Gatwick’s CHRO hire is a lesson in looking sideways

The airport's appointment of a CHRO from outside aviation signals a strategic shift towards customer experience and digital fluency, a move all boards should…

When a major piece of national infrastructure appoints a new people leader, the HR community takes notice. But when the appointment represents a significant leap between entirely different commercial worlds, it’s a moment for every leadership team to pause and reflect on their own assumptions about what makes a great hire.

The news itself is straightforward: Kathleen Maes is the new Chief Human Resources Officer for London Gatwick Airport. The real story, however, lies in the journey. Maes joins from Virgin Media O2, where she also held the top people job. It is a deliberate and strategic import of talent from the fast-paced, consumer-focused, and digitally-driven world of telecoms into the heavily regulated, safety-critical, and unionised environment of a major international airport. It’s a clear signal that Gatwick’s board is betting on a set of transferable skills over sector-specific experience.

A bet on commercial DNA

Gatwick's decision should not be seen as a slight on the deep expertise that exists within aviation HR. Instead, it’s an acknowledgement that the challenges facing an airport today are as much about customer experience, digital transformation, and brand as they are about industrial relations and operational compliance. Airports are no longer just functional transit hubs; they are complex ecosystems of retail, hospitality, and logistics, all competing for passenger loyalty. A leader like Maes, forged in a hyper-competitive consumer market, brings a DNA focused on the direct line between employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

This kind of cross-sector appointment assumes that the core competencies of a modern CHRO are now universal. The ability to use data to drive people decisions, build a compelling employer brand that attracts diverse talent, and lead cultural change is not industry-specific. Gatwick is gambling that it’s easier for a sharp commercial leader to learn the specific regulations and operational realities of aviation than it is to teach a traditional, operations-focused HR leader to think like a chief marketing or digital officer. It’s a calculated risk, but one that reflects a wider trend: the CHRO as a genuine business strategist, not just a steward of the function.

This is a statement about the future of the CHRO role itself: strategist first, sector expert second.

The challenge for Maes will be to balance this new perspective with the non-negotiable realities of the airport environment. She will need to quickly build credibility with unions and a workforce steeped in a culture where safety and process are paramount. Success will depend on her ability to translate her experience into a language that resonates with the organisation, demonstrating how a focus on people experience can enhance, not compromise, operational excellence and security. This requires a rare blend of disruptive thinking and deep listening.

The signal for your board

For other organisations, this appointment serves as a powerful prompt to scrutinise their own senior hiring philosophy. How many genuinely game-changing candidates are being filtered out by an over-reliance on sector experience? Boards and hiring managers should be asking themselves whether their search for a ‘safe pair of hands’ is blinding them to the opportunity to recruit a leader who can catalyse necessary change. The risk of groupthink within an industry is real, and importing an outsider is one of the most effective, if challenging, ways to break it. This requires a broader view of the talent landscape, one that is a core competency of a forward-thinking ImaginativeHR Search partner.

Commercially, the implications are significant. A leadership team that continues to recruit only from within its own sector may find itself outmanoeuvred by competitors who have injected fresh thinking on talent, technology, and culture. The sensible leadership team should be doing two things right now. First, re-evaluating the profile for their own C-suite roles, particularly the CHRO. Are you still hiring for yesterday's challenges, or for the commercial, digital, and cultural imperatives of tomorrow? As we have explored before, it's vital to move beyond the generic lists of what a CHRO should do and define what your specific business strategy requires.

Second, they must acknowledge that the risk of such a hire is mitigated not at the point of offer, but during integration. The budget and planning for a senior hire must extend to the first six months of their tenure. The cost of a failed senior appointment – in lost momentum, team disruption, and recruitment fees – is enormous. Success requires a deliberate and structured transition programme, often involving executive coaching, to help the new leader navigate the culture, build key relationships, and secure early wins. The investment in the search must be matched by an investment in their success.

Bridging the gap

Ultimately, the success of moves like this rests on a paradox: hiring a leader for their different perspective, then giving them the support they need to understand the culture they are meant to change. It is about providing the tools to translate their external experience into internal credibility and impact. For boards brave enough to look sideways for their next leader, this integration is where the true value of the appointment will be won or lost.

At ImaginativeHR, we see this every day. Identifying and successfully landing transformative leaders is a defining challenge, but the work that follows is just as critical. The most effective transitions are supported, enabling new executives to accelerate their contribution and de-risking the board’s bold decision from the very first day.