Following International HR Day on 20 May, Graham Keatley, head of people at Vitality; Londani Nkabinde, head of HR at Danone SA; and Brenda Talazo, vice president, head of HR and business enablement at Saab, reflect on the changing role of HR and why the profession deserves greater recognition for the impact it has across every part of the business.
While Vitality’s Graham Keatley agrees that HR has rightfully earned its seat at the table in most organisations, he believes the profession still doesn’t receive enough recognition for the critical role it plays as both a strategic business partner and the guardian of company culture.
“Too often, HR is narrowly viewed as the team that processes payroll, manages compliance, or handles the hiring and firing of employees, when in reality its influence extends far beyond those functions,” he says.
“We align workforce capabilities through strategic workforce planning to meet long-term goals. Perhaps most importantly, we lead the human side of change management, guiding leaders and employees through transitions, easing anxieties and helping teams adapt to new realities. This multifaceted impact makes HR indispensable to the future of work,” he adds.
“The team and I play a vital role every day as a strategic partner to the business, guiding, supporting and enabling leaders in effective people management, conflict resolution and talent development. Beyond these responsibilities, we actively champion a diverse and inclusive workplace culture where every individual, regardless of role or level, can thrive and reach their full potential. At the same time, the team is constantly exploring new ideas and strategies to enhance employee wellbeing, recognising that a healthy, engaged workforce is the foundation of organisational success.”
What excites Graham most are the endless possibilities unfolding from a people and culture perspective.
“The business and HR landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with new challenges and opportunities emerging almost daily. The future of HR is rapidly shifting towards hyper-personalised employee experiences, where data-driven insights and AI take on the operational heavy lifting, freeing HR leaders and specialists to focus on building inclusive, adaptable workplaces. The skills landscape is changing faster than anyone anticipated, making the creation of these adaptable workplaces both a daunting and exhilarating task,” he adds.
All about people
“As HR leaders, we must embrace this challenge, staying ahead of evolving skill requirements, leveraging AI to enhance speed and efficiency, and ramping up our efforts to support and enable the business.”
For Londani Nkabinde, head of HR at Danone SA, business performance is powered by people and without people, there is no business.
“HR plays a critical role in translating strategy into capability by identifying, developing and enabling the talent required to deliver results. While often perceived as a soft function, HR is in fact deeply tied to hard business outcomes. Every KPI is enabled by people: through their clarity, engagement, skills, and culture,” he says.
“Our role is to build the capabilities that sustain transformation, create clarity on direction and equip people to navigate change and thrive – making HR a fundamental driver of long-term business success.”
According to him, being a true partnership with the business is one of the most important contributions the HR team brings in his organisation.
“We are often the first point of contact for both leaders and employees, helping them navigate change, understand expectations and perform at their best. Beyond traditional perceptions of HR, our work is deeply strategic, ensuring clarity on business priorities, aligning the right people and capabilities to those priorities and enabling leaders to deliver through their teams,” he explains.
“Every day, we focus on connecting the dots between strategy, people and performance, making sure the organisation not only knows where it is going, but also has the talent, mindset, and culture to get there.”
People still matter
His hope is for the profession to continue to evolve as a strategic function while never losing its human core.
“As we focus more on metrics and future-fit skills, it is essential that we also remain the custodians of culture, connection, and purpose, ensuring that people are not only ready for the future of work, but also feel supported and inspired within it.”
Brenda Talazo, vice president, head of HR and business enablement at Saab mentions that HR is still often seen mainly as an administrative function, when in reality, its true role is to help both people and businesses grow together.
“Strong HR professionals influence culture, leadership capability, employee wellbeing, organisational resilience and ultimately business performance. They are also increasingly driving digital transformation by implementing technologies, systems, and people strategies that improve efficiency, decision-making, employee experience, and organisational scalability in a rapidly evolving world of work,” she adds.
“I hope HR leaders are increasingly recognised as key drivers of transformation, helping organisations navigate change, adopt new technologies and build scalable people practices that support long-term growth.”
What motivates her most about working in HR is the opportunity to positively impact how individuals experience work while helping organisations evolve and grow sustainably.
“There is something meaningful about creating environments where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to contribute at their best. I am particularly inspired by the ability of HR to bridge human connection with innovation – using data, technology, and modern people practices to build agile, future-ready workplaces that can scale effectively without losing their culture and values,” she explains.
“My hope for the future of HR is that it continues evolving into a strategic, digitally advanced, and people-focused function. As workplaces become faster and more technology-driven, HR should remain committed to inclusion, wellbeing, and psychological safety, ensuring organisations stay empathetic and purpose-driven while achieving high performance and growth.”
