Spotlight on James Furnell

James Furnell leads the people agenda spanning Papa Johns’ global corporate, restaurant, and supply chain teams. Originally from the UK, James has more than 20 years of international HR experience across financial services, professional services, and the restaurant industry.

A fun fact about James is that he relocated from London to Atlanta and is still trying to convince his family that American football is worth understanding.

Learn more about the Atlanta CHRO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

My career has taken me across several industries, countries and roles, giving me the opportunity to continually learn, broaden my perspective and take on increasingly complex challenges. I started my career in financial services in broader global HR roles and always wanted to work in the food industry. I’m fortunate an opportunity at Papa Johns came my way. Being willing to step outside my comfort zone and do something different has been a consistent driver throughout my career.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Keep it simple, relevant and make it matter. I believe HR leaders need to understand the business, focus on the things that will have the greatest impact, and avoid creating unnecessary complexity.
 

What is the greatest challenge CHROs face today, and how are you addressing it?

The pace of change is probably the greatest challenge. We are navigating AI, changing workforce expectations, economic pressure, skills gaps, and significant transformation. At Papa Johns, we are focused on building the capabilities our leaders and teams need for the future, while using technology, data, and AI to enhance and simplify how we work.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CHRO?

Understand the business before trying to change it. Spend time with teams, leaders and understand how the company operates, what drives performance, and where it needs to go next. Build strong relationships and credibility, but also be prepared to make the difficult decisions around talent, leadership, structure, and culture.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

Success is measured by the strength and capability of the organization we help build. Are we developing stronger leaders, attracting and retaining the talent we need, and creating an environment where people are clear on what matters and can perform at their best? Ultimately, I want to leave the organization stronger, with better leaders and greater capability than when I started.
 

What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?

The opportunity to learn from and connect with other senior HR leaders is incredibly valuable. The CHRO role can sometimes feel quite isolated, so having a trusted group of peers with whom you can share experiences, challenge your thinking, and learn from different perspectives is a real benefit.

Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.