Pete Brown leads PwC’s Global Workforce practice, which sees over 8,500 people in 138 countries helping clients to create and implement strategies that enable sustainable business, financial, regulatory and customer outcomes. Over the last 25 years, he has developed and led some of the largest and most complex people transformation programmes in both the private and public sectors. Pete is passionate about making the workplace more equitable, diverse and inclusive. He is a PwC social mobility ambassador and an advisor to the Women of the Future organisation. Prior to working in professional services, Peter was in the Royal Air Force and continues to support them as a Trustee of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust with a focus on inspiring STEM skills. He has been named in the top 25 Global Human Capital Consultants in 2023 and 2024 and was listed as one of the UK’s 50 leading lights in the FT’s Kindness in Leadership Award 2023. He was appointed MBE by HM the Queen in 2000.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CXO Outlook Magazine, Pete shared his professional trajectory, insights on what it takes to create a safe and inclusive workplace, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Peter. Please tell us about your background and areas of expertise.
I have been working in professional services since 2001 and have been a partner at PwC since 2010. I lead PwC’s Workforce practice globally. We have a fantastic team in 138 countries with industry, workforce technology, analytics, business, talent, reward, pensions, payroll, employment law, strategy, data and HR expertise to build tailored workforce solutions for our clients. We help organisations to effect transformation at scale, improve the effectiveness of their workforce, develop, upskill and move talent around their business and manage their human capital risks with insights that are grounded in analysis and data, to create lasting, differentiated value.
Prior to working in professional services, I was in the Royal Air Force and continue to support them as a Trustee of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust with a focus on inspiring STEM skills for young people who have an interest in aviation, space and engineering.
What do you love the most about your current role?
The privilege of working alongside phenomenal colleagues and serving clients with some of their most pressing challenges. We are fortunate to attract and hire incredibly talented people around the world and I love learning from them as we develop solutions with our clients.
Over the last few years, the world of work has been through – and continues to go through – significant and rapid change. If you think about the last four years we’ve had a global pandemic and had to pivot much of the workforce quickly to remote working; we’re seeing the rise of new, disruptive technology such as GenerativeAI and how that is changing how work gets done; and things like worker mental health and climate change are all rising up the corporate agenda. PwC’s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears survey of over 56,000 workers found that nearly two-thirds say they’ve experienced more change at work in the last year than in the 12 months prior, and one-third of workers say they’ve experienced four or more significant changes at work in the last year, including to their team structures and daily job responsibilities. Leaders and organisations have an important role to play in helping employees strengthen their ability to navigate change and stress. And so for me – solving some of these challenges for clients is what drives me. And no two days are the same!
What does it take to create a safe and inclusive workplace and normalize the organizational experience for all constituents of your workforce?
That’s quite a big and complex question – with an answer that will vary for most organisations as no two workplaces are the same. But we do know that workers are feeling the huge amount that is happening – whether it’s within an organisation due to new technology, new skill requirements or of change of leadership – or externally with political elections taking place in many countries, geopolitical unrest or financial pressures. PwC’s Hopes & Fears survey found that nearly half of respondents say their workload has increased significantly in the last 12 months and that they’ve had to learn new technologies to do their job, among other shifts in their roles and responsibilities. And although 60% of workers feel extremely or very confident in their job security overall, a significant number say recent changes at work have them concerned about their job security. Taken together, it’s likely many workers are challenged to give their best at work owing to increased stress and anxiety, fear of taking risks or decreased morale.
It’s therefore essential that leaders recognise this and prioritise well-being as a core value within their organisation. That includes creating a culture that encourages work–life balance, where leaders set realistic expectations, and communicate openly and with empathy and transparency. Not only does this benefit individuals, but it’s also a critical enabler of performance, as overstressed and distracted workers are less likely to perform well.
Because change is unlikely to slow, leaders must also help workers learn to better adapt to it. That requires transformative leadership—helmed by those who can challenge the status quo in a way that inspires and empowers others to embrace change. This approach helps employees build resilience so they’re better able to navigate uncertainty and seize opportunities, even if change is still churning around them.
Although it’s important to cultivate resilience across the entire organisation, senior leaders should assist middle managers, in particular, to help develop resilience themselves and foster it within their teams. These critical employees often bear the brunt of organisational pressures and need to navigate complex situations while maintaining their own well-being. Helping them build resilience can strengthen their ability to overcome obstacles, adapt to change and more effectively lead their teams.
How do you think leaders should think about workforce management practices differently?
Workforce management practices are key for supporting the workforce in new ways as change accelerates and businesses evolve. Nearly half of CEOs who were surveyed in PwC’s 27th Global CEO Survey don’t think they will be viable in the next ten years if they don’t reinvent themselves. Leaders must recognise the importance of their workforce as they accelerate change and as the world of work evolves. There’s a need for a new model of leadership that puts people first and builds trust, navigates complex ecosystems, builds alignment across wide networks and diverse perspectives, and achieves sustained outcomes to solve some of our most intractable problems on both local and global levels.
What is your leadership philosophy and how do you keep your team engaged and motivate them?
As I’ve set out above – we are living in a time of unprecedented global challenges that are radically changing the landscape in which organisations operate, and that mandate a fundamental change of how they do business to remain economically viable and successful. There is a pressing need to transform in light of short-term crises and to future-proof organisations in the intermediate and long-term. In many cases leaders have got to where they are because they are excellent at delivering value and executing strategies. But now they are faced with unprecedented ambiguity and the need to lead multiple transformations towards an unknown future. Transformation starts with leaders who understand the scale and nature of transformation that is needed and have the capabilities to lead through it.
Leaders who are willing to step up and lead. At all levels across the organisation. At PwC, we believe there are five differentiators with underlying skills and capabilities that leaders need to embrace in order to future proof their organisation in a novel world. These are:
Make sense of the world by linking short-term developments to longer-term Megatrends, understanding the implications for one’s own industry and organisation, as a basis for reimagining how the organisation is going to create value in this complex system.
Set radical ambition, committing to help address a significant problem and compelling the organisation to undergo fundamental transformation to achieve this.
Achieve the promised outcomes, getting personally involved in reconfiguring the system to enable the organisation to go beyond what it knows how to do and fulfil its ambition.
Act as a catalyst, attracting and bringing together the very different capabilities and talent needed to solve the problem they set out to address.
Power the engines so they and their teams remain energised, grow, and develop throughout the transformation.
We believe that five leadership differentiators will help executives to reinvent their organisation as climate change, technological disruption, and other megatrends reshape business and society.
If you could have a one-hour meeting with someone famous who is alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I would choose Orville Wright who, along with his brother Wilbur, made the first powered, sustained and controlled flight in a heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903. Their groundbreaking achievement paved the way for modern aviation and revolutionised transportation. I’d love to hear about the journey that led to that historic flight, the challenges they faced in developing their flying machine, and the emotions they felt.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
I’ve been fortunate to work with so many talented and interesting people throughout my career – both in the military and civilian worlds and many have helped me on my way. I would have to break the rules of the question and mention 2 people – my parents. They sacrificed so much for my brother and me to have opportunities and experiences that have helped us in life.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Professionally, I hope to be fortunate enough to continue to be working alongside the brilliant colleagues I work with today helping our clients solve some of their most complex challenges. Part of the joy of being a management consultant is that no one day is the same; we get some incredible opportunities to work with some amazing organisations. Away from work, I hope to have seen England win the football World Cup – I wasn’t born when they last won it and despite coming very close recently, they are yet to win it in my lifetime!
What advice would you give to anyone starting out on their career in your industry?
Embrace every opportunity that comes your way – I can’t emphasise enough the importance of lifelong learning. In today’s world of work, we all need to reskill, upskill and continuously learn throughout our whole careers to remain relevant. Ask questions however senior you are – you can never be expected to know everything so surround yourself with experts and make the most of their knowledge. Be kind – it really does go a long way with colleagues, clients and your network.