Fortune Asks Shawn Cole About the Co-CEO Model
Cowen Partners Executive Search President and Co-Founder Shawn Cole was recently quoted in Fortune on the increasing popularity of the Co-CEO model in companies such as Comcast, Oracle, and Spotify.
The most obvious trap a duo can fall into? Power struggles, with one executive wanting to stand out, said Shawn Cole.
“It’s very much like a marriage,it takes a lot of communication to make it work.” And just like a marriage, sometimes outside offers are too appealing to pass up.
“They’re always going to be drawn to other sole CEO opportunities,” he said, which is another reason co-CEO-ship doesn’t often last, in his view. He’s skeptical about the recent appointments, noting that some look like short-term solutions to problems that have emerged in succession plans. Sometimes boards have difficulty making a decision, or executives might be lured elsewhere, he said. “These just don’t seem like long-term solutions,” – Shawn Cole
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