By Shawn Cole, President and co-founder of Cowen Partners Executive Search Data shows that in more than half of CEO transitions, the CFO is replaced within 18 months. This pattern shows up often enough that it stops looking like a
The Domino No Board Plans For: What Happens to Your CFO When Your CEO Leaves Read More »
Private equity sponsors are the most analytical, obsessive risk underwriters in the corporate world, yet they routinely ignore the single variable that executes the value creation plan. They spend immense capital auditing physical assets and analyzing financial books while leaving
PE Underwrites Everything But Succession. And It’s Costing Them Read More »
By Ash Wendt Most corporate boards still treat “Ready Now” labels on a succession roster as validation of a plan. It is not. In reality, it is a subjective opinion dressed up as governance. As a recent analysis on defining
Is Executive Readiness a Label or a Process? Read More »
By Shawn Cole, President and co-founder of Cowen Partners Executive Search. Most boards replace a chief executive by looking one level down. Nike looked four years into retirement. When Elliott Hill returned as CEO in October 2024 after spending more
Nike’s Boomerang CEO: Why a Workplace Reckoning is Proof of an Empty Succession Bench Read More »
By Maxwell Salazar, Salazar Leadership Advisory — Maxwell Salazar is a business psychologist who helps private equity firms make better leadership bets. He evaluates C-suite leaders, surfaces culture and execution risk, and gives investors the clarity to hire, align, and
The Hidden Execution Risk Boards Approve Every Quarter Read More »
By: Ryan Kunkel, President at Third Road Management Hundreds of thousands of baby boomer–owned businesses are transitioning each year, contributing to a broader wave of millions of ownership changes over the next decade. As this wave accelerates, many owners are focused on
Succession Planning Without Proper Infrastructure Is Just Optimism Read More »
By Ash Wendt A 2026 Deloitte Private survey of 300 family business leaders, spanning C-suite executives, board members, and owners of companies generating between $100 million and over $1 billion in revenue, highlights a looming challenge that cannot be ignored.
Dereliction of Duty? What CEO Succession Data Says About Board Accountability Read More »
By Shawn Cole, President and co-founder of Cowen Partners Executive Search There is a predictable moment in many boardrooms when the numbers get uncomfortable, and audit committee meetings run long. The tone between the CFO and the audit chair sharpens
When the CFO and Audit Chair Clash: How Boards Should Diagnose the Real Problem Read More »
By Shawn Cole — Shawn Cole, President and co-founder of Cowen Partners Executive Search, is a widely published voice on C-suite leadership, board governance, and executive recruitment. His analysis appears in outlets such as Forbes, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal,
The Succession Trap: What Happens When HR Picks the Boss Read More »
Boards love the word interim. It sounds measured, almost like a pause button in the middle of uncertainty. Yet the reality is that interim leadership is rarely a pause. It is a drift dressed up as discipline. When a CEO
