ABOUT

Idris Arshad is a chartered fellow of the CIPD and head of people for the charity Asthma and Lung UK. He is also an independent adviser on the people committee for Citizens Advice, and chairs the Richmond Group of Charities HR Network, consisting of 15 key healthcare charities. In April 2025, Arshad co-founded Muslims in HR, a community network helping to provide a space for Muslim HR professionals to connect, learn and grow. He also helps shape the future of HR by teaching Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and CIPD qualifications with We Are HR, a CIPD-accredited learning and HR solutions organisation. A passionate HR leader who advocates to uplift the reputation and showcase the value of HR, Arshad is proud of making sure HR improves frontline services, and helps better serve people in need. His extensive strategic and operational HR experience in the charity sector covers a range of organisations including those focusing on international development, homelessness, hospice and healthcare. Arshad has led the equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and wellbeing agenda strongly throughout his career. He has increased the diversity of workforce representation and improved wellbeing cultures. More recently, Arshad has focused on ensuring that employee experience is a key driver for organisational success, impacting the lives of the people that charities exist to serve. This is his third consecutive year being featured on the HR Most Influential Practitioners list.