CEOs worldwide see human capital as a top challenge, and they rank HR as only the eighth or ninth most important function in a company. HR should be looked at by the CEO with similar importance as corporate finance and the HR leader should be a true partner to the CEO. The HR leader should help the CEO to build and assign talent in order to fully execute on the company’s strategies. They need to be an exemplary leader, have strong business acumen, communication skills and have a sound understanding of business strategy.