Navigating Association CEO Succession: Winning Guidelines and Best Practices
by Susan Battley
Inevitably there comes a time when association board directors must deal with leadership transitions in their organizations. Unplanned departures of a CEO or Executive Director can be traumatic and highly disruptive, which is why boards should always have an emergency succession plan in place. My focus here though is on planned leadership transitions, such as those prompted by a CEO’s retirement or other scheduled exit. In this instance the board knows well in advance that the organization will need a new top executive at the helm.
The CEO search process can vary widely from organization to organization. In my experience it can take up to 12 months or more from the time the board initiates discussion and planning until a new CEO is in place. Often boards and search committee members underestimate the time and effort it takes to conduct a successful CEO search. This is especially the case when one or more internal candidates or other “obvious” candidates do not express interest or otherwise fall short in meeting essential job qualifications.
For guidance purposes, here are two versions of a CEO search timeline for association board directors and search committee chairs to consider. The first presents an activity checklist with estimates of the time it may take to complete different CEO search activities. Note that activities may overlap in some instances. The second example provides a sample calendar of CEO search activities.
Both versions can be modified and customized to an organization’s specific circumstances. Also, both timelines assume that an executive search firm is involved in recruitment tasks.
Sample Timeline 1: Planned CEO Succession
- Design the CEO search process: 2 – 4 weeks
- Prepare a CEO position description draft: 2 – 4 weeks
- Appoint a search committee and committee chair: 2 – 4 weeks
- Engage an executive search firm: 4 – 6 weeks
- Finalize the CEO position description: 1 – 2 weeks
- Advertise and recruit: 6 – 12 weeks
- Identify first-round candidates: 2 – 4 weeks
- Conduct the first round of interviews: 1 – 3 weeks
- Identify short-list candidates: 1 -2 weeks
- Check candidate references: 1 – 2 weeks
- Conduct final round of interviews and other assessments: 1 -2 weeks
- Select the finalist: 1 – 2 weeks
- Make the offer/negotiate the contract: 1 – 3 weeks
- Welcome and onboard the new CEO: ongoing
Sample Timeline 2: Planned CEO Search Calendar and Process
Month 1
- Board (or Board Compensation Committee) prepares draft CEO position description
- Board announces new CEO search and search process
- Board Executive Committee identifies Search Committee Chair and Members
Month 2
- Search Committee (SC) convenes and clarifies roles, responsibilities and confidentiality guidelines
- SC approves RFP for Executive Search Firm
Month 3
- SC interviews executive search firms and selects a search firm partner
Month 4
- SC finalizes CEO position description and success profile
Months 5 – 7
- Search firm conducts candidate search, providing periodic updates to the SC
- Search firm screens and selects candidates for interviewing
Month 8
- SC interviews candidates and selects 2-3 candidates for the Board and other key stakeholders to interview
- Search firm conducts full reference check on short-list candidates
Month 9
- Board interviews short-list candidates and makes a hiring decision
- Board chair extends offer of contract
Month 10
- Board announces new CEO appointment with effective date
Months 11 – 12
- Board and executive staff prepare for transition in leadership
- New CEO begins employment
Final Thoughts
Both board and search committee chairs often ask me: Why should we anticipate such a lengthy search process? Because there are many variables to be factored in. First, it is important to remember that search committee members in many associations are volunteers, and busy people to boot. Scheduling search committee meetings, conference calls and candidate interviews can be challenging, and grows in complexity with the size of the search committee. Second, search committees need to consider their potential CEO candidate pool and their history of recruitment at the senior executive level. How large or small is their targeted talent pool? How competitive is the market for this leadership talent? How successful has the organization been in the past at senior-level hiring? How long have recent searches taken to complete?
Association boards should prepare for a planned CEO succession with realistic expectations of the time and tasks that a winning search requires. Doing so will go a long way towards ensuring that the process and ultimate CEO hiring decision sets the organization up for ongoing success.
Copyright © Susan Battley 2023. All rights reserved.