Sofia Chernova brings a wealth of experience in change management, employee engagement, and workforce planning within complex, multicultural environments. As Chief People Officer at South Pole, she leads a team of seasoned and dedicated HR professionals to enhance the company’s organisational design, talent development, and retention strategies, with a goal of implementing best-in-class HR practices. Since joining South Pole in 2023, Sofia has spearheaded key HR initiatives to align the company’s people strategy with its broader business transformation, focusing on talent development and fostering a culture of performance and accountability.

Prior to joining South Pole, Sofia has held senior HR leadership roles at AkzoNobel and Nike, where she led HR strategy, capability-building programs, and diversity and inclusion initiatives at both functional and regional levels. She holds a masters degree in Intercultural Communication from Voronezh State University, a diploma in Organisational Leadership from the University of Oxford and is CIPD certified.