The CEO should really be the “Chief HR Officer”
Someone asked me recently what keeps me up at night. Expecting to hear me cite financial metrics or future projections of growth, they were surprised when my answer was “managing talent effectively.” They responded: "But you are the CEO. Why would you worry about that? Isn't that HR's job?"
For me it's quite simple. The “the people factor” is the most important thing I worry about. As a global CEO I spend much more than 50% of my time participating in annual talent reviews of our senior management across our companies and ensuring processes are in place to identify and develop next-generation leadership. Our people are our competitive advantage. Innovation, creativity, and the ongoing success of our organizations overall truly depends on them. It is our people that deliver the killer ideas. It is our people that are on the front lines with customers. Lastly, it is our people that make up our brands.
This is why Volaris spends so much time making sure the right people are in the right positions across our companies. And it’s also why I spend so much time focused on it. Without this focus, I'd likely not sleep at all.
Your Turn
What do you think? Do you think the CEO should also act as the "Chief HR Officer?"