Leadership changes are inevitable. Whether through retirement, competitive approaches, or strategic shifts, the absence of a ready successor can stall momentum, unsettle teams, and — in some cases — affect the long-term value of the business. My role is to ensure you have credible, pre-vetted external leaders ready to step in, long before the role is vacant.

Once it is clear there is no viable internal successor for a critical leadership position, I assess the role externally and discreetly build a bench of ready-now external candidates, each validated for cultural alignment, track record, and leadership impact. This is not an internal assessment exercise; it is an external market readiness strategy.

Targeted support covers five distinct scenarios:

• Inherited leadership review — After an acquisition, merger, or team lift-out, assess the leaders who come with the deal to determine whether they should remain in role or be replaced. The evaluation is based on verified performance, leadership style, and cultural fit — not inherited assumptions or politics.

• Quiet successor outreach — Discreetly test the interest and availability of potential successors before a leadership change is confirmed, ensuring options are in place without creating speculation or signalling intent to the market.

• Market reputation verification — Confirm whether a leader’s perceived reputation — positive or negative — reflects reality in performance, style, and cultural fit.

• Executive referral validation — Test the strength of referred candidates, ensuring recommendations are grounded in verifiable performance rather than personal loyalties.

• Full-scale in-sector search — Execute end-to-end searches for unplanned vacancies or newly created roles, maintaining momentum and leadership continuity.

The outcome is a complete, continually updated external succession plan covering every critical leadership role — reducing reliance on large, costly searches with firms without any wealth management leadership depth, and avoiding the disruption of lengthy vacancy periods.