A Practical Guide to CEO Succession Planning
By Clarke Murphy, Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates
In Touch with the Board - Russell Reynolds Associates’ in touch with the Board series addresses best practices in board composition, assessment, succession planning and other critical corporate governance issues. In this issue, Clarke Murphy and the CEO/Board Services Practice discuss the specific elements and timeline of a successful CEO succession plan, as well as the steps necessary to ensure a smooth transition.
The transition from one CEO to another is a critical moment in a company’s history. A smooth transition is essential to maintain the confidence of investors, business partners, customers and employees and provides the incoming CEO with a solid platform from which to move the company forward. A properly designed and executed succession plan is vital for any successful transition.
CEO vacancies can be planned or unplanned. In either scenario, by the time a succession plan is needed, it is far too late to start building one, and it is incumbent upon the board to make succession planning a priority, even in the face of more immediate and tangible issues. In addition to mitigating risk, succession planning brings with it several beneficial byproducts:
• It provides a framework that drives senior executive development, aligning leadership at the top of the enterprise with the strategic needs of the firm.
• It gives the CEO, through an ongoing analysis of the job requirements, the opportunity to adjust his/her role in light of changing business conditions and strategic imperatives.
• It strengthens the relationship and information flow between the board and senior management through the regular contact that is part of the board’s review of candidates.
Russell Reynolds Associates regularly advises boards and CEOs on chief executive officer succession planning, and, from this experience, we have developed the following practical guide.
This is an extract from the article Busmanagement.com
To read more :
Sudden Death of a Ceo : Death and Succession planning
Source : busmanagement.com
