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The Strategic Superpower You’re Underutilizing

3 Value Creation Levers Every Great CPO Brings to the Table

by Julie Catalano

June 2, 2025,,

In today’s volatile and talent-constrained market, the most underestimated lever for value creation isn’t a better sales strategy, more funding, or a slicker product.

It’s your Chief People Officer.

Yes, really.

The CPO role has undergone one of the most profound evolutions in the C-suite. Once viewed as the “compliance and culture” office, today’s CPO is a high-impact, data-literate strategist with a direct line to enterprise value.

Over the past five years, we’ve navigated a workforce revolution:

  • A global pandemic
  • The hybrid and remote work shift
  • Intensifying generational and political divisions
  • A demand for radical inclusion
  • And now, the tidal wave of AI/ML that’s redefining the future of work

We didn’t just survive these moments—we led through them.

In private equity-backed firms—especially in tech and software—talent is the primary accelerator or limiter of value creation. And your CPO? They’re the architect.

3 Value Creation Levers Your CPO Should Be Owning

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    Strategic Talent Acquisition:
    The Right People, Fast

    Today’s CPOs are precision-targeting leadership that directly impacts EBITDA . We use analytics, market intelligence, and DEI-aligned strategies to hire smarter and faster.

According to a study done by Deloitte, companies with mature talent strategies see 2.2x the revenue growth and 3x the profit margin.

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    Talent Identification & Development:
    Build, Don’t Just Buy

    We’re creating internal talent engines—succession pipelines, development academies, and upskilling strategies built for scale. The smartest firms are not only fighting for top talent—they’re growing it from within. 

According to PwC’s 22nd Annual CEO Survey, 76% of CEOs say a lack of key skills is a top business threat, yet only 34% feel prepared to close the gap.

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    Employee Engagement & Action Planning:
    Culture as a KPI

    The cost of disengagement has never been higher. Quiet quitting, burnout, and morale drag down fast-scaling firms.

    From pulse surveys to manager enablement, we make culture measurable—and actionable.

According to Gallup, engaged teams show 21% greater profitability and 59% lower turnover.

My Take: From Transactional to Transformational

I’ve spent my entire career in the human capital space—and I’ve had a front-row seat to this transformation.

Today’s CPOs are:

  • Insight-driven
  • Commercially fluent
  • Culturally attuned

We translate workforce data into boardroom strategy. We see around corners. And we know: Talent is your biggest cost center but also your biggest competitive advantage

Final Thought: Is Your CPO Sitting at the Right Table?

If your CPO isn’t involved in investor discussions, growth planning, M&A diligence, or AI workforce design—you’re leaving value on the table.

This role is no longer about “supporting” the business.

It is the business.

I’d love to hear how you’re seeing the CPO role evolve—whether you’re in the seat, hiring for it, or learning how to leverage it better.

Contact Us

Bespoke Partners Named in Top 10 of the “Top 49 Retained Executive Search” 2-Years Running by C-Suite CV Secure.

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Authored by:

  • Chief People Officer

    Julie Catalano brings to Bespoke more than 20 years of senior leadership in human resources, organizational culture, and business strategy. Immediately prior to joining the company, Ms. Catalano served as Vice President, Global Human Resources at Vertex Inc. During her time at Vertex, Julie served as a strategic human capital thought partner to the enterprise, enabling business solutions through proactive consultation leveraging her deep Human Resources expertise. Prior to that role, Julie held multiple key leadership roles across the HR disciplines at Vanguard.

    Julie’s breadth and depth of experience make her extraordinarily well-suited to help us scale out a world-class team, deepen our high-performance culture, and do so in a way that creates an inclusive, driven, and highly collaborative work environment.

    “Bespoke Partners already has a purpose driven culture, and a strong foundation of benefits and programs supporting our employees. I am thrilled to partner with the team to enhance our people-first culture, supporting our growing teams as they deliver transformative services to our clients.” ~ Julie Catalano

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