Fast Company, citing Korn Ferry research, reports that 70% of board appointments are made through networking rather than executive search firms. Even when a potentially suitable candidate is known, the actual appointment process can still take several months. This is where careful board succession planning gives the board a clearer path through the transition.
This free white paper provides an editable board succession-planning template pack to assess board composition, identify skills gaps, review candidates, plan transitions, and prepare for emergency vacancies.
Why a succession planning template for boards is worth having early
Many boards treat succession planning as a response to a known departure. That leaves governance teams with too little time to review future vacancies, compare candidates, or meaningfully prepare a successor.
The right board succession planning process gives the nominating and governance committee a working view of term endings, strategic need for skills, the skill gaps, and the pool of potential candidates. It helps the board plan ordinary turnover and prepare for sudden exits with less disruption to committee work and board leadership.
What’s inside
This white paper delivers ready-to-adapt materials to help boards plan succession with less disruption:
- A board composition grid for mapping current director roles
- A skills and diversity gap assessment for comparing current board capabilities against future needs
- A candidate profile sheet for reviewing internal and external prospects
- A board member transition checklist for departures, mentorship, and performance assessments
- A protocol on emergency succession planning for boards that have unexpected resignations
- Best practices for building candidate profiles and keeping succession planning active
- A glossary of key terms on the topic
Who is it for?
This white paper is for teams responsible for board renewal and leadership continuity:
- Corporate secretaries and governance officers managing board composition and renewal cycles
- Board chairs and nominating committees
- Nonprofit boards that lack a formal succession framework
- Compliance, legal, and risk professionals drafting a succession policy
Protect continuity during board changes
Board succession planning is also a way to keep board composition aligned with the skills the organization will need to keep pace with emerging risks and opportunities.
For some boards, that may mean recruiting directors with experience in areas such as technology, cybersecurity, regulatory change, finance, ESG, fundraising, or sector-specific growth.
Regular refreshment, clear term limits, and skills-based candidate reviews are means through which boards keep pace with changing stakeholder and organizational demands.
This white paper supports these organizational priorities. It gives governance teams a practical way to compare current board composition against future skills needs, spot gaps, and plan smoother transitions before board roles become vacant.
Download a board of directors succession planning template
Get a free board succession plan template to prepare for director transitions more smoothly.