Ayvens appoints Emma Furniss as Chief People Officer

Furniss will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Philippe de Rovira and join the company’s Executive Committee, underscoring the strategic importance of people and culture in Ayvens’ ongoing transformation.

In her new role, Furniss will lead the organisation’s global people strategy, with a focus on organisational development, leadership capability and evolving workplace culture across its international operations.

Commenting on the appointment, de Rovira said: “I am delighted to welcome Emma to Ayvens. She brings strong HR expertise and proven experience in demanding transformations. She will play a key role in strengthening our culture of empowerment, accountability, performance and customer focus.”

Furniss brings nearly two decades of experience spanning strategy consulting and senior human resources leadership roles across global organisations. She began her career at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she worked on multi-industry strategic assignments, before moving into HR leadership at Philips.

During her time at Philips, she held a number of senior positions, including developing and deploying the company’s first global people strategy for approximately 80,000 employees. She later served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Human Resources Officer, HR Business Partner for Population Health Management, and Head of HR for Innovation & Strategy.

Furniss also led the people aspects of a major acquisition, from due diligence through to integration, and went on to become Global Head of Learning, Talent and Leadership. Most recently, she served as Head of HR for Philips’ Health Systems businesses.