Spencer Stuart

Skip to Main Content Private equity firms need a new CEO succession playbook as deals get bigger, holds get longer and exit paths become less predictable. With mid-hold exits becoming more common, firms that prepare for succession in advance can reduce disruption, protect momentum and preserve exit value. Relying only on “been there, done that” CEOs can create blind spots. Over longer hold periods, adaptability, learning agility and change leadership matter more.

Congratulations! You have landed one of the most consequential seats in the C-suite at one of the most consequential moments in the history of work. Now what? At Spencer Stuart, we have studied thousands of executive transitions, and one of our enduring takeaways is that regardless of whether you are a freshly minted chief executive officer or chief human resources officer, many of the same lessons apply about how to get off to a fast start. A deliberate and focused transition plan is critical.

Skip to Main Content It’s a central quandary for CEOs: How can you deliver transformational leadership when your ability to execute depends on a group of people you don’t hire, can’t fire and have to influence without direct authority? That is, your board of directors. Navigating the CEO-board dynamic is one of the most critical and underappreciated challenges of executive leadership.

AI is reshaping the data center operating model The data center sector has historically rewarded operational discipline: maintaining uptime, managing costs and scaling capacity in a measured way. That model remains important, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. AI is changing both the sector’s economics and its operating requirements. AI workloads are driving higher power densities, new cooling architectures and more specialized facility design.

Skip to Main Content Board refreshment slowed in 2026, with only 364 new independent directors appointed to S&P 500 boards in 2026, the least in a decade. The 2026 incoming class of directors is three years older on average than directors joining a decade ago. The share of new directors serving on their first public company board fell 6 percentage points from 2025. The share of new director appointments filled by diverse executives declined six percentage points to 40%.

Introduction Most boards at public companies conduct some form of annual evaluation, but many fail to capture the full value of the process. The main challenge? Boards can mistake the process for the end result. They dutifully execute an assessment, acknowledge the findings and then put the assessment behind them to focus on other matters. Consider that in the 2025 U.S. Spencer Stuart Board Index, 99% of boards on the S&P 500 (all but six) reported carrying out some sort of performance evaluation.

Skip to Main Content Europe’s defense spending surge is creating unprecedented growth, forcing aerospace and defense companies to rapidly expand capabilities, talent pipelines and leadership capacity. While companies are increasingly hiring CEOs from outside the sector, leaders at the next level are typically internal hires—potentially creating gaps in innovation, technology expertise and scalability.

Skip to Main Content Carve-outs are complex transformations that require newly standalone companies to quickly establish their own identity, operating model, leadership structure and culture. Leadership planning should begin early, ideally well before close, with clear strategic objectives, governance decisions, talent priorities and a defined target culture.

This article is adapted from The 5 Stages of the PE Investment Cycle: The Human Capital Decisions That Matter Most. The typical private equity firm owns a portfolio company for five to seven years, depending on the company and market context. From the moment the deal closes until exit preparations begin, the key leadership attributes are nimbleness and alertness. The talent agenda is not a fixed plan, but a living one.

Skip to Main Content CHROs are central to protecting deal value in M&A, because many transactions fail not in the strategy but in the leadership, culture, talent and organisational decisions needed to execute it. Rigorous HR due diligence and active liability management are essential, from identifying hidden employee obligations and pension liabilities to assessing retention risks, capability gaps and succession issues before they undermine the deal.