Chris Bones, principal of Henley Management College, was first choice for the top job at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), senior human resources sources have claimed.
Bones was offered the six-figure chief executive position earlier this year, but turned it down, leading figures have told Personnel Today. Instead, the institute appointed Jackie Orme, a relatively unknown figure, which caused surprise across the HR profession.
Bones (left), who has worked in HR for nearly 25 years in a variety of roles, refused to confirm or deny that he had been offered the job.
When asked if he had turned it down, he told Personnel Today: “I am not saying one thing or the other. Any recruitment process is confidential and anything else is speculation or rumour. A simple ‘no comment’ is the best way to go about this.”
The CIPD declined to comment, stating it would “never divulge the names of any candidates”.
Orme, currently chief personnel officer at the UK and Ireland division of food and drinks firm PepsiCo, will take up the £300,000 post next April – the first woman to land the top role.
