New president at WorldatWork

Scott Cawood has been named as the new president of global HR association, WorldatWork, and will take over from Anne Ruddy, who announced her retirement last year. Cawood joins WorldatWork from W L Gore & Associates, where he was global leader of organisational effectiveness.

At the announcement of his appointment, Cawood commented on what he sees as the continuing role for HR:

‘I think there's a reason that HR exists and that reason never goes away, regardless of what you label it or call it . . . There typically is a tension between the business and the people, so someone has to manage that tension. For me, HR delivers the one key thing across an entire organisation that other leaders can't: It helps the entire organisation perform.’