When CEO and board marriages fail

CEO evaluation — indeed, life itself — is a battle of perception. Boards and remuneration committees hesitate to engage with the behavioural and soft aspects of CEO appraisal. This is one important reason for such marriages failing.

A fortnight ago, I was invited to speak on the titled subject for an event in Boston. The subject was of interest because of increasing incidences of CEO and board marriages failing. The question was, can they be reduced and, if so, how?

For sure, more objective and rigorous board processes are required on important issues like acquisitions and appraisals. Think of what happened when