CEOs and board chairs and their board members are facing ever-growing disruption and responsibilities. In addition to increased shareholder pressure, activists, digital transformation, and ESG, leadership teams must remain focused on the future and the complexities of CEO succession, C-suite buildouts and creating a dynamic and transparent boardroom that encourages diversity of thought, talent, and teams.
The rapid pace of business change, digital disruption, evolving business models and societal expectations have heightened the need for high-impact directors. We work with board leadership and nominating committees of public and private companies, as well as non-profit and public sector organisations, to recruit board members, board chairs and CEOs. It’s our deep understanding of the ever-evolving nature of leadership across industries combined with our vast experience, international office network, in-depth assessment tools and methodologies make us uniquely qualified to advise.
With greater regulatory scrutiny and raised expectations regarding risk management, most companies are looking for the board to offer more than compliance oversight. Directors need to be able to advise CEOs on the substance of strategic decisions, providing thoughtful, actionable guidance on how to effectively translate strategy into action. The best directors ask probing, penetrating questions and, when necessary, act when the standards of governance and fiduciary responsibility require intervention.
With greater regulatory scrutiny and raised expectations regarding risk management, most companies are looking for the board to offer more than compliance oversight. Directors need to be able to advise CEOs on the substance of strategic decisions, providing thoughtful, actionable guidance on how to effectively translate strategy into action. The best directors ask probing, penetrating questions and, when necessary, act when the standards of governance and fiduciary responsibility require intervention.
Board chairs face pressure to instil a culture in the boardroom that is necessary for the board to be a true strategic asset for the CEO, management and shareholders. The chairperson establishes expectations of the current CEO, plays an active role in CEO succession planning, and serves as a critical mentor and advisor to the CEO. Chairpersons also proactively seek to build professional relationships with the management team.
Companies and markets are continuously changing, putting pressure on organisations to identify the right leaders. Our analysis shows that chief executives differ most from other executives by their forward-thinking, team-building skills and the ability to balance risk with thoughtful action to perform effectively in complex environments.
