DEVELOPING HR LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE BY BUILDING ON GUILD TRADITIONS

Professional Development through Masterclasses, Mentoring and Fellowship

 
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Introduction

The National HR Leadership Programme was established by the Company in 2018 as an executive education programme for HR Professionals. Its purpose is to develop HR leadership skills in areas such as critical thinking, professional confidence, and the ability to establish an informed and commercial point of view on organisational challenges and opportunities. It is rooted in individual learning and reflection and led by experienced HR professionals.

How Does the Programme Work?

Now in its fifth year, the HR National Leadership Programme is an eight-month immersive, personalised experience that equips senior HR professionals to deliver greater personal and professional impact. It looks at and challenges how you think and interact with other business leaders, and how to be a confident, proactive contributor. This is achieved through a mix of masterclasses, mentoring, and self-directed personal development planning supported by high profile successful HR leaders who bring their experiences and capabilities to help you succeed.

What you can expect…

  • Associate membership of the Company of HR Professionals with access to Company events and fellowship
  • Self-assessment, a personal development plan, and exercises in reflective learning
  • A series of experienced practitioner-led masterclasses exploring significant current professional themes
  • On-line mentoring provided by a senior HR professional and Company member
  • A peer coaching/mentoring approach using action learning sets to support mutual learning and application
  • A patchwork assessment methodology to measure learning and certify completion of the programme

...and where it leads

  • The opportunity to develop a deep network with other HR professionals
  • Connection and fellowship with the wider membership of the Company
  • An understanding of how Liveries and Guilds operate and the chance to participate in Company activities
  • Two-year associate membership of the HR Company with the opportunity to become a member or Freeman of the Company after that period
 
 

Who Should Apply

The National Leadership Programme is particularly relevant to the following people:

  • Senior HR leaders who want to round out their experience and have more impact as part of an executive team
  • Up and coming HR managers/leaders looking to develop themselves for bigger roles in the future
  • Successful HR Directors who want to build their professional network and connect into wider external debates and bring new perspectives about people issues into business strategy discussions
 
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Hear from our alumni

 

John Ambrose

I have achieved personal and professional growth by attending this programme

Beau Hopkins

I really got a lot out of this programme and highly recommend it to others
 

Jake Orros

I am sad that the programme has come to an end – the sessions have been very current and pertinent to my role

Erin Hughes

This is a really good programme; the breadth of it, the network I have grown, the topics covered … it kept me engaged
 

David Cox

The Programme challenged me to step beyond Reward and reinforcing that HR is about driving business success through data, inclusion, and leadership

Chloe Parker

The mentoring is excellent, very supportive. Providing great insight and learning
 

Trisha Gajjar

The Masterclass speakers were brilliant; all the topics were good and relevant

Edward Macartney

I have loved the programme, really valued it – I wish I could have done it years ago; I have learned so much
 
 

Faculty and Mentors

Annette Andrews

AnnetteA

Joint Faculty Lead and Past Master

Former CPO Lloyd’s of London

Executive Coach and Consultant to HRDs and Business Leaders. Former CHRO at Lloyd’s of London where she led on the Global HR Talent Strategy. Annette is a Certified Coach and Mediator with an MBA and is a Fellow of the CIPD.

Stephen Sidebottom

Stephen-Sidebottom

Joint Faculty Lead and Past Master

International CHRO and NED

  • Stephen has held global HR leadership roles including at Standard Chartered and Nomura International, and has led on major organisation change, OD, culture and performance, and complex people solutions.
  • He is Chair of the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) and Kent Savers Credit Union
  • He has an MBA from London Business School, an MA from Oxford and is a Fellow of the CIPD and a Court Member of the HR Company.

Keri Garrod

Business Photo

Mentor Lead

With over 20 years of global experience in people management, Keri is a dynamic enterprise leader who has driven large-scale business and cultural transformations. Her expertise spans the Oil and Gas, Mining, and Agriculture sectors, where she has shaped strategic people initiatives within complex, multinational environments whilst working in the UK and Middle East and serving as a trusted strategic advisor to executive teams and boards. Keri's leadership philosophy is centered on thoughtfully engaging people to create a sustainable culture of empowerment, collaboration and growth.

Danny Harmer

Danielle Harmer

Past Master, HR Company

Aviva

  • Responsible for all aspects of looking after Aviva’s people and enabling its culture and values
  • A chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Danny has worked in banking for nearly 20 years

Paul Hucknall

PaulH

Past Master, HR Company

C. Hoare & Co.

Paul is the Chief People Officer at C. Hoare & Co. Held previous senior HR roles at Lloyds Banking Group, ING and NatWest. Extensive experience in all facets of HR including Governance and Reward.

Mark McLane

Mark McLane

Past Master, HR Company

M&G Prudential

Mark is responsible for the architecture and delivery of M&G Prudential’s firmwide D&I strategy. Previously Global Head of D&I for Barclays PLC. He is a Commissioner for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. He holds a BS in Business Management from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania
 

Application Notes

Applications are invited from anybody working in HR disciplines, irrespective of sector. The cost of the programme is £5,000 + VAT for corporately sponsored participants & £3,200 + VAT for non-sponsored participants. This includes one year’s apprentice membership of the Company and a further first year of membership with the Freedom of the Company. Applicants may be in a generalist or specialist role or in any area linked to professional HR delivery e.g. Diversity and Inclusion, Employee Engagement, HR Legal or HR Operations.

Places are strictly limited, so please apply early to ensure you are accepted.

Applications for 2025 should be submitted using the form below by 31st May 2025

 

National HR Leadership Programme Application Form

Please submit your details, answering all questions below to the best of your knowledge:

  • Please share with us what you hope to gain, as well as what would you seek to contribute to the profession?
  • Please share with us the impact you have been able to achieve through your work:
  • Can you please share some examples of when and how you have demonstrated your values in your work (this may be in your organisation, in other work you have done for the HR profession, or pro-bono work with the wider community)?

  • In this section answers should be no more than 200 words:

  • Why do you feel that this programme is appropriate for you at this stage in your career?
  • What specific learning and experience are you seeking to address through your participation within this programme?
  • Please give details of your academic and professional qualifications
  • Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 5 MB.
  • Is there any other relevant information you would like to share with us?

  • SPONSOR'S STATEMENT

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.