A shortlist of three has been drawn up in the bid to find a successor to Geoff Armstrong as head of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Personnel Today has learned.
Senior sources claim headhunting firm Whitehead Mann has identified three candidates for the £200,000-a-year role, which has the new title of chief executive.
The shortlisted candidates are said to be chief executives in private sector companies with previous experience as HR directors.
A spokesman for the CIPD said the institute was making “good progress” in the search for a successor to Armstrong, who will retire in June 2008 after 16 years as director-general.
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According to the job ad, his replacement will act as “a highly visible leader for CIPD membership and a prominent voice in the world of work”. The new person will also be an “inspirational leader, aware of the changing needs of HR professionals”.
The appointment of a candidate with experience both in HR and leading a company is likely to be welcomed by the profession.