What is the Becoming an Effective HRD Programme?
This programme is designed around adult learning principles, recognising that experienced HR leaders learn best when ideas are relevant, practical and immediately applicable. Rather than relying on theory alone, the programme uses discussion, reflection, live case work, role-play, peer challenge and action planning to help participants translate insight into action. The focus throughout is on real organisational issues, so participants leave not just with frameworks, but with greater confidence, sharper judgement and clear next steps for their own context.
Shift from functional HR to strategic leadership
Develop a business-centric, commercial perspective
Build leadership confidence
and clarity
Connect with an influential peer network and faculty
What Are The Key Benefits?
Becoming an Effective HRD will focus on the high-level behaviours and skills that CRF’s research has identified successful HR Directors have and display.
Building on your technical HR expertise, you will leave better equipped to increase your impact on organisational performance and contribute more confidently as part of the leadership team.
You will take away:
- A deeper understanding of how HR creates sustainable value for all key stakeholders, balancing short-term business priorities with the longer-term needs of a wider set of stakeholders
- Greater confidence in applying HR expertise to commercial and strategic challenges, helping you build credibility with senior leaders
- A clearer sense of when to use evidence, data and insight in decision-making, and when experience and judgement also matter
- Fresh external perspectives and ideas that you can bring back into your organisation
- A sharper focus on measuring success through business outcomes rather than HR activity alone
- How to become ‘politically savvy’ to deliver initiatives in complex and ambiguous organisations
- A clearer sense of how to lead with integrity, judgement and balance across the full HRD remit.
You will develop your capability to plan, implement and evaluate HR initiatives, alongside your strategic and commercial thinking to increase your personal impact as part of the leadership team.
Who Should Enrol?
Attendees will typically be the Head of an HR Centre of Excellence / Expertise, Head of an HR Shared Services Operation or a Senior HR Business Partner. You should be aspiring to your first HR Director role, be new in position as HR Director or be looking to significantly increase your effectiveness and business impact as an existing HR Director.
Cost
CRF Member: £3,250 (+VAT)
Non-Members: £4,875 (+VAT)
Programme Dates
- 11 – 12 May 2026: 9.00 – 17.00 each day
- AND 29 June 2026
Venue
FORA Offices
2 Stephen St, London W1T 1AN
The Programme in Detail
This programme is delivered in person, in London, across 3 full days.
11 May 2026 – Day 1: Creating Value
- Setting the scene: HR’s purpose
- What CEOs want from HR
- The deliverables and tensions of being an HRD
- HR’s role in the strategy process
- Building organisational capability
- How value is created in organisations
- Role-playing strategic conversations
12 May 2026 – Day 2: Delivering Value
- Using the insights from day one to define what HR needs to deliver
- Planning and implementing your agenda
- Evaluating and learning
- The use of data, analytics and metrics
29 June 2026 – Day 3: Managing Key Relationships
- Working with your leadership team
- What it means to be a personal confidante
- The nature of being ‘politically savvy’
Testimonials
“Nick is a fantastic trainer; his knowledge and powerful storytelling has stayed with me and I often reflect on the learnings from this course in my daily work life.
I have already used some of the materials with my own team and it has shifted my perceptions and narrative when it comes to thinking about how I approach and deliver effective support and solutions for our business.”
Nareen Chambers, Head of HR Business Partnering, Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright
“I found this programme to be an invaluable and enriching experience. It provided a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and deepen my understanding of what it truly means to operate as a senior HR leader. The blend of practical frameworks, high‑quality facilitation, and meaningful peer discussion helped me strengthen both my strategic capability and my confidence in influencing at the most senior levels. I left the programme with greater clarity, a refreshed sense of purpose, and tools that I continue to draw on in my role.“
Claire Hasselby, Senior HR Manager, Bunzl
Bunzl
“As I navigated a significant transition into the role of People Director, I can confidently say that the HRD programme arrived at a pivotal moment in my career. The insights and skills I gained during the course have been invaluable in helping me adapt to the challenges of this new position. This experience has empowered me to lead with confidence and strategically determine where I place my energy and focus to drive meaningful change within the organization.”
Claire Smith, People Director, Nando's UK & IRE
Nando's UK & IRE
This programme is led by Nick Holley, Client Learning Director, CRF
For over two decades, he has worked with HR Directors, CHROs and executive teams globally to help HR operate at the centre of business strategy — not at its margins. His work focuses on future-back organisation design, strategic workforce planning, board-level influence and the shift from HR functional leader to enterprise architect.
As designer and lead faculty of CRF’s Becoming an Effective HRD programme, Nick brings together cutting-edge research, real-world experience and a direct, stretching facilitation style that prepares participants for the realities of operating at HRD level.
He is known for helping senior HR leaders think bigger, act braver and step confidently into enterprise leadership.
Prior to joining CRF, Nick spent 10 years at Henley Business School where he was a visiting professor and Director of the Centre for HR Excellence. He has developed and delivered HR capability programmes for organisations across the UK and Europe, and internationally.
Additional Faculty
Dan Caro
Managing Director, Strategic Dimensions
Dan manages the Executive Search operation at Strategic Dimensions as well as recruiting at HR Director/C Suite level for generalist roles and across the full range of specialist functions. He has extensive experience recruiting into large, global multinationals as well as supporting small start-up organisations in developing their HR function. His experience is multi-sector and spans the UK and Europe. Dan has been working in recruitment consultancy since 1997, joining Strategic Dimensions in 2006. He started his career post-graduation with Tesco, progressing into a number of general management roles before moving into recruitment in 1997.
Elsa Critchley
Chief HR Officer, Baillie Gifford
Elsa is currently Chief HR Officer at Baillie Gifford, the global Asset Manager with 1700 staff headquartered in Edinburgh, leading a team of 60 HR professionals in the UK, US and Asia.
She has a varied background, with multi-sector experience and expertise in international working practices and cultures having lived, worked and travelled extensively overseas. As well as three decades’ experience in HR, she has spent time in marketing and consulting roles which alongside her MBA have helped hone her business and commercial acumen, enabling her to operate strategically whilst delivering pragmatic solutions.
Elsa’s core areas of expertise are strategy, culture, leadership and development, ER and policy, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
She has a strong interest in philanthropy and contributing through volunteering, coaching and charitable activities. She has served on Executive, Remuneration and Staff Committees and Boards as well as seven years as a charity trustee. An experienced mentor and coach and qualified as an Executive Coach having achieved the AoEC Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching.
Drew Matthews
People Director – Reward, Benefits & Wellbeing – Centrica
Drew Matthews is People Director – Reward, Benefits & Wellbeing at Centrica. He has extensive corporate and consultancy experience gained from multinational companies across a variety of industries. He was previously at BAE Systems, BT and Tesco where he had accountability for reward, HR policies, global mobility, employee relations, HR mergers and acquisitions, and health, safety and wellbeing. Prior to becoming an HR Director, Drew worked as an independent remuneration committee adviser for a number of consultancy firms including PwC and Deloitte.
Investment
CRF Members: £3,250 (+VAT) per person
Non-CRF Members: £4,875 (+VAT) per person
Fees include all learning materials, food and refreshments throughout the programme day and access to a learning cohort private WhatsApp community.
Please note: travel and accommodation are not included.
If you are interested in enrolling and would like to discuss further, contact Rosanna Neary or click the button below:
