Board Services
Director search, chair succession, board assessment and governance advisory u2014 across Europe.
Board composition is a strategic variable. We help boards become genuinely capable.
Great boards are built, not assembled
The pressure on boards has never been greater. Investors scrutinise composition. Regulators raise the bar on governance. Candidates for senior executive roles research the board before accepting an offer. A board that lacks the right expertise, the right independence and the right culture of challenge does not just govern poorly u2014 it undermines the organisation’s ability to recruit, retain and lead.
nAt JOlivier & Partners, we work with boards that take their composition seriously u2014 as a strategic priority, not a compliance exercise. Our board practice combines rigorous director search with the gap analysis, succession planning and governance advisory that ensure every appointment strengthens the board’s collective capability.
Board Search & Director Appointments
We lead board director and chair searches with the same rigour we apply to CEO and CFO mandates u2014 a precise brief, a structured market mapping exercise, direct and senior candidate approaches, and thorough assessment before any shortlist is presented.
nOur searches go beyond the obvious names. The most capable directors are rarely the most visible ones. They are executives whose specific expertise matches the gap the board needs to fill, who are not already overcommitted across multiple boards, and who have the time and engagement to contribute substantively. Finding them requires a genuine search process u2014 not a network nomination.
nMandates include: Independent Non-Executive Directors u2014 Chair u2014 Senior Independent Director u2014 Audit Committee Chair u2014 Remuneration Committee Chair u2014 Risk Committee Chair
Board Composition & Gap Analysis
Before recommending an appointment, we help nomination committees think rigorously about what the board currently lacks. We map the board’s existing capability u2014 in sector expertise, functional depth, geographic experience and diversity of perspective u2014 against the organisation’s strategic requirements over the next three to five years.
nThis analysis shapes the brief for every appointment and ensures that each new director is a deliberate step toward a more capable governance body u2014 not a replacement for the outgoing director’s profile.
nWe also advise on the induction and integration process that allows new directors to contribute substantively from the first board meeting rather than the third year of their tenure.
Chair Succession
Chair succession is one of the most sensitive and consequential governance transitions an organisation manages. The outgoing chair’s relationship with the board, the management team and the major shareholders creates a context that requires careful navigation u2014 and a process that is rigorous, discreet and cognisant of the specific dynamics of each board.
nWe advise senior independent directors and nomination committees on chair succession processes that combine an honest assessment of internal candidates with a structured external search u2014 ensuring the organisation has the best possible options available, not simply the most convenient ones.
Start a board mandate
Whether you are searching for a specific director profile, navigating a chair succession, or looking to assess your board’s collective capability u2014 we welcome a confidential conversation.
Every board mandate begins with a brief development process that we will not shortcut. The rigour invested at the outset is always recovered in the quality of the shortlist and the outcome of the appointment.