Kerry Smith, Chief People Officer at the British Heart Foundation
Kerry is the Chief People Officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the UK’s leading charity dedicated to saving lives from heart and circulatory diseases through independent research. BHF is also the largest Charity Retailer in the UK with over 750 shops and stores.
Kerry leads a multi award-winning People and Organisational Development team, covering all aspects of HR, Talent and OD, Workplaces, People Tech and digital systems, Wellbeing and Communications. She is a Fellow of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, and until recently was Chair of the Charity HR Network, a forum for HR professionals in the not for profit sector. She is also a Trustee for Fairtrade UK, a social movement that promotes fair trade and ethical consumption.
Kerry has 30 years of experience in human resources, talent development and change leadership, working for recognised organisations including the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Trust. She and her team won the HR Excellence Award in 2022 for the Best Flexible Working Strategy for their work, with AWA’s support, on creating a thriving hybrid workplace at BHF.
Kerry was recently inducted into the HR magazine’s HR Most Influential Hall of Fame 2024 and is the only representative from the charity sector. HR Most Influential have described Kerry’s achievement ‘as a celebration of the visionary leadership and innovative approaches she has brought to the HR industry. Her influence has set a new standard in the field and positively impacted many.’ She has appeared five times in the HR Most Influential Practitioner list, ranking in second place in 2023. She is an experienced speaker and published in HR professional press.
