Thought Leadership | CEO Successions

Survey of nearly 1,000 global CEOs reveals recent social and economic challenges drove unprecedented levels of self-reflection and development – changing CEO perspectives and the leadership role.

CEO performance has been redefined by rising expectations and growing complexity. To show this transformation, Egon Zehnder profiled six exceptional CEOs who are working through these challenges.

Effective succession planning is more than just preparing for leadership changes—it's a strategic investment in your organization's future. By fostering leadership development, mitigating risks, and ensuring business continuity, succession planning helps companies build resilience, retain top talent, and maintain a competitive edge. Discover why organizations that prioritize this process are better positioned to thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape.

"I was at a concert when it hit me: This is what effective succession looks like." Read on for the full piece by Lindsay Trout.

This month we sat down with our new CEO, Francesco Buquicchio, who graciously shared insights about the direction and requirements of leadership today.

CEO succession planning often starts up to two years before the transition occurs. Do you have a strategy in place to support your leadership team?

472 CEOs share their views in our new study: The CEO Response

Succession planning key insights that can make a significant impact when leading a new executive to the top of the organization.

Expecting Massive Change Ahead, Business Leaders Weigh–In . Our latest global CEO Reflections study reveals definitive and unexpected insights. The overwhelming majority of CEOs believe that significant, far-reaching changes lie ahead in economics, politics, energy, and technology. At the same time, they embrace their responsibility to collaborate with governments and other stakeholders to solve challenges such as climate change and inequality, even if the final destinations are not yet known.

Egon Zehnder's Heather O'Keefe and Jason Hecker on the most overlooked step in CEO recruitment: stakeholder management.

Our analysis highlights a significant opportunity for AMCs to enhance their long-term CEO succession planning and talent development efforts. Adopting a multi-path approach that emphasizes long-term growth will help ensure leadership stability and continuity.

Highly effective boards ensure that succession planning never stops being a priority. It isn’t personal, it’s simply best practice.