Forget the 'traditional' 100 days' bedding down period; Mockridge will be confronted immediately by a phalanx of sceptical and, in some instances, downright hostile 'stakeholders'. Aside from having to reassure the Murdoch clan that News International is, finally, in safe hands, he'll be facing an edgy Board, worried shareholders, dispirited and disaffected employees and a gaggle of opportunistic politicians and media pundits baying for more blood. In short, he'll have little time for reflection; he'll be too busy manning the barricades.
A new CEO - even one arriving garlanded with praise - has to make his or her mark quickly. But when they arrive as a 'firefighter', they're really up against it. As we have seen with so many recent CEO appointments in recession-hit UK plc, the pace is unrelenting and they must sometimes question whether the move is career enhancing or limiting.
Mockridge will not have the luxury of a stately and measured progress through a series of orderly top team lunches and Board presentations. Even in the most benign climate, two board meetings are the limit before the questions start to be asked about a new leader's capabilities. Mockridge has, by all reports, all the credentials needed for effective crisis management. He's unflappable and has a steely resolve, but intellectual agility and gravitas will only get him so far.
His immediate challenge is to restore confidence internally and, just as important, externally. Let there be no doubt, when an organisation suffers massive reputational damage, the poison stays in the corporate bloodstream for years. He will have no room for double speak or weasel words; anything he says has the potential to bite back.
So, looking into his organisation, what are Mockridge's priorities? He may be greeted warmly - there's bound to be a collective sigh of relief about the arrival of an untainted leader - but he needs to be visible and accessible from day one. He'll need to be careful who he listens to and, crucially, who he is seen to be listening to. Will key staff rally round, or will his arrival prompt some score-settling amongst his senior colleagues with people seeking to point the finger of blame at someone else? Certainly everyone will want to protect their reputations; some will already be dusting off their CVs and warming up their networks... just in case.
And then there's a need to examine the underlying culture of News International. The fact remains that the News of the World's nefarious activities boosted circulation and revenue for News International. Clearly he has to maintain the fundamental dynamism of the organisation - the drive to be 'first with the story' - but this has to be tempered with the introduction of a new sense of probity and an examination of how certain behaviours are rewarded: how will incentive plans be squared against the requirement for new standards of ethics? He'll need to change some people, but how difficult will it be to attract new people into a tainted organisation? And, in the meantime, team loyalties will crumble: he must find a way to halt suspicion, cynicism, defensiveness, backstabbing and disengagement.
Few executives say they regret moving too quickly, most regret moving too slowly. While the circumstances for Mockridge are unusual, the principles that apply to him as a new CEO are the same as for any other new CEO, just more so. Act swiftly, decide confidently and execute change effectively. Let's hope that Mockridge has what it takes.
Nicola Andrews, partner and corporate HR specialist at Altaia Partners
