Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, October 2025 — Baillie Gifford, the renowned independent investment management firm with over a century of legacy, has announced the appointment of Kirsty Lynagh as its new Chief People Officer (CPO). This appointment marks a strategic step in Baillie Gifford’s continued focus on building a people-first culture that empowers its teams and strengthens its position as one of the UK’s most respected investment institutions.
With over two decades of experience across financial services, consulting, and high-growth organizations, Kirsty brings deep expertise in organizational design, leadership development, and culture transformation. At Baillie Gifford, she will lead the company’s global people strategy, focusing on aligning culture, leadership, and talent with the firm’s long-term business philosophy.
Before joining Baillie Gifford, Kirsty served as Chief People Officer at Seccl, where she led the company’s transition from a founder-led to an executive-driven structure. Her leadership was pivotal in establishing a high-performing executive team, scaling the organization, and shaping a modern people strategy centered on purpose, culture, and performance.
In parallel, she worked as Fractional Chief People Officer at Octopus Money and other portfolio companies under the Octopus Group, helping design people strategies across leadership, DE&I, and organizational design. Her advisory role contributed to developing high-performing teams and integrating people practices across different growth phases.
Earlier, Kirsty served as Chief People Officer at Nucleus Financial, where she earned multiple industry accolades including HR Director of the Year and HR Team of the Year at the National HR Network Awards. Her leadership helped Nucleus become one of the most recognized workplaces in the financial services industry. She also held key roles at Royal Bank of Scotland, Super Retail Group in Australia, and EY in the UK, where she specialized in learning, development, and leadership transformation.
About Baillie Gifford
Founded in Edinburgh over 117 years ago, Baillie Gifford is one of the UK’s leading independent investment management firms, owned and managed by 59 partners. With over £213 billion in assets under management and advice as of September 2025, the firm remains dedicated to long-term, research-driven investing. Its mission is to identify and support game-changing companies capable of sustaining growth and generating long-term value for its global clients.
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