For me, a modern CHRO has long been much more than the head of an HR function. The role connects business, organization and people with structures, processes, technology, employment law, governance, performance, talent, culture and transformation. It spans everything from strategy to payroll, from the Board to the Works Council, and from growth and international expansion to restructuring and crisis management. The real value of the role lies in turning all these disciplines into a functioning whole. An organization in which services work reliably, structures and responsibilities are clear, risks are identified early and avoided wherever possible, and people enjoy their work, develop and are able to perform at their best. At the same time, the CHRO helps shape how a company is perceived internally and externally and the standard it represents as both an employer and an organization. The role also carries a particular responsibility: bringing the employee perspective into business decisions without losing sight of the business itself. People & Culture are, of course, part of it. But CHRO level means considerably more. It requires deep expertise across very different disciplines, strategic and methodological competence, and above all the ability to see how things connect. To know what needs to be brought together, what should be developed, what needs to be built for the long term, and what sometimes simply needs to be done quickly and pragmatically. Today, this naturally also includes a strong understanding of the business, confidence in working with numbers, KPIs and reporting, and the ability to understand and manage People topics in terms of their business and financial impact. A strong CHRO therefore does not simply lead an HR function. A CHRO builds the organizational conditions that enable a company to operate effectively, evolve and deliver sustainable performance.