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Leadership assessment for a FTSE 250 industrial company

The well-regarded CEO of a FTSE 250 industrial company had indicated to the board that he was minded to retire in the next year. He had groomed two strong internal candidates who both had the credibility internally and externally to replace him.

We partnered with the board to create a selection criteria against which to assess the candidates. A highly confidential market mapping of potential external candidates was also conducted. Detailed 360 referencing took place on both candidates and we worked closely with an industrial psychologist to assess their suitability to become CEO. This involved them taking a series of psychometric tests ahead of a four-hour in-depth, rigorous interview with Lygon and the industrial psychologist.

We presented our full reports to the nomination committee, which after a thoughtful discussion, unanimously agreed to appoint one of the two internal candidates as CEO.

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Leadership assessment for an international services business

A private equity-backed international services business was seeking to appoint a new CFO following a previous appointment that had not aligned well with the executive team. Understanding culture and team dynamics was critical to a successful outcome. The newly appointed CEO wanted to gain deeper insight into top team dynamics and to use these findings to inform the profile required for a new CFO who could form a business partnering relationship with him to support the next phase of growth and performance improvement.

Lygon led a psychometric and competency-based executive team assessment, providing objective insight into individual styles, collective dynamics and how the team operated under pressure. This established a clear, evidence-based view of the team’s strengths and development areas, informing both the CEO’s approach to team effectiveness and to the CFO role specification. Given the importance of fit, particular emphasis was placed on defining the leadership style, capabilities and complementary skillset required in the CFO. As the search progressed, detailed psychometric assessments were also conducted on the final two CFO candidates, enabling a robust comparison of leadership fit, potential risk factors and alignment with the existing team.

The combination of team assessment and candidate insight provided the CEO and the board with a clear, data-driven perspective. This enabled a more confident and informed decision on the CFO appointment, with a strong emphasis on cultural fit, team complementarity and the ability to enhance overall executive performance.

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Senior leadership team assessment to support CEO, CFO and executive committee succession for a FTSE 100 utility business

Having supported the company on the appointment of a new chair, Lygon was asked to advise on planned CEO and CFO succession, as well as to support the chief people officer in creating development plans for 12 members of the executive committee.

We conducted a psychometric and competency-based assessment of the executive committee members, evaluating their fit for their current roles and their future potential, benchmarked against external candidates for the same roles.

We worked with the board on the development plans for two internal candidates for CEO, including external training, exposure to external advisers and enhanced responsibilities. At the same time, we undertook an extensive market mapping to identify external options. We recommended the appointment of an internal candidate as CFO, undertaking detailed referencing to support the decision.

We debriefed the CEO and chief people officer on the other members of the executive committee, with development plan suggestions for each. We supported on the searches for replacements for several of the senior roles, bringing in senior sector leaders as well as talented executives from adjacent industries.

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Chair appointment for a leading building society

The board of a top ten building society was seeking an established chair with the credibility and judgement to lead the Society effectively and support the next phase of its strategic development. The incumbent had completed their full nine-year term but was extended by one year to allow for a structured and orderly transition.

Lygon presented a diverse long list of candidates from which the nomination committee met five individuals, all with prior chair experience and a strong affinity for the mutual sector. The successful candidate brought a broad perspective to the role, having served as a FTSE 100 CEO and held chair and non-executive roles on listed, mutual and private equity backed boards.

In support of the Society’s continued evolution and growth, Lygon subsequently advised on the appointment of a new senior independent director, risk committee chair, remuneration committee chair and a notified non-executive director with a background in specialist lending.

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Chair appointment for a private equity-backed infrastructure business

A private equity-backed infrastructure business, with a leading position in the UK and an emerging European presence, was entering a new phase of growth following a majority investment by a leading PE fund. Founded by its CEO, the business required a chair capable of building a strong, effective partnership with the founder and working closely with the investor to support rapid growth, execute a buy-and-build strategy and lead international expansion.

Lygon undertook a targeted search to identify chairs with experience of operating in private equity environments, scaling infrastructure platforms and delivering international expansion. Particular emphasis was placed on individuals with a track record of partnering with founder-led CEOs, navigating the dynamics between management teams and investor groups, and supporting buy-and-build strategies underpinned by digitisation-led value creation. Our approach combined detailed referencing with informal market soundings to assess capability and style fit.

The appointed chair has established a close and effective working relationship with both the founder CEO and the investor, providing clear strategic support and value as the business scales. The company is delivering against its growth and digitisation strategy, including successful entry into new international markets.

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Chair and non-executive succession planning for a FTSE 50 company

Rapidly turning into one of the most admired companies in the FTSE, with an unrivalled track record of growth, Lygon has supported the board evolution of this company since 2015.

The company’s longstanding CEO had indicated that he wished to retire. We supported the board on the search for a new chair who would lead the succession planning process and support a new team through the next phase of expansion. This was managed elegantly over the next 18 months.

Since then, as the company’s business model has continued to evolve, Lygon has supported on the recruitment of non-executives bringing relevant digital, technology, industrial, US and European executive and board experience as well as audit committee and remuneration committee capabilities.

Culture fit was critical in each of these roles in a purpose-led and ambitious business.

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Chief people officer appointment for a FTSE 250 industrial

A listed global business was entering a new phase of transformation following a period of significant portfolio change and organisational simplification. Operating across a complex, international footprint, the company was seeking to strengthen operating discipline, embed a performance-driven culture and drive greater accountability, empowerment and engagement across the organisation. The newly appointed CEO sought a chief people officer to act as a strategic partner in delivering this transformation and accelerating cultural change.

As an incumbent was in place, Lygon undertook a highly confidential search to identify CPOs with experience of leading transformation in complex, global organisations. Particular emphasis was placed on individuals with a track record of partnering with CEOs to improve operating practices, embed performance-led cultures and align organisational design and talent strategy with business priorities. Our approach combined detailed referencing with informal market soundings to assess capability, commercial judgement and style fit.

The appointed CPO has established a trusted and effective partnership with the CEO and executive team and is playing a central role in driving the transformation agenda.

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Regional CEO appointment for a FTSE 250 logistics business

Following the unexpected resignation of a regional CEO at a FTSE 250 distribution business, Lygon was instructed to conduct a highly confidential search for a successor. As the incumbent had been firmly part of the succession pipeline for the group CEO role, the board was clear that the successful candidate would need highly relevant regional experience and clear longer term succession potential.

Lygon undertook an extensive and discreet research exercise, identifying candidates through informal referencing across multiple sectors and geographies. The resulting shortlist comprised six candidates of different nationalities and based across three countries.

The process narrowed to two final candidates to include psychometric assessments and concluded with the appointment of a tenured regional CEO with a track record in both turnaround and growth, relevant regional expertise and credibility as a future group CEO successor.

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CIO appointment for a FTSE 250 consumer business

An experienced CEO had been appointed to lead a transformation of a FTSE 250 consumer company and double its revenues within the next five years. To succeed, this would involve a digital transformation of the entire company, including manufacturing, finance and logistics, in addition to marketing and commercial.

The thinking was to create a new CIO role, sitting on the executive committee and reporting directly to them. The CEO asked us to conduct a highly confidential market mapping of potential candidates in order to understand the depth of the talent pool and what he needed to pay to attract the best people. This involved confidential informal referencing on potential candidates, in addition to general conversations with candidates to understand their aspirations, appetite for a new role, thoughts on location, and expectations on remuneration.

After our market mapping presentation, the CEO decided to go ahead with a full search. They met a strong shortlist of five candidates, which culminated in the appointment of the company’s first CIO.

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CEO Succession planning for a FTSE 250 consumer company

The board of a FTSE 250 consumer company had begun to question whether they had the right CEO for their business. Although they were a talented, entrepreneurial leader, there was growing concern whether they were making a successful transition to the plc environment.

Lygon conducted a highly confidential market mapping of the very best CEO talent in the consumer sector, with the caveat that candidates needed to have listed board experience. This involved taking confidential informal references on all potential candidates to assess their suitability against the role specification. We also had general conversations with potential candidates to understand their desire and suitability for a CEO role. We presented the market mapping to the full board which was very well-received.

After much consideration, the board decided to replace the CEO with one of their direct reports. The new CEO is thriving, and successfully partnering with the CFO to rebuild relationships with investors.

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CEO Succession planning for a FTSE 100 infrastructure business

The board of this high-profile business was aware that the successful and admired CEO would likely be retiring within the next three years. It wanted to evaluate external candidates whilst, at the same time, giving internal candidates the best possible opportunity to succeed him.

Lygon worked with a highly experienced psychologist to evaluate the entire executive committee in order to advise which of them might be in the running for the CEO role in the future and how to develop the others for more senior or different roles in the future. We conducted 360 referencing with their colleagues and the board. Development plans included external education and mentoring, providing opportunities for them to contribute to strategy development, role changes to test their agility and ability to step up to oversee the entire organisation, exposure to M&A and exposure to investors and to external advisers.

At the same time, we conducted a confidential market mapping of external candidates to demonstrate to the board that there were credible external options. We recommended the appointment of one of the internal candidates, who had demonstrated their ability to step-up and had established strong relationships with the executive team and the board.

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CEO appointment for a private equity backed hospitality business

The executive chair of a multisite hospitality business, alongside its mid-cap European private equity owner, decided to appoint a new CEO to enable the chair to step back into a non-executive capacity. This followed a period of significant transformation undertaken by the chair after an unsuccessful tenure of the previous CEO.

Lygon conducted a detailed and targeted market mapping of proven CEOs with strong turnaround credentials within multisite consumer businesses. A key requirement was prior experience of leading businesses through a successful sale process, alongside the gravitas to partner effectively with a hands-on chair transitioning away from day-to-day operations. As part of the process, we undertook informal referencing to assess both capability and cultural fit, with particular focus on the ability to navigate a demanding stakeholder group and a potentially complex chair dynamic.

We delivered a strong shortlist of four candidates who not only met the brief but also demonstrated the required leadership characteristics. The appointed CEO quickly established credibility with the board and successfully led the business through a sale process within 18 months of joining.

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CEO Succession planning for an international FTSE 100 business

This successful and highly respected FTSE 100 company has established a reputation for long-term, thoughtful succession planning. Anticipating the retirement of the CEO, the board initiated a multi-year external mapping exercise to evaluate external options as it continued to develop the skills and experience of a small number of internal candidates.

Lygon conducted assessments of internal candidates, evaluating their psychometric assessments and through competency-based interviews, benchmarking them against the target external universe. We advised the CEO, chair and CHRO on their different development needs.

Over several years, we updated our external mapping, tracking potential candidates’ role changes, successes and challenges. We met the nomination committee regularly as the external candidate pool narrowed and internal candidates were able to showcase their capabilities over time. An internal candidate was appointed.

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Group CEO for a FTSE 100 consumer company

The CEO of an international FTSE 100 consumer company had indicated their wish to retire earlier than anticipated. There were no ‘ready now’ internal candidates. The CEO had given the chair an indication of timing to enable thoughtful succession planning.

Lygon conducted a global benchmarking exercise to identify and informally reference the best international candidates who could provide external options for CEO succession. We agreed with the chair which candidates could be approached with an NDA in order to assess their motivation for a move. We shortlisted five candidates for discussion with the chair, and three were presented to the NomCo for final interview. Decision-making was supported by confidential referencing and external, independent psychometric assessment.

The successful candidate was a European national working for a US business who was able to relocate to the UK.

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Group CEO for a FTSE All Share technology and business services company

The board of a FTSE All Share company were concerned that, should the CEO step down for any reason, including performance, there were no internal candidates to succeed them. Board members were growing concerned about their ability to execute the strategy that had been outlined to them.

Lygon initiated a confidential process to identify potential successors in a range of relevant sectors, reporting back to the chair and the SID regularly. We tested candidate appetite for the role, without revealing the client’s name. Candidates had listed company and private equity-backed business experience. There was a strong focus on the need for a growth track record and an empowering leader, able to hold a management team to account.

With the likelihood of serious interest from well-qualified candidates, we approached a small number under NDA, interviewed them and recommended a small number for the chair and SID to meet, giving them the confidence to initiate a change. The successful candidate had delivered international growth and led technology disruption in traditional organisations.

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CFO appointment for a private equity backed business

A private equity investor engaged Lygon to appoint a new CFO into one of its portfolio companies, a founder-led business generating revenue more than £500m and entering its next phase of growth. The business required a visible CFO capable of operating effectively within a complex stakeholder environment. While the founder remained CEO and retained significant influence over the organisation, the relationship between management and the investor group had become increasingly challenging.

A targeted search was conducted, focused on CFOs with proven experience in private equity-backed businesses, ideally within founder-led environments. Emphasis was placed on identifying candidates with the credibility and emotional intelligence to navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, while also bringing the financial discipline, reporting capability and commercial acumen required to support value creation. As part of the process, we undertook extensive informal referencing to assess candidates' ability to influence at board level, manage conflicting agendas and build trust in demanding situations.

The appointed CFO relocated to the North East and swiftly earned the respect of both the founder and the private equity owner. Their appointment led to strengthened governance, improved communication and greater alignment around strategic priorities, ultimately providing a stronger platform for future growth and value creation.

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Group CFO for a FTSE 250 industrial business

The new CEO of a complex, decentralised FTSE 250 company was working at pace to deliver a turnaround. The company had issued profit warnings and was highly leveraged. It was decided to appoint a new CFO to help the company return to growth.

Lygon identified a long list of potential candidates, including those who had held the group role and those with a breadth of experience in commercial and technical finance roles ready to step up. Candidates needed to prove that they could move at pace, win the trust of the board and of divisional leaders and demonstrate true business partnering.

From a longlist of 11, we advised the CEO and chair as they interviewed a shortlist of four candidates, putting the final two through extensive psychometrics and meetings with the rest of the board. The successful candidate was a first time CFO, having held commercial finance and control roles in another industrial company.

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Group CFO for a FTSE 100 consumer business

The CFO of a FTSE 100 consumer company decided to step down and there were no internal candidates to succeed them. Timing was sensitive and timescales were short.

Lygon conducted a confidential international market mapping process to identify candidates with listed company experience in global consumer businesses and a track record of finance transformation. They needed to be modern, strategic, operational and technically strong. Our work included speaking with potential candidates to gauge their interest in a move. Increasingly, the need for UK listed company experience became apparent. We referenced candidates with previous colleagues and board members to test chemistry and fit.

The successful candidate had a background in international consumer companies and was an experienced listed company CFO. The search was completed in four months.

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