Great insights from TCG Partner Jeff Wilbanks on the evolution of the Chief Administrative Officer role. We’re seeing the same momentum across our searches; more organizations are looking to HR and Operations leaders to take on broader enterprise mandates that connect people, strategy, and performance.
HR Executive Search & Advisory: Results-Driven Solutions for Leadership and Organizational Growth
The CAO has been a hot topic lately. I’ve had a number of people reach out recently, curious about how the role is changing and why we’re seeing more organizations lean into it. It’s clear there’s real momentum and growing interest in what a modern CAO can bring to the table. Traditionally, the CAO sat closest to legal, a steady hand guiding governance and administration. But that picture is shifting. More companies are redefining the role to be a connector across people, operations, and strategy, creating a broader mandate than we’ve seen in the past. In the last year alone, CAO roles grew 21% in Software/Tech and 13% in Industrial Manufacturing. And the talent profile is changing: while legal backgrounds are still the most common, we’re seeing a noticeable rise in CAOs coming from HR and Operations. The CAO is increasingly the glue: helping scale organizations, streamline decision-making, and bring structure to growth. It’s a role that keeps expanding, and I expect we’ll continue to see new versions of it take shape. #TCG #CAO #HR #executivesearch
