Advising CEOs & Boards

Boards and CEOs are engaging in more rigorous strategic review and oversight of talent and workplace practices. Misalignment of skills, culture and strategy carry greater risk in today’s environment.

Over the last five to ten years, discussions in the CEOs office and the boardroom have increasingly focused on the human-centered aspects of work and the workplace – out of necessity. Physical and mental health, social justice, work-from-home, and personal safety landed squarely on the conference room table, now coupled with further concerns over skills shortages, the cost of labor, and poor leadership pipelines.

The ‘people and culture equation’ is more complex and leadership teams may be ill-equipped. As a result, the CEO and the Board must engage more fully – and independent counsel is useful.

As an advisor and thinking partner, David Gunn works with senior leaders and their boards when strategy and people decisions become intertwined. Often, there are elements of strategy and risk :

Concerns about the quality of leadership pipeline at and beyond the CEO role

Talent and culture related due diligence associated with M&A investments

Culture and reputation risk with employees and/or external stakeholders

Optimization of HR investments and alignment to long-term strategic imperatives

Assistance in selecting and onboarding a CHRO

Who?

Advising a CEO or Board is often catalyzed by an event, urgent need, or concerns for long-term talent and organizational ‘health’. Those may include:

Lack of succession practices

M&A decision-making

A company in culture crisis

Optimization of HR investment in skills

Preparing to onboard a new CHRO

Increased voluntary turnover of top talent

Major policy change related to hybrid work

How?

Our approach would be developed collaboratively and aligned to your needs and timing, and can evolve as your needs do. The advisor relationship takes numerous forms:

Time-bound. Work together for a set period of time, focusing on client priorities as they raise to the top.

Scope-bound. Work together on defined set of work and outcomes.

Connect-as-needed. Work together in quick hits or sprints – short spurts when beneficial.

Highlighted work in advising CEOs & Boards

Discussions at the top levels of the organization often focus on the quality and assessment of people and organization strategies.
Examples include >

More about David & what others say

Board and CEO in science and research

Establish path to develop succession and leadership bench

Global Tech CEO

Engaging C-suite to agree on executive talent requirements for a 5-10 year strategic horizon

CEO post merger

Partnered to facilitate team decision-making of executive talent decisions; building the right talent mindset amongst leaders

Board of a public consulting and services company

Discussion series associated with employee experience and workplace leading practices

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