Executive Talent Insider - July 2023

Welcome back to another edition of Executive Talent Insider. In this edition, I recap the biggest takeaway from a recent Stanton Chase Global Partners Meeting and what it means for businesses. I also dive into one of June’s big headlines: the abrupt departure of Disney’s CFO.

In addition to Executive Talent Insider, the Stanton Chase Mid-Atlantic LinkedIn page is another resource for insight and trends for C-Suite executives and business leaders. Follow the page to get these insights and more from my colleagues: https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/stanton-chase-mid-atlantic/.

I invite you to keep reading to learn more about these trends and other hot topics in the executive recruiting sector. And, if you’re about to embark on a search, send me a DM or contact us at https://www.stantonchase.com/industry-speciaElizabethations/technology/north-america/.

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C-Suite Corner

In May, I attended the Stanton Chase Global Partners Meeting in Austin. This is an annual meeting where the global team comes together to address the future of the corporate world and Stanton Chase’s role in it.

One of the biggest takeaways came from a presentation by Karen Greenbaum president and CEO of Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC) . Karen surveyed business leaders to find the greatest external factor affecting their companies. The answer can be summed up in one word: Uncertainty.

AESC’s findings broke down the uncertainty into the top ten external factors impacting clients. After reviewing them, they fall into three distinct categories.

First, there’s uncertainty around our country, from the economy to politics. Inflation, recession risks, regulations, and political instability were all among the top ten reasons. In fact, inflation ranked as the most impactful external factor impacting business. Next, we have uncertainty around operations, where business leaders cited labor shortages and disruptions in the supply chain, global trade and technology. And finally, we have the post-pandemic reality, which includes COVID-19 disruptions and shifting consumer behavior.

What does all this mean?

It will vary by business. Business leaders must identify what are the top three to five factors affecting them. Uncover those factors and you may find a trend; perhaps your biggest concerns all could fit under the operations bucket. Then, executives must look at their team to determine if they’re adequately staffed with the right people in charge to guide the company through this uncertainty.

Most importantly, you’ll want to ensure you have someone who not only has experience navigating this uncertainty but the period that follows as well. Those that only hire to solve today’s problems will have to repeat the process once they get through these uncertain times.

If you’re not sure if you have the right team for your current challenges, send me a DM, and we can talk through your challenges together.

The Fitting Room

We recently partnered with Affinity Solutions on a search for a Senior Vice President and Managing Director – Consultancies and Investor Solutions. Affinity is a data-led intelligence platform that uses purchase signals as the authoritative source of truth in helping marketers, agencies and media organizations deliver emotionally resonant experiences that enrich people’s lives.

We’re thrilled to have found the perfect candidate in Chris C. .

Chris brings nearly 15 years in business development and partnerships across the technology sector. He has proven experience as a partnership leader, managing global teams that generate results and growth opportunities. He previously served as the Vice President of Global Alliances at Equifax as well as Senior Director of Apple Global Partnerships at Mobile Technologies Inc. With his experience, Chris will be crucial in supporting Affinity Solutions' continued success.

Congratulations to Chris on his new role!

This Just In

In June, Disney’s CFO, Christine McCarthy, who had been serving in the role since 2015, abruptly stepped down. While Disney cited family medical leave, reports came out that McCarthy butted heads with other executives at Disney, including CEO Bob Iger, about strategy, among other topics.

I recently had a great conversation with Elizabeth Flood at CFO Dive about this.

One topic we discussed was how the change in leadership at the CEO from Bob Chapek back to Iger represented a philosophical change not just for the leadership team, but the company as a whole. Here’s one of my quotes from Elizabeth’s story:

“It’s interesting now to have Iger back, he represents that visionary force and maybe in the big picture, that’s what this is all about, a difference in philosophies because if you’ve got a creative, visionary leader, as the CEO, you surround that person with very strong operators."

Another fascinating piece to this story is the dynamic of gender. Would it have been different if McCarthy were a man? Elizabeth asked me that during our conversation. While it’s certainly possible that it could have played out differently, I also pointed out the potential concerns Iger may have had seeing McCarthy go to the board around when Chapek was ousted. Here’s what I said:

“If that’s true,” said Selker, “and you’re the new CEO coming in, are you going to trust this person who was responsible to a certain degree for the ousting of your predecessor, regardless of the fact that they are a former colleague.”

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I encourage you all to read Elizabeth’s story on what’s happening at Disney, a company that will always remain in the spotlight.

You can read the full story here -> https://www.cfodive.com/news/disney-game-thrones-c-suite/654463/

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What are your predictions for the second half of 2023? Let us know in the comments.