The C-Suite Is Changing.

People & Culture just walked in.

It's Not the Title That Changed — It's the Mandate Behind It

Let me start with an honest statement: having an HR leader at C-level is not new in hospitality. The major international groups — Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton — have had CHROs in their executive committees for well over a decade. And even mid-size and luxury brands have had senior HR leaders reporting at the highest levels for years.

So when we see a wave of new People & Culture appointments across the industry in 2025 and 2026, the question is not whether the position exists. It's what has changed about it.

From my perspective, three things are shifting and they matter.

The language is changing — deliberately

Four Seasons appointed Keisha Smith as Executive Vice President and Chief People and Culture Officer in January 2025. Four Seasons had a CHRO at EVP level before — Ed Evans held the role for years. But the move from "Human Resources" to "People and Culture" is not cosmetic. It signals a broader mandate: one that extends beyond traditional HR administration into culture, employee experience, and leadership development.

This reframing is happening across the industry. And while a title alone doesn't change an organisation, the language a company chooses for its most senior roles says something about its priorities.

The function is becoming standalone

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group brought in ShaoWei Ong as Chief People & Culture Officer in 2025, reporting directly to the Group Chief Executive and serving on both the Executive Committee and the Group Leadership Team. The role existed before — but it was held as a dual function alongside the COO position by Amanda Hyndman.

The decision to create a dedicated, standalone People & Culture role at this level is significant. It means the function no longer shares bandwidth with operations. It has its own seat, its own focus, its own accountability. For a brand in the midst of a ten-year transformation, that's a strategic choice.

The governance level is rising

Accor appointed Laurent Choain as Global Chief People & Culture Officer, effective April 2026. Accor already had a Chief People and Culture Officer before — Laurence Dambrine held the role since 2025, and Steven Daines served as Chief Talent and Culture Officer before that. What's new is not the function itself, but where it now sits: on the Group Management Board, not only the Executive Committee. That's a governance elevation. It puts People & Culture at the same structural level as finance and operations in Accor's most senior decision-making body.

Why this matters — honestly

None of these moves are about creating a new position from scratch. The seat existed. What's changing is the mandate, the scope, and in some cases the governance level attached to it.

And that distinction matters more than it might seem at first.

When the function moves from "Human Resources" to "People & Culture," it reflects a broader understanding of what the role is responsible for: not just recruitment and compliance, but cultural cohesion, leadership development, employee experience, and long-term organisational resilience.

When the role becomes standalone rather than a dual function, it gets the dedicated focus and accountability it needs to drive real impact.

When the role moves from executive committee to management board, it enters the room where the most consequential decisions are made.

In hospitality — where the quality of the guest experience is inseparable from the quality of the employee experience — these shifts have direct operational relevance. They are not symbolic. They are structural decisions about how an organisation defines leadership.

A personal note

I have worked in hospitality for more than 20 years — including at Four Seasons in New York, Milan, and Prague, and later in a leadership role at the Baur au Lac in Zurich. I now advise hotels on employer branding, culture, and the employee lifecycle through NOUWORK.

I have seen first-hand what happens when People & Culture is structurally disconnected from where the big decisions are made. And I have seen what becomes possible when it isn't.

That is why I find these developments genuinely encouraging. Not because the titles are new — but because the intent behind them is becoming clearer. The industry is not just filling positions. It is redefining what those positions are for.

The structure existed. What's changing is what it stands for.