Chief Talent & Inclusion Officer

Informa is a leading international events, intelligence and scholarly research group.

We’re the specialist’s specialist. Through hundreds of powerful brands, we work with businesses and professionals in specialist markets, providing the connections, intelligence and opportunities that help customers grow, do business, make breakthroughs and take better informed decisions.

Informa is listed on London Stock Exchange and a member of FTSE 100, with over 11,000 colleagues working in more than 30 countries.

Global Support is Informa's sixth division, with major hubs in the United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as several smaller locations. As the team behind the teams, Global Support colleagues provide shared, efficient business services and function-specific expertise to each of Informa's operating divisions, enabling our commercial teams to focus on their markets and customers.

The Chief Talent & Inclusion Officer (CTIO) is a newly established strategic role at Informa, responsible for leading and shaping their global talent strategy and their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, in partnership with the senior leadership team.

Reporting to Informa’s Group HR Director, Sally Ashford, the CTIO will play a critical role in shaping the organisation's culture and contributing to Informa’s success by effectively nurturing their talent; leading initiatives to develop, mobilise and motivate top-tier talent while fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. The CTIOs vision and leadership will drive Informa’s commitment to DEI and empower their colleagues to develop and grow their careers at Informa.

As a key member of the HR leadership team, the CTIO will deliver an integrated talent and inclusion strategy that positions Informa as an employer of choice. There is an opportunity to craft and develop a joined up, group wide talent strategy and approach, creating a coherent framework across a highly decentralised operating structure. Key to success will be highly effective relationship building and influencing to deliver change across a diverse portfolio of businesses.

This is a significant leadership role in HR and for the business more broadly, requiring deep commercial acumen, relevant talent and DE&I credentials combined with proven change and transformation credentials. The CTIO will be a close advisor and thought partner to the Group HR Director and other senior colleagues on a range of strategic and more tactical talent and inclusion matters. This role will have significant exposure to senior leaders, advising the ExCo and PLC Board on strategic Talent & DEI topics. Alongside providing a strategic approach and big-picture vision, it will be important that the CTIO will have a strong execution focus and can cut through to meaningful delivery.

Key accountabilities

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

• Lead the continued development and execution of the company’s global DEI strategy that fosters an inclusive and equitable workplace culture.
• Partner with divisional DEI teams on global DEI goals and measure progress through data analysis and reporting.
• Design and deliver DEI initiatives, including training and awareness programmes, to promote an inclusive company culture at all levels of the organisation.
• Provide ongoing guidance and support to our six AllInforma colleague-run networks: Rainbow, Nations, Balance, Illuminate, iCAN and Serve.

Talent Strategy:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive talent strategy that aligns with Informa’s values and guiding principles, in partnership with their senior leadership teams. This includes workforce planning, succession planning, and talent mapping at all levels of the organisation.
• Work closely with Informa’s Talent Acquisition team on their internal mobility strategy; helping colleagues navigate and progress their career pathways at Informa, and ensuring Informa have a robust talent pipeline to fill critical roles.
• Communicate strategy clearly and effectively with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Supports CEO and Group HRD on executive talent development and succession planning.

Culture and Engagement:

• Drive initiatives to enhance colleague engagement, retention, and satisfaction that centre around the four Life@Informa ingredients: Impact, Opportunity, Freedom and Community.
• Develop and implement strategies to measure and improve colleague engagement, including the annual survey, Inside Informa.
• Collaborate with leadership to create and maintain a culture of continuous feedback and development.

Early Careers:

• Provide leadership and support to our Early Careers team who are responsible for designing and coordinating a comprehensive early careers programme, including internships, apprenticeships, the Informa Graduate Fellowship scheme, and other entry-level positions.

Learning and Development:

• Lead and support the Head of Learning & Performance alongside the divisional teams to coordinate and promote performance management and talent development programmes across the business, ensuring colleagues have a range of opportunities to grow and advance their careers at Informa.
• Promote the value of learning and its impact on colleague growth and business success.
• Analyse current trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in learning and development to ensure Informa’s programmes remain innovative and effective.

Talent Analytics and Reporting:

• Use data-driven insights to assess the effectiveness of Informa’s initiatives and make informed decisions to optimise talent management.
• Regularly report on key talent metrics to senior leadership and the Board of directors.

Team Leadership:

• Lead, mentor and motivate a high-performing Talent & Inclusion team, providing guidance and coaching to help support their own professional growth.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment within the team.

The ideal candidate will be a proven, senior talent leader with a broad range of experience across the talent and DE&I domain. Candidates may also bring some generalist HR experience to the fore, in addition to a sound Talent and DE&I background. Critically, they will bring experience of operating in complex, global organisations and whilst prior industry experience is not necessary, an appreciation for the markets that Informa operates across, and the uniquely decentralised nature of the business, will be attractive.

The CTIO will be a proactive partner to the Group HR Director and a key strategic influencer amongst the HR leadership team. They will be able to contribute broadly to commercial discussions, while simultaneously shaping a relevant Talent and DE&I strategy and agenda that enables value. They will be highly credible at the Board and ExCo level; articulate, confident and demonstrably expert on all Talent and DE&I matters, in order to influence and bring their experience and judgement to bear.

Critically, the CTIO will bring a track record of enabling significant commercial progress through relevant HR and talent initiatives. They will clearly show their competence in flexing across both strategic and more operational requirements. In short, they will have worked in environments where they have had to roll up their sleeves and be distinctly hands-on in the design and delivery of talent and DE&I initiatives.

Role relevant experience, skills & leadership style:

• Extensive experience in HR/Talent/DE&I leadership roles; will bring a strong and relevant background in talent management, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing integrated Talent and DE&I approaches, in complex, global, multi-divisional organisations.
• Strong track record of clearly translating changing business needs into effective, integrated talent and DE&I strategies and actions, with a sharp focus on current and future people and organisational needs and capabilities.
• Ability to demonstrate and deliver clear commercial benefits associated with talent development and DE&I programmes.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate HR initiatives into business outcomes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
• Current or prior experience operating in a global, complex organisation of scale. Experience in the sectors that Informa operates in would be beneficial but is not a prerequisite.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels of the organisation.
• Comfortable and credible operating amongst senior audiences. Will demonstrate the appropriate presence, intellect, influence and self-confidence to interact effectively with the Board, CEO and senior leadership team.
• Show proven skills in assessing and coaching senior talent – have a strong presence with outstanding influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to forge effective partnerships with business and HR leaders.
• Passion for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• A collaborator at heart who will proactively remove silos and partner across the business (IT, Finance, People, Marketing) to build a winning employee experience.
• Not afraid to challenge the status quo and will bring a future-focused mindset to drive innovation within Informa.

Why work at Informa?

Employee experience is very important to us at Informa. On top of joining a supportive, diverse and ambitious team that welcomes all types of candidates. We are also flexible with different working patterns and prioritize promotions internally. Our benefits include:

• Learning and development plan to assist with your career development
• 25 days annual leave, 4 days for volunteering and a day off for your birthday!
• Competitive Benefits
• Work with high quality specialist products
• Bright and friendly staff who are all “expert’s experts” and additional training and development for helping you achieve your career aspiration
• Share-Match options - become a shareholder
• Regular social events and networking opportunities

We know that sometimes the 'perfect candidate' doesn't exist, and that people can be put off applying for a job if they don't fit all the requirements. If you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, please go ahead and apply. You could be just what we need! We believe strongly in the value of diversity and creating supportive, inclusive environments where our colleagues can succeed. As such, Informa is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics under federal, state or local law.

Please let us know of any adjustments we need to make for you to show us your best self. We want all of our candidates to shine in the recruitment process!

See how Informa handles your personal data when you apply for a job here.