SHADOW and CHALLENGER BOARDS
Jason Hamilton
Accountant turned Financier | LevFin@Nedbank | Faculty@SBS-ED | Mentor@SantanderX | Subject Matter Expert & Head Tutor@Sa?d Business School |
Succession planning is a key area of focus for any company and so it should be for the board as well.
A very effective mechanism that can be considered is that of a SHADOW BOARD, allowing for the development of a strong talent pool, enforced further with good practical experience being gained.
This provides a further tool for the boards to stay connected to various areas of the enterprise and stakeholder networks, which can lead to earlier identification of risks and provide further perspective on topics.
A consideration can also be given to the formation of a CHALLENGER BOARD, specifically setup to challenge the main board and provide further insight on topics, enhances the debates and rigor and ensures new ideas are presented.
Of course this function can also be fulfilled by specific individuals asked to consider a contrarian view or to consider unintended consequences etc.