Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE has been appointed the new president of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development.  

McGregor-Smith has been recognised as a business leader, being amongst the few women and first Asian woman to lead an FTSE 250 company.  

She sits in the House of Lords and is chair of both Mind Gym plc and the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education. She is also president of the British Chamber of Commerce. She was chair of the government’s Women’s Business Council from 2012 to 2016.  

McGregor has been a champion of improving diversity and opportunity in organisations, and led the government review Race in the Workplace: The McGregor Smith review in 2017 and subsequent follow-up reports.  

Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, said: ‘Ruby is an outstanding business leader who has campaigned and led on many of the issues that are central to our agenda, which includes encouraging responsible business practice and promoting the importance of inclusion and diversity.’ 

She replaces the outgoing president, Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE, who worked for over six years.