Poorly managed senior-leadership succession destroys value, wiping out an estimated US$1 trillion in market value every year.¹
For leaders that shape corporate reputation – Corporate Affairs, Government Affairs, Sustainability, ESG, Communications and Investor Relations – succession gaps create immediate exposure to heightened risk across stakeholder trust, regulatory scrutiny and commercial performance.
In many organisations, critical external relationships, including at ministerial and regulatory levels, sit with a single senior leader. Having succession in place six to twelve months ahead of change preserves continuity, credibility and influence at moments when disruption would be costly.
We work with our clients to build resilient, future-ready pipelines for these critical roles. We assess the strengths and potential of your current team, map the external talent landscape and identify the capabilities you will need next. You gain a clear, data-driven and long-term succession strategy for the roles that matter most to your reputation and performance.
Succession planning also means understanding the alternatives. Alongside internal assessment, we conduct discreet market mapping to build a clear picture of the external talent landscape in your industry. This is particularly valuable when senior leaders are approaching retirement or transition, giving you a realistic view of what talent exists beyond your organisation and how it compares.
Our work is always confidential. We can approach potential candidates without disclosing your organisation’s name, develop an anonymised shortlist and present options for leadership consideration, enabling informed discussion well before any public or internal move is required. This discretion allows you to explore options, test assumptions and plan succession thoughtfully, without creating noise or risk.
With internal and external insights combined, we design a succession strategy that is realistic, future-focused and organisation-specific. It includes identifying high-potential leaders, clarifying development pathways, creating options for unexpected change and ensuring you have a strong, diverse bench for years ahead.
1 Harvard Business Review, 2021
