Passing the Baton: Transitioning Leaders While Sustaining a Great Culture

Gordon Krater Managing Partner, Plante Moran
Jim Proppe Managing Partner-Elect, Plante Moran

Session date/time : TBD

One of the biggest threats to organizational culture is leadership transition. Knowing that a great company culture starts at the top, cultures can be enhanced and even energized by new leadership. But workplace cultures can also deteriorate when transitions aren’t executed through a values-based lens.

Plante Moran’s examples of leadership succession are not just a matter of good luck. The firm has had seamless and values-driven transitions throughout its 92-year history –– and they’ve always found that the best candidates for leadership positions are those who have been fully prepared to assume the role well in-advance of taking it.

In July 2017, Plante Moran will complete the transition process from one managing partner to the next for the sixth time since 1950. With each transition, the firm’s culture and bottom line have both grown stronger. Over the past 19 years, the firm has undergone two managing partner transitions while being a mainstay on FORTUNE’s “100 Best” list and increasing annual revenues from $120 million to currently more than $500 million. To anyone out there still wondering: it pays to have a great company culture — particularly one that spans generations.

In this session, Jim Proppe, the incoming managing partner, and Gordon Krater, the outgoing managing partner, share best practices and guide participants through the at times difficult but always dynamic path of succession, helping companies avoid culture crises at these most crucial intersections. With the right plan, process and execution, leaders can ensure their organization will not falter because of failure to pass the baton.

Three key learning objectives:

• Learn the dos and don'ts of a smooth and effective leadership transitions
• Understand the advanced planning and processes necessary to successfully transfer knowledge and responsibilities between leaders
• Learn tactics for ensuring a that your culture remains intact and can thrive through generations