



DEVELOPING HR LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE BY BUILDING ON GUILD TRADITIONS
Professional Development through Masterclasses, Mentoring and Fellowship
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
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

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

Mentor Lead
Mark McLane

Past Master, HR Company
M&G Prudential
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: