Succession checklist for board continuity

Succession planning is the single most critical responsibility of a Board of Directors. Yet, according to our 2024 Board Governance Survey, 40% of private company boards have no formal written plan for CEO succession, and another 30% have a plan that hasn't been reviewed in over two years.

This negligence creates an existential risk. When a CEO departs unexpectedly—whether due to health, scandal, or a better offer—the resulting vacuum destroys value instantly. Employee morale plummets, customers pause renewals, and investors get nervous.

Emergency vs. Strategic Succession

Effective boards distinguish between two types of plans:

• The Emergency Plan (The "Bus Factor"): Who steps in tomorrow if the CEO is incapacitated? This requires a named Interim CEO, a communication protocol, and immediate decision rights.
• The Strategic Plan (The "3-Year Horizon"): Who will lead this company in its next phase of growth? This involves developing internal contenders and benchmarking external talent.

Most boards confuse the two. They name an Interim CEO and think they are done. That is not succession planning; that is disaster recovery.

“The best time to plan for a CEO transition is when your current CEO is performing well. The worst time is when they just resigned.”

The 4 Pillars of Readiness

To move from reactive to proactive, we recommend auditing your board's readiness across four pillars:

• Governance: Does the Nominating & Governance Committee have a clear charter? Is succession a standing agenda item at least twice a year?
• Assessment: Do you have an objective view of your internal bench? Are you using third-party assessments, or relying on the CEO's opinion?
• Pipeline: Are you "warm benching" external talent? Great boards know the top 5 external candidates for the CEO role at all times.
• Transition: Do you have a documented onboarding plan for the new leader? The first 90 days determine the success of the next 5 years.

The Role of the Sitting CEO

A delicate balance exists. The sitting CEO must be involved in developing internal successors, but they cannot own the process. It is the Board's duty to select the next leader. We advise boards to explicitly include "Succession Planning" in the CEO's annual performance goals. If they aren't building a bench, they aren't doing their job.