Neil Carberry was appointed as Chief Executive of the CIPD in September 2026, after almost 30 years at the crossroads of business and human resources leadership.
He was Chief Executive of The Recruitment & Employment Confederation for over eight years, representing the UK’s talent businesses. Neil began his career in recruitment in 1999, before doing a postgraduate degree in Human Resources at the London School of Economics and specialising in employment relations. Joining the CBI in 2004, he stayed until 2018, ultimately leading UK domestic policy work for the organisation as Managing Director.
Neil is a member of the Advisory Board of the Fair Work Agency, having also spent a decade as a member of the Council of the conciliation service ACAS and two terms as member of the Low Pay Commission.
He was appointed an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List of 2025 for services to business and the economy.
Neil is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, a Fellow of the RSA and a member of the Company of HR Professionals. Neil is also on the board of a Multi-Academy Trust in England and the Professional Services Business Council, part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
He is an RFU-qualified rugby referee and coach and is one of the 8000 co-owners who made Heart of Midlothian the UK’s biggest fan-owned football club.
