Lyreco Group

Pascale Anderson Mair

People Strategy Authority

Pascale Anderson Mair is an experienced HR leader known for her pragmatic, business-first approach to people strategy. Over four decades, she has guided global organisations through complex transformations with a steady focus on integrity, impact and adaptability. Whether navigating shifts in digital, culture or structure, Mair brings clarity, perspective and lasting value. Her style is grounded and strategic, earning the trust of leaders who continue to rely on her well beyond the scope of her initial role.

Through this article, Mair emphasises how the rise of AI is reshaping HR’s role from operational support to strategic leadership, demanding a deeper focus on employee wellbeing and a values-driven approach to navigating rapid change.

Prioritising Wellbeing in a TechDriven Era

The rise of artificial intelligence is changing how organisations work. Early attention has centred on recruitment, where algorithms screen applications and manage parts of the selection process. That is only the beginning. AI is now shaping how performance is measured, how people learn and how work is structured. Tasks that once demanded hours of human effort are moving to systems that can act faster and consistently.

This shift raises an important question: If technology takes over the operational layer, what is the real value that people in HR bring? I believe it lies in judgement, context and the ability to connect decisions to the human experience of work. Automation can process information, but it cannot sense what people need or how culture evolves. Those insights will define HR’s contribution in the years ahead.

This transformation is happening while people face extraordinary strain. After the pandemic and through a period of uncertainty, stress and anxiety have become constant for many. As job roles change and expectations rise, the need to protect mental health and well-being grows. Supporting people through these transitions is no longer optional. It determines how engaged they feel, whether they stay and how well they perform.

When organisations place equal weight on technology and care for people, I have seen that they adapt more effectively. AI will keep reshaping HR. The work ahead is to ensure that progress on systems never outpaces the attention given to those who use them.

Supporting Evolving Roles in an AI-Integrated Workplace

Building a shared understanding of AI has become one of the most important steps in preparing people for what is ahead. Too often, these tools arrive before anyone knows what they are, how they work or where the limits lie. When employees grasp the basics, I have seen them use them with more confidence and caution. They make better choices about data, protect trust and avoid the risks that come from rushing in without guardrails. That awareness allows people to explore and innovate without losing sight of responsibility.

“I have learned that what endures is not a single model or process. It is the willingness to evolve while keeping people at the centre of decisions. That balance between adaptability and principle will continue to shape the profession long after any single trend has passed”

Awareness alone is only the start. As these systems become part of everyday work, the conversation moves from what AI is to how it changes the shape of a role. Recruiting is a clear example. Tasks that once demanded time and repetition are shifting to systems that handle them in seconds. The recruiter’s role now rests less on administration and more on judgement, relationship building and insight. I believe this shift will happen across many other areas as automation grows in influence.

What stands out most in this transition is how uneven the impact can feel. New tools energise some people, while others worry about what they might lose. Supporting that range of responses takes more than technical training. It means designing workflows with intention, helping people build skills that will matter next and showing them that technology can extend their value rather than reduce it.

Everywhere I look, the same pattern is emerging. Familiar tasks are changing, some roles are being reshaped and entirely new ones are emerging. The real challenge for HR is to guide people through that movement so that progress on technology and capability happen together.

Building Infrastructure to Strengthen a People-First Approach

In relationship-driven cultures, work often flows through people rather than systems. I have seen how this creates a deep sense of loyalty and trust. People collaborate easily, know one another well and care about doing the right thing. That strength, however, comes with a trade-off. Consistency and reliable data can suffer when processes depend on personal connections more than structured systems. Nowhere is that more visible than in HR.

Introducing digital ways of working has been less about technology and more about reinforcing that human strength with structure. Tools bring a single source of truth that makes decisions more transparent and fairer. They create a record that stands apart from individual interpretation. Yet tools alone change nothing. The real difference comes when people use them with discipline, build accuracy into the data and follow the process with the same care they once gave to a conversation.

I have come to believe that the aim is not to replace a relational culture with systems but to blend the two. The most resilient organisations will be those that combine strong values and longstanding trust with platforms that enable consistency and insight. That mix allows relationships to flourish while creating the clarity needed to navigate a more complex and data-led world.

Credibility Through Alignment, Without Compromising Values

As my career moves into its later chapters, I see how much has changed in HR and how much has stayed the same. One conviction has held steady. People remain the greatest asset any organisation has and HR exists to protect and develop that asset so that both the individual and the business can thrive.

To do that well, HR must be rooted in the business. I have always believed that credibility comes from understanding how the organisation creates value and ensuring every initiative advances that aim. What works in one context will not always translate to another. The best strategies are tailored and shaped by the organisation’s reality rather than copied from elsewhere. That focus never requires compromising on values. Integrity and purpose are constants, but they work best when paired with a clear sense of where impact comes from.

The work itself has changed beyond recognition. When I began, HR roles were broad and generalist. Now, expertise develops early. Specialists in talent, reward, learning or digital systems build depth in one area. The speed of change has also transformed expectations. Knowledge that once lasted a career now becomes obsolete within a few years. Staying current, curious and open has become the only way to stay relevant.

I have learned that what endures is not a single model or process. It is the willingness to evolve while keeping people at the centre of decisions. That balance between adaptability and principle will continue to shape the profession long after any single trend has passed.