Policy to Practice: What CHROs Are Solving in 2025—and How Smarter Ownership Benefits Help Them Win

At the HR Policy Association’s CHRO Fall Forum in Washington, the nation’s top HR leaders will gather to address the toughest questions facing employers: CEO succession and board governance, the CEO–CHRO operating model, AI adoption with guardrails, the new talent landscape (skills, DEI, immigration), and building the next generation of HR leaders.

Across all five themes, one lever stands out for its ability to drive measurable results: broad-based employee ownership. When enhanced with Cashless Participation®, Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs) become more inclusive, more impactful, and more financially efficient—aligning people strategy with board priorities.

CEO Succession & Board Governance

Succession is never just a board exercise. As one CHRO put it on LinkedIn:

“Boards often recognize the importance of CEO succession—but executing it well remains a challenge.”

Research confirms the trend: external CEO hires are increasing. Ownership programs can help extend employee tenure creating a deeper internal talent pool and signal management's willingness to invest internally.

Cashless Participation modernizes ESPPs to:

Increase participation and ownership across levels
Boost additional paid-in capital (APIC)—a board-friendly financial metric
Reduce cost and dilution through customized controls

The CEO–CHRO Alliance

The CEO–CHRO alliance is where board strategy becomes operating rhythm: skills roadmaps, AI resourcing, and compensation design.

As Sarah Franklin (CEO of Lattice) recently shared:

“Being courageous enough to make bold moves and try something new.”

Ownership is one such move. With Cashless Participation, employees can own 50–150% more stock on average without reducing their take-home pay. CFOs see higher APIC and lower expense, while employees see greater alignment with the company’s future.

AI in HR: Strategy, Speed & Safeguards

AI is moving from pilots to scale in HR. One CHRO put it plainly:

“Efficiency isn’t leadership… people still need guidance, fairness, and empathy in ways no algorithm can deliver.”

Responsible AI requires strong governance. But while AI transforms processes, ownership transforms trust and retention. Compared to costly equity grants, Cashless ESPPs deliver inclusive upside at lower cost—with measurable impacts on APIC and controllable expense.

The New Talent Landscape: Skills, DEI, and Immigration

From Bank of America’s Sheri Bronstein:

“We see real value in aligning roles with the skills candidates possess… focusing more on skills and experience.”

At the same time, immigration policy continues to strain U.S. pipelines. As Stuart Anderson of NFAP noted, proposed H-1B changes could “sever the immigrant talent pipeline.”

Cashless Participation directly supports inclusion by removing affordability barriers. Mid-income, early-career, and visa-dependent employees can build ownership stakes and feel anchored to their employer’s success.

Building the CHRO Pipeline

The CHRO role is expanding: governance, rewards economics, and technology now define the job. Preparing successors means giving them signature wins that combine employee impact with board-level outcomes.

Modernizing the ESPP is one of those wins: measurable inclusion, stronger participation, higher APIC, and visible alignment with investors.

Two Proven Playbooks

1. Ownership as Stability

For leadership transitions, M&A, or activist pressure:

Enable Cashless Participation® with to manage cost/dilution
Pair rollout with leadership messaging: “We’re owners”
Measure impact via participation, APIC uplift, and retention

2. Skills-First, Ownership-First

For early-career, international, and skills-based hiring initiatives:

Keep deductions accessible; let Cashless Participation expand ownership
Localize onboarding for global talent
Track retention, mobility, and APIC as ROI measures

Conclusion: A 2025 Compact for CHROs

At the Fall Forum, CHROs will tackle 2025’s defining priorities: succession, AI, skills, and inclusion. The real opportunity is a compact between CEOs, CHROs, boards, and employees that balances governance with inclusive economics.

Cashless ESPPs deliver that blend: broader ownership, higher participation, measurable finance outcomes, and a story the board, CFO, and employees can rally around.