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Does a company Founder make the best CEO?

Published about 1 year ago • 2 min read

Scaling Success

Insights into executive hiring for scale-ups and entrepreneurially-driven companies.

Hi Reader,

Company founders can be inspirational - as much for what they choose not to do as what they do.

Stepping back and handing the reins to a CEO isn't a straightforward decision, but it can be what's best for the company.

The success of the transition then comes down to the Founder taking on the right role and creating enough space to co-exist with the CEO. It's sometimes a Chairman position, but for smaller scale-ups, that can be something of a luxury and leveraging the Founder's expertise can be critical.

After all, those skills made the company great and got the business to this point.

The key for any Founder is finding that zone of actual value. It's often something that the Founder is most passionate about, such as product development, marketing, business development, fundraising or M&A. It is also what will add the most enterprise value.

Many Founders are great leaders. They just don't always make the best CEOs. The self-awareness to recognise this and put ego to one side is an admirable quality.

CEO succession is always challenging. For a Founder to stay involved, highly complementary skills and the right mindset from both parties are required. You need to create room for each other.

Food nutrition company Huel is an example of great hiring and succession planning, fast-tracking commercial success.

Founder Julian Hearn's decision to hire James McMaster as CEO after two years has been a masterstroke. It empowers the company for accelerated growth by combining a Founder's entrepreneurial spark with a CEO's operational expertise.

There aren't many companies where a founder will pass the reins over to a CEO so quickly (and has done so successfully), but it has proven pivotal in allowing each to play to their strengths and passions.

If you're a consumer and retail scale-up looking to develop a C-suite succession plan, get in touch. I'd be happy to share the many examples I have managed.

To your success.

Guy

Contact me for advice on attracting and hiring the right leadership team in consumer and retail.

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About BartonRock:

Guy Day is the Founder of BartonRock, the executive search partner for high-growth companies in consumer and retail.
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For more information visit: www.bartonrock.com or contact guy@bartonrock.com​

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