BOARD & CEO SERVICES

There is no more powerful combination — or one more fundamental to the success of any enterprise — than the successful partnership between a CEO and a strong, independent board that can provide oversight and serve as both advisor and strategic arsenal.

CORPORATE AFFAIRS

In today’s digitally empowered world, reputation can change in an instant. Dissenters and adversaries are smart and well organized, regulators are more involved, and there are no “fire walls” between internal and external audiences. Companies need skilled communications and public affairs professionals who anticipate challenges and employ smart, strategic plans to advance the mission of the organization. They must bring a 360-degree perspective, guiding the strategic narratives that align the business, improving engagement, protecting corporate reputation, and advancing the company’s agenda in the marketplace. These leaders must display core technical skills, possess business acumen, and be creative problem solvers. And they must have the tolerance, energy, patience, and diplomacy to be a steadying hand through disruptive change.

CYBERSECURITY

In today’s environment of continual intellectual and technological evolution, organizational security professionals operate in permanent code red status. Frequent news of cyber attacks and data breaches continues to dominate headlines on a daily basis. No organization is immune to attack, regardless of size, industry, or geography. This unrelenting onslaught by cyber criminals across the globe ranging from rogue hackers to nation states is becoming increasingly intense – and corporations may not be winning the battle. Cyber or information security executives are tasked with a tall order – protect companies’ assets, mitigate costs associated with stolen intellectual property, halt damage or destruction of proprietary data, avoid disruptions to critical operations, and maintain confidence amongst customers, investors, and employees.

DIGITAL

Competitors that did not exist a few short years ago have forced established companies to abruptly close their doors after decades of service. Sector leaders have fallen by the wayside, and new powerhouses have emerged. At the heart of this sea change is the digital revolution. In this dynamic new atmosphere, new leaders are needed – smart, engaged leaders who think differently, act swiftly, and build fully functional teams that can operate and thrive in a fast-paced digital world.

FINANCIAL OFFICERS

Today’s high-level financial officers must possess an impressive skill set. They must have strategic finance skills in capital planning, mergers and acquisitions, business planning, investor relations, tax, and FP&A – as well as the operational capabilities to grow a business and manage change. In addition, they must be able to guarantee the integrity of the organization’s financial condition and reported results, enhance shareholder value, establish optimal risk management, and keep a sharp eye on costs — all while under scrutiny from the government, the board directors, and the shareholders.

HUMAN RESOURCES

As companies attempt to differentiate themselves by the caliber of their leaders, the battle for top-tier talent is at an all time high. And human resources officers are right at the forefront. Successful HR strategists must be proactive and forward thinking, translating corporate goals into effective human resource programs, driving growth, and creating coveted “best place to work”cultures. Increasingly, traditional, by-the-book HR executives are being replaced with strategic leaders who are board ready, understand the complex nuances of aligning talent and business strategy, and can leverage Big Data, manage complexity, and drive shareholder value – all while satisfying stakeholders and creating alignment across executive leadership teams

LEGAL

The role of the general counsel and chief compliance officer has been dramatically redefined. As companies grow and expand, the complexity of the legal function increases exponentially. Risk management, global regulations across industries, and the complexity of managing intellectual property in a technology-enabled world are just a few of the pressures and responsibilities faced by today’s legal executives. Organizations require proven experts who think strategically and act proactively to protect the organization and respond to opportunities. In addition, legal executives must assume the role of “company conscience,” leveraging the law to full advantage without sacrificing corporate ethics and integrity.

MARKETING

Global marketing officers are tasked with presenting the best face of the company to the world. This requires deep industry understanding, marketing expertise, business acumen, and unparalleled communication ability. We help chief marketing officers (CMOs) and their organizations define, deliver, and communicate the corporate goals of their companies. We help build efficient top-to-bottom marketing organizations – the people, roles, and responsibilities. And we deliver talent solutions that help the CMO transform the marketing group into a curious, agile, performance-oriented, and purposeful organization.

RISK MANAGEMENT

In these challenging times, risk management plays a critical strategic role for financial institutions and other industries. The stakes are higher than ever, and one poor decision can have a seismic impact on a company’s bottom line. Risk officers must have the political skills to navigate and manage complex relationships with regulators, boards, the C-suite, and other external shareholders. They must have the business acumen to monitor cash flow, oversee business operations, and model potential outcomes. And they must have the strategic foresight to implement plans that qualify acceptable levels of exposure and minimize business losses.

SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS

Sales leaders are painfully aware of the fact that buying behavior has changed more in the past ten years than it did in the previous thirty. Today’s customers have access to a vast array of information – from suppliers, purchasing consultants, and social networks – that promote independent decision-making. It’s not unusual for a customer to complete more than 75% of their purchase journey before they ever engage a sales person. Additionally, as technology enables suppliers to offer more complex, expensive and risky solutions, customers have become far more risk averse, bringing more and more stakeholders to the table to weigh in on the purchase decision. This is leading to a drawn-out consensus-building process that often results in no decision for the seller. Quotas are being missed, confidence is waning, and discretionary effort is slipping, creating a self-propagating downward spiral of sales productivity.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Supply chain is all about creating value, building and maintaining competitive advantage, and enabling growth. This requires a comprehensive, integrated approach and a varied skill set. Often, organizations struggle to identify and develop the best talent to lead these initiatives. Successful supply chain experts must possess cross-functional experience in product innovation; customer-facing functions; broader P&L responsibility; knowledge of current automation and systems technologies; multi-channel backgrounds; and a balance of vision, results orientation, and collaborative mindset.

SUSTAINABILITY

Whether the role is chief sustainability officer, head of corporate social responsibility, or embedded in other functional organizations such as environmental, health, and safety, a unique combination of technical and influencing skills are needed. Today’s leaders must be capable of responding to tighter regulations, meeting consumer-driven expectations for sustainability, practicing environmental and corporate responsibility, and managing the economic and social consequences associated with supply chain pressures of decreasing availability of natural resources.

TECHNOLOGY OFFICERS

Chief information officers (CIOs) are in a unique position, holding a bird’s eye view of what’s going on across the enterprise. Today’s CIOs align IT strategy with corporate mission and goals, optimize and transform business processes for competitive advantage, and respond with agility to keep ahead of rapidly changing global markets, industry disrupters, new business models, and the competition. Additionally, forward thinking CIOs stand at the top of a pyramid of innovation. They oversee:

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