Highlights from Hein Knaapen’s Conversation with Armand Sohet
In this latest CEO.works webinar, Hein Knaapen speaks with Armand Sohet, AkzoNobel's Chief HR Officer, about how HR leaders can become pivotal in driving business outcomes. With more than two decades of HR leadership experience across companies like GE, Novartis, and Peugeot Citroën, Armand shares insights earned through firsthand experience navigating complex organizations.
Here are a few highlights from their conversation:
Align HR Directly with Business Ambitions
Armand points out that too often, HR operates in generic terms, disconnected from what truly drives company performance.
He emphasizes that HR’s efforts must be tightly linked to the company's top-line and bottom-line objectives. Whether it’s building capability to capture growth or driving operational cost efficiencies, HR must frame its work directly against the organization's strategic goals.
Lead by Example to Influence Change
When tackling cost control and organizational efficiency, Armand’s first move has always been to lead by example within HR. Before recommending changes to other functions, he streamlined his organization, reducing size while improving effectiveness.
This, he says, establishes credibility with peers and leaders, a prerequisite for broader impact across the company.
Focus Relentlessly on Simplification
Drawing a powerful analogy to Apple's early iOS systems, Armand illustrates how too much "operating system"—overhead and internal processes—can stifle real work for customers.
At AkzoNobel, he set clear targets to delayer the organization, streamline spans of control, and cut bureaucracy. As he puts it:
"Simplifying HR is simple. Playing simple HR is the hardest thing there is."
Energy, Conviction, and the Role of Leadership
Beyond structure, Armand and Hein reflect on the critical role of energy and conviction in leadership. Armand’s philosophy is:
"Import the stress, export the energy."
A strong sense of conviction—built on analysis, not just opinion—keeps leadership focused and organizations moving in the right direction.
Choosing the Right CEO Matters
Armand reminds CHROs and executives alike: You don’t just choose a company—you choose a CEO. The alignment between the CEO’s clarity, courage, and strategic focus is essential. Without it, even the best HR efforts will struggle to gain traction.
Steer Through Data, Not Theory
Armand shares how data, not theory, helped him drive real change at AkzoNobel.
Simple, fact-based metrics—such as improving manager spans of control—helped reduce costs and improve employee engagement and retention.
The lesson: soft theories must be anchored in hard evidence to mobilize executive teams and the organization.
Avoid the Trap of Pet Projects
Both Hein and Armand caution against "busywork" initiatives—whether overcomplicated engagement surveys or misguided workforce planning exercises—that drain organizational energy without driving real value.
The advice: ruthlessly prioritize initiatives that are simple, focused, and have clear, measurable impact on company performance.
Listen to the full conversation for practical insights on linking talent to value creation and leading HR with boldness and discipline.
For more insights on aligning talent with value creation, download our Talent to Value paper using the QR code at the end of the video.
