New permanent Chief People Officer joins CBI executive committee

Asha Musoni joins the CBI this week as the organisation’s new Chief People Officer (CPO). She takes over from Elizabeth Wallace who held the position on an interim basis since the role was created on the membership body’s Executive Committee last year.

Musoni will lead an in-house team responsible for people and culture, training and development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, recruitment and HR operations. Her team is also responsible for running the CBI’s quarterly employee opinion and pulse surveys. In addition to her role on the Executive Committee Musoni will report to the new people and culture sub-committee of the CBI’s board, established last year, and manage the ongoing relationship with the external Cultural Advisory Committee.

Musoni joins the CBI from Ofcom where she was Head of People Strategy. She has over 18 years of public sector experience across a broad range of roles covering immigration, policing standards, disaster risk reduction and more recently, communications and regulation. Personally, she has invested in the social progression of women and children, having previously held trustee roles in these areas.

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Executive says:

“I am so pleased to be welcoming someone of Asha’s calibre to the CBI in such an important role, heading up our people and culture work.

“Culture is everyone’s responsibility. We have to think about our people and culture in all our organisational decision making as much as we would our finances or influencing work. Having someone of Asha’s experience brings that senior HR expertise to our top table and will challenge us all to ensure we are never complacent about looking for ways to grow and improve.”

Asha Musoni, CBI CPO says:

“As we look toward a general election the CBI’s role in supporting UK businesses is ever more important, and I’m delighted to be joining at such a critical time. Building on the cultural transformation already underway, I’m excited to work with such talented people in creating an inclusive environment where everyone plays to their strengths.”

Added background:

1. Asha is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and an accredited Strengths Coach.  She has an MSc in Human Resource Management from Robert Gordon University, and an LLB in Law from Queen Mary University of London.
2. Musoni’s appointment maintains the CBI Executive Committee’s majority female make-up.