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The HR landscape continues to evolve rapidly, as it has done througout 2025. September saw thousands of senior appointments, promotions, and leadership changes shaping people strategies around the world. Globally, 7,255 new HR hires were recorded, alongside 2,427 promotions, 771 new CEOs, and 201 funded companies, signalling fresh opportunities for providers and vendors working with HR teams.
Below we've details some of the highlights of companies shaking up their HR strategies in September 2025.
The UK continues to see significant HR activity, with more than 3,000 senior hires this month including:
• Renishaw – Clare Nicholls – Group Human Resources Director
• Linklaters – Lynne Burns – Chief People Officer
• Moneycorp – Ben Dale – VP HR Europe and Transformation
• William Grant & Sons – Steve Napier – HR Director
• Clear Group – Barbara Duffy Green – Group Chief People & Performance Officer
Across the US, nearly 3,000 HR leaders joined companies this month that have included:
• Bose Corporation – Catherine Gass – Vice President, HR Business Partnerships
• Netflix – Hillary Champion – VP, Talent Management
• Fruit of the Loom – Rudy Alanis – Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer
• PENN Entertainment, Inc. – John-Michael Scurio – Vice President of Human Resources
• Fanatics Betting & Gaming (FBG) – Denise Novosel – Vice President of Talent Acquisition
• AutoZone – Eric Leef – Senior Vice President Human Resources
European HR teams saw a number of high-impact appointments this month, particularly in roles that cover multiple regions and business functions, such as:
• Renault Group – Morgane Vidal – VP HR Learning
• Saint Laurent – Nathalie Malavoy – Chief People Officer
• Brown-Forman – Marcela Aidar – Vice President HR, Europe, Africa & APAC
• Coty – Miguel Gonzalez – Senior Vice President HR Operations
• Kärcher – Diana Eid – Executive Vice President Corporate Human Resources
Promotions are a major driver of HR change. Newly elevated leaders have broader responsibilities, expanded budgets, and fresh agendas, making them brilliant prospects for providers. Some notable promotions this month included:
• Renault Group – Claire Fanget – Chief People & Organisation Officer
• Alexander McQueen – Ella Morgan-Crosby – Chief People Officer
• Carr's Group – Sian Wythe – Chief People Officer
• Sun Pharma – Monisha Chadha – Vice President – Performance & Rewards and Head HR Europe
• DLG-koncernen – Anette Ilsoe – VP, Head of HR Operation
• Bain & Company – Kate Bennett – Executive Vice President, People Development, Performance & Culture
• Fox Corporation – Lauren Hallam – Senior Vice President Human Resources
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise – Samanntha DuBridge – Senior Vice President, Chief Talent Officer
• Citi – Bruna Longhi Serafim – VP, Org Develop & HR Strategic Leadership – People Analytics & Insights – Employee Listening
• Thales – Sanjeet Purohit – Global VP HR – IFE Business Line
Leadership changes at the top frequently trigger reviews of people strategy, technology, and supplier partnerships. September saw 771 new CEO appointments worldwide, signalling shifts in organisational direction and creating opportunities for providers to engage early in supplier reviews and strategic planning, such as:
• Uber Freight – Rebecca Tinucci – Chief Executive Officer
• Kering – Luca de Meo – Chief Executive Officer
• Signify – As Tempelman – Chief Executive Officer
• Gold's Gym – Bradford Reynolds – Chief Executive Officer
• Ipsos – Jean Laurent Poitou – Chief Executive Officer
• Lacoste – Eric Vallat – Chief Executive Officer
• Rackspace Technology – Gajen Kandiah – Chief Executive Officer
• Arsenal FC – Richard Garlick – Chief Executive Officer
• CityFibre – Simon Holden – Chief Executive Officer
• ALDI USA – Atty McGrath – Chief Executive Officer
Funding rounds often indicate organisational growth, expanded teams, and increased investment in HR infrastructure. Providers of HR systems, recruitment solutions, and employee engagement platforms should pay close attention to these companies as they are likely to review suppliers and implement new initiatives.
• Paragraf – £412.50 million – Series C
• Big Potato Games – £14.22 million – Private Equity
• Phoebe – £12.75 million – Seed
• Bumper – £8.14 million – Series B
• Irys – £7.50 million – Series A
Using social listening and company research, Honch identifies the areas where HR teams are actively engaging in conversations that signal opportunities for providers:
Employee Wellbeing & Benefits: 679 companies are discussing mental health, while 371 focus on overall employee wellbeing. Flexible working continues to grow, alongside benefits such as gym schemes (2,334 companies), childcare (473), EV schemes (597), and cycle-to-work programmes (2,975). Family values initiatives are also being actively promoted (339 companies).
Talent Acquisition & Development: Companies continue to hire and invest in talent development, with 1,876 actively hiring, 1,647 promoting graduate and apprentice schemes, and 1,621 discussing learning and development initiatives.
Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement: Diversity, equality, and inclusion remain key priorities, with 578 companies championing diversity, 81 promoting female employees, and 88 discussing gender pay equality. Charitable giving (3,661 companies) and cancer support programmes (765) are also prominent.
Sustainability & ESG: Sustainability is a growing focus for organisations, with 5,400 companies actively discussing ESG initiatives globally. 25 companies achieved B Corp certification this month.
Strategic & Organisational Change: Companies are discussing international growth (424 companies), new office spaces (265), acquisitions (60), and technology investments such as AI (237 companies) to drive organisational transformation.
September has been a pivotal month for HR teams globally, with thousands of hires, promotions, and strategic shifts creating a surge of new decision-makers entering the market. For providers, this activity is particularly significant because new executives typically spend 70% of their first-year budget within their first 100 days 💰.
These newly appointed HR leaders and recently funded companies are actively reviewing suppliers, launching initiatives, and prioritising investment in people, technology, and wellbeing programmes. September’s moves give providers a clear view of who to engage and when, ensuring outreach aligns with Q4 planning cycles.
With the final quarter historically being the time when HR budgets, recruitment plans, and strategic projects are finalised, early engagement with these new decision-makers can be crucial. Providers who act now are well-placed to influence decisions, secure contracts, and support organisations looking to finish 2025 strongly.
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