World-leading academics from Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) joined forces with expert voices from industry this week to formally establish a HR network.

The Chief HR Officer (CHRO) Forum, which took place on Lancaster University’s campus this week, aimed to bring together a group of academics from LUMS’ Organisation, Work and Technology (OWT) department with the real-world leadership, practitioner knowledge of a group of Chief HR officers from a wide range of UK businesses.

It followed an inaugural Forum event in September 2022, and this time saw representatives from IBM, Cushman Wakefield, Fujitsu, Bristol Myers Squibb, Macfarlanes LLP, Workday Peakon, and the British Standards Institute among the 23 attendees, along with representatives from the Work Foundation think-tank at Lancaster University.

The Chief HR Officer attendees led the discussions which allowed for a powerful exchange of ideas and debate around some of the most pressing people-issues facing employers, including the management of wellbeing and how this relates to business performance, the role of employers during the cost of living crisis, insights from an employee sentiments provider and the responsible introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in business.

Mark Judd, Chair of the CHRO Forum, Honorary Researcher in OWT, and alumnus of the department, said: "I was delighted to be asked by the Department of OWT to chair the CHRO forum held at Lancaster University on 24th May.

“It was an excellent event, bringing together senior academics, policy advisors and CHROs to discuss the important topics on the agendas of the leaders of industry. We had stimulating and thought-provoking discussions on employee wellness, on how to understand employee sentiment, on managing the impact of the cost of living, and on the challenges and opportunities of AI.

“The quality of our invited speakers was outstanding. This form of engagement is hugely valuable to LUMS, bringing multiple points of views and experiences into the room at the same time. It allows us to challenge our thinking and ensure we are considering today’s issues from all angles."

The event was arranged by Organisation, Work and Technology’s Mark Judd, Honorary Researcher; Hannah Jackson, Doctoral Researcher; Professor Bogdan Costea, Professor Theo Vurdubakis.

The next Forum is being planned for later this year.

Any Chief HR Officers interested in joining are encouraged to get in touch with Mark Judd: m.judd@lancaster.ac.uk