London — Jan. 23
Mike Watts has joined the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development as professional development director.
He was serving as the director of HR transformation at the Cabinet Office, where he led initiatives to professionalize HR across the U.K. civil service.
Previously, he had a long and successful career at Lloyds TSB, where he started out in business development and line management roles before moving into progressively more senior director roles in personnel and development.
The professional development director is responsible for leading strategies for the growth of CIPD membership and for maintaining and developing the high standards and relevance of CIPD professional qualifications and their application.
The role, at the heart of the CIPD and its work, provides an opportunity to act as a leading spokesperson and advocate for the profession in its relations with business, government and education and training providers.
“Mike Watts’ decision to join the CIPD in this key role is a real boost for the people management and development profession,” said Geoff Armstrong, CIPD director general. “The CIPD has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Mike’s appointment will help us advance our position as the professional body for all those involved in the management and development of people.
“With his impressive track record across business and government, he will add another powerful voice for the profession to our top team and strengthen the role we play in promoting the value and importance of excellent people management and development.
“In the last 10 years, our membership has grown from 75,000 to over 127,000. We have achieved this while maintaining rigorous and internationally respected professional standards. Mike will help us achieve our ambitious targets for further growth in membership while ensuring that our standards reflect the increasingly diverse career paths within the field of people management and development and the needs of employers.”
