A 2010 Stanford University study found that only about half of the 140 companies surveyed had a candidate-in-waiting to take over as CEO if the need should arise. Other studies have reported similarly sobering statistics. Only 26% of companies have identified successors for the majority of their executive positions (Bersin Factbook, 2009), and 40% of corporate board members are unsatisfied with current succession plans (Egon Zehnder, 2009).

Succession planning is the process of recruiting and grooming employees to fill the key roles within an organization, and companies that engage in strategic succession planning are ultimately more successful. Unfortunately, for many companies succession planning is an overlooked strategy, as the future is set aside in favor of dealing with more urgent priorities. However, companies that fail to plan for succession are putting their very survival at risk. After all, what could be more important than ensuring your leadership positions are filled with the right people? This audio conference provides attendees with the why and how of proper succession planning.

This audio conference covers:

• What succession planning really means
• The benefits and characteristics of a good succession plan
• Best practices and key strategies for the succession planning process
• Tips in implementation
• Succession planning tools

About the speaker:

Beth Thomas is Executive Vice President/Managing Director of Consulting Services with Sequent, and is responsible for the overall success of the consulting practice. She has 25 years of experience helping organizations through major transformations, such as mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Sequent, Beth was Senior Vice President and Head of Retail Training Development and Planning at JP Morgan Chase. Before that, she created and managed the Retailer’s Enterprise Learning Center and the Service Management Practice at the Limited Brands in Columbus, Ohio. She has also worked for the international brokerage firm, The Fritz Companies, Inc.

Beth’s work with clients like Pier One, Wendy’s, American Eagle and Cardinal Health has been recognized with national awards, and accolades in various magazines and newsletters. She is a frequent speaker, and a contributing editor on four books: On Demand Learning (Darin Hartley), Implementing eLearning (Jay Cross and Lance Dublin), Learning Rants, Raves and Reflections (Elliott Masie), Lies About Learning (Larry Israelite). Most recently she authored her own book, Powered by Happy…How to Get and Stay Happy at Work.

Who should attend?

• Human Resources Directors
• Human Resources Managers
• CEOs
• Vice Presidents
• Other C-level executives and board members