BizClik’s Chief People Officer Opens CXO Summit

The CXO Summit in London kicked off on the 7th of October with a keynote address from Stacy Green, Chief People and Sustainability Officer of BizClik.

Opening the event before an audience of senior executives, Stacy tackled the unique realities of executive leadership, cross-functional communication and the practical challenges of driving meaningful organisational change.

Are we speaking the same language?

The opening keynote brought together leaders across finance, strategy, marketing and HR all in one room. 

But while these functions have the same overall goal, Stacy noted that they often speak very different languages. 

“For example, ‘let’s take this offline’,” she says. “When finance says it, it means no. When marketing says it, it means yes, we can do this with a much bigger budget, and when the people function says it, it means please close the door behind you.

“We understand our language perfectly. The challenge is making sure we understand each other, because the decisions we make rarely stay within our functions. 

“A technology investment changes how people work. A financial decision affects what teams can deliver, a marketing promise becomes an operational commitment and a growth target needs people with the skills, capacity and competence to deliver it. 

“That’s why bringing people in this room together really matters.”

Honesty in leadership

But executive leadership often involves high expectations. 

“Leadership can be an extremely lonely place,” says Stacy. “You're expected to have a clear vision, make difficult decisions, inspire people and stay calm, even before your first coffee of the day.”

To achieve this, she shared her guiding principle of “clarity is kindness” – suggesting that leaders define exact objectives, establish clear ownership and outline what success looks like. 

“The conversations here today and tomorrow are an opportunity to practice that openness, to hear a different perspective, challenge an assumption and perhaps change your own minds.”

Broadening executive reach

Closing out her keynote, Stacy recommended that leaders attend one session outside their function. 

Panels at the CXO Summit include the Future of AI in Marketing, which explores how leaders are implementing AI responsibly to accelerate growth, enhance customer experience and improve operational efficiency, and the CMO Summit on day two of the event, which brings together senior leaders to examine strategic priorities, cross-functional alignment and marketing’s impact on commercial performance.

Keynote speakers, meanwhile, include Ashley Gatehouse, Chief Marketing Officer of Accenture Edge, Jasper Martens, Chief Marketing Officer of PensionBee and Lisette Danesi, Global Chief People Officer, Corporate Functions at WPP. 

“Thank you for spending your time, your experience and your curiosity in these rooms,” concludes Stacy. “Enjoy the next few days, make new connections, ask good questions and take something useful back to your business.”