With CEO tenure shrinking and leadership churn on the rise, succession planning has become one of the most urgent – and potentially politically fraught – responsibilities in the boardroom.
Yet research from The Conference Board underlines that CHROs are often navigating succession planning informally, without a proper mandate.
Read more: Succession planning
Get it wrong, and the result is messy transitions, power struggles and avoidable reputational damage.
This isn’t a hypothetical risk. Median CEO tenure at large public companies has fallen steadily over the past decade. FTSE 100 CEOs now last just over five years on average. At the same time, the labour market is more competitive, while stakeholders expect seamless continuity.
The solution is simple: CHROs need to find a way to help with succession planning from day one. But to do that, they need a strong and independent relationship with the board, enabling them to bring their deep understanding of leadership strengths, organisational culture and long-term talent strategy.
What makes succession planning so complex? Often, it’s the sensitive dynamics around the CEO role itself. The final decision and timing on a new CEO will have major implications for the business. CHROs are dealing with senior executives who have spent a lifetime working to get to – and stay at – the top. Even when trust exists, navigating these high-stakes transitions requires a careful blend of neutrality, diplomacy and influence.
Read more: Challenging old assumptions of succession planning
Given the risks, boards cannot let succession planning hinge on a CEO’s willingness to engage. The process for identifying and appointing the next CEO must be positioned clearly as the board’s responsibility. When that’s ambiguous, or left to informal processes, misalignment is almost guaranteed.
Boards must also protect the neutrality of the CHRO. Succession decisions often create internal tension, especially when candidates are passed over. The CHRO needs to offer honest assessments without fearing backlash. That requires clear expectations from the board, and active shielding of the CHRO from internal politics.
Our research reveals that next-generation, high-impact CHROs have a positive partnership with their CEOs, as well as the space to hold regular, candid conversations with supervisory directors, even outside formal meetings. Ensuring continuity and a robust selection process entails empowering the CHRO to take a strategic leadership role and report directly to the board, typically through the nomination committee, on pipeline readiness, risks and organisational dynamics.
Read more: HR's role in strategic succession planning
But with this direct line to the supervisory board comes additional responsibility. CHROs need to tread extremely carefully with the current CEO and executive team: succession planning should never become a solo effort or a behind-the-scenes manoeuvre. Nor can CHROs go around the CEO: the process only works when it’s collaborative and transparent across all parties.
Finally, timing matters. Succession planning isn’t just about reacting to an imminent exit. It’s about cultivating leadership readiness over time, long before any announcement is made. The best CEOs and CHROs already understand this. But no matter how well they might work together, CEO succession will be successful only when boards engage early and consistently.
Succession planning is a critical governance function, and in today’s volatile environment it can’t be left to chance or personality. If boards want to achieve a smooth and successful transition, they must treat their CHRO as a strategic partner in shaping the future of leadership. The best ones already are.
Marion Devine is principal researcher, human capital, for The Conference Board Europe
