
This foundation isn't merely about getting along personally but about establishing reliable professional credibility. As Mike puts it, "You have to be seen as somebody that's authentic... humans are really good at understanding this. I think intuitively we know, do I trust that person? Are they telling me the truth? Are they credible?"
Without this trust, even the most technically skilled HR leader will struggle to effectively influence business decisions.
Expertise That Delivers
While trust and credibility form the foundation, expertise and delivery are what build the structure. Mike emphasizes that complementary skill sets allow the CHRO to bring a unique people and talent perspective to business challenges.
However, expertise alone isn't enough. "You actually have to do what you say you're going to do," Mike notes. This consistent delivery builds confidence in the partnership and demonstrates HR's value to business outcomes.
The Often Overlooked Element: Care
Perhaps most surprisingly, Mike identifies "care" as a critical component that's frequently overlooked in executive relationships.
"These jobs are hard," he reflects. "The amount of pressure that you carry day to day and responsibility you carry for the people... really can have a direct impact on the people that are counting on you to make good decisions."
In his most successful partnerships, Mike found that mutual support was essential: "They knew and I knew we had each other's back. And to me that was the essence of care."
Private Moments Define Strategic Partnership
What does strategic partnership look like in practice? Mike points to "the private moments that mattered before the public moments."
These are the behind-closed-doors conversations where the CHRO can truly represent employees' interests, provide unfiltered feedback, and shape major decisions before they become public. When alignment happens in these private moments, the leadership team can present a united front when decisions are announced.
Getting the Brief Right
When strategic partnerships fail, Mike believes it often comes down to misunderstanding the fundamental problem being addressed. "The strategic alignment is not really understanding the brief," he explains.
His solution is deceptively simple: "The questioning process... like five why analysis, which is you just keep asking why till you get deeper." By consistently verifying understanding and clarifying objectives, HR leaders can ensure they're solving the right problems.
Looking FoHRward: HR as Performance Coaches
Perhaps Mike's most powerful insight is reframing HR's fundamental purpose: "Our primary job is to be a performance coach."
Rather than seeing HR initiatives as ends in themselves, Mike encourages viewing every program through the lens of performance improvement. "Any program, wellness, D&I, whatever it is... ultimately it's to help that person thrive in an environment. We do culture work to help people thrive," he explains.
This performance-focused mindset shifts HR from compliance and process to outcomes and value creation. As Mike puts it, "If we continually think about outcomes... I will just come back to our primary job is to lift and accelerate performance.
By staying "on the balls of our feet" and leaning into opportunities to drive performance, CHROs can create truly strategic partnerships with their CEOs—partnerships that deliver measurable business results while creating thriving workplaces.
