NeXt - Board Edition | June 2026

One of the biggest challenges you face as a board director isn't simply identifying the next CEO; it's building and maintaining a broad, future-ready leadership pipeline—one that's fit for a range of different scenarios, a changing landscape, and decisions you can't yet anticipate.

In this month’s edition of NeXt, we outline why it’s so important to shift your mindset from CEO succession to continuous leadership progression. We also share the key takeaways from our recent webcast on global board governance trends, with insights designed to strengthen your effectiveness and impact as a director.

In this edition:

01 How Boards Can Move from CEO Succession to Continuous Progression

02 Leadership Lounge: How to Be an Effective Board Director When Everything Is On Fire

03 How the Core Responsibilities of Board Directors Are Shifting Globally

04 Global CFO Turnover Index

05 The Ambition Gap Myth (And How to Strengthen CEO Pipelines)

Leadership Lounge

“If a board director gets into a meeting and starts asking questions that feel like a trap, the management team will just shut down.”

In a crisis, the line between oversight and intervention can quickly blur. Our advisors unpack how board directors can ask the right questions and successfully walk the line between knowing when to step in without managing the business.

Listen here

Big Data

42

The percentage of CFOs appointed in Q1 2026 who had public company CFO experience, up from 35% in Q1 2025.

While most CFO appointments in Q1 2026 were first-time CFOs, organizations continue to place a premium on proven public company CFO experience. As competition for experienced finance leaders intensifies, we explore what this trend means for CFO succession and leadership continuity.

Dig into the data