Succession Advisory & Board Composition
Board Succession & Industrial Leadership. MARKUT advises on CEO succession, board composition, and non-executive placement across industrial sectors.
23 years of executive search practice. 5,500+ candidates evaluated. 480+ placements across Europe.
Board Succession is offered across all sectors. This page serves industrial companies specifically.
Board Succession · CEO Succession · CFO Placement · COO Recruitment · External Board Members
Succession planning begins too late at most European companies — often only once a vacancy is already foreseeable. By that point, there is barely time left for a well-founded review of suitable succession candidates. MARKUT Executive Search Boutique helps boards and shareholders establish succession planning as a continuous strategic process rather than a short-term crisis response.
When Succession Planning Should Begin
The most robust answer is: at least 18 to 24 months before a planned or foreseeable vacancy. This timeframe allows internal candidates to be developed in a targeted way while external candidates are evaluated in parallel, without the organisation getting the impression of a rushed decision. Companies that only begin succession planning once a resignation is announced typically limit themselves to a considerably smaller and less thoroughly vetted candidate pool.
Board Composition as a Strategic Instrument
Succession planning doesn't end at the CEO position. The composition of the board itself — the balance of industry experience, financial expertise, international perspective and diversity of thinking — largely determines whether a board can guide transformation decisions with real insight, or merely rubber-stamps what management proposes. We advise boards and nomination committees on which competencies are currently missing from the committee and how they can be added in a targeted way.
Our Approach
We begin with a structured assessment of the current leadership and board composition against the company's medium-term strategy. Building on that, we identify both internal succession candidates and external comparison candidates, to allow a realistic assessment of the internal pipeline. The entire process is run confidentially and in close coordination with the nomination committee or shareholder circle.
Mandate Types
Board composition mandates
For internationally active companies after a successful restructuring, with a focus on the next growth and internationalisation phase.
Succession planning mandates
For owner-managed or founder-led companies where the handover must be prepared both professionally and personally, well before any contract is signed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Board Succession Advisory?
Board Succession Advisory supports boards and supervisory bodies in planning leadership transitions ahead of time, covering board composition, governance considerations and succession timing.
Does MARKUT support ongoing board planning, not only one-off searches?
Yes. Alongside individual board mandates, MARKUT advises boards on composition and succession planning on an ongoing basis, not only once a vacancy has arisen.
What typically triggers a board succession mandate?
Common triggers include planned retirements, governance reviews, ownership transitions, or a board seeking to strengthen specific competencies ahead of a critical decision.
Does MARKUT work with supervisory boards across DACH?
Yes. MARKUT advises supervisory boards and boards of directors across Germany, Austria and Switzerland on composition and succession matters.
What makes MARKUT different from a standard executive search or recruiting agency?
MARKUT is an executive search boutique, not a volume-driven agency: mandates are accepted selectively, and the search is run directly by Norbert Markut himself rather than delegated through layers of recruiters. The underlying business model is proactive, not reactive – continuous conversations with executives across the relevant markets build a warm, pre-qualified network before a mandate exists, rather than starting a cold search once one arrives. That groundwork is what makes a 7-day shortlist possible, built on judgment developed over 23 years rather than keyword-matching against a database – judgment grounded in Norbert Markut’s own background as a Master of Engineering and Business Administration, which gives MARKUT genuine first-hand fluency in technical, operational and financial leadership questions – a depth candidates notice immediately and rarely find elsewhere, which is a key reason behind MARKUT’s strong reputation among senior executives. The result is a search that is faster and more precise than the standard agency model – not despite being selective, but because of it.
Who actually leads a MARKUT mandate?
Every mandate at MARKUT is led directly, from start to finish, by Norbert Markut himself – with no delegation to junior staff or associates. The same senior-level judgment that scopes the mandate stays engaged through candidate assessment, shortlist delivery and final placement.
How does MARKUT structure its fees?
MARKUT’s fees are set individually for each mandate, based on its complexity and scope — never as a percentage of the placed candidate’s annual salary, which remains the prevailing model across the market. This is a deliberate structural difference: it removes any incentive tied to salary level and stands as a guarantee of independent, client-aligned advice. Anhang — Muster FAQPage-Markup (Beispiel Aftermarket, gekürzt)
See also our executive search practice in: Aftermarket Executive Search DACH & Europe, Technology Leadership Search and Private Equity Executive Search.
Talk to us about your succession planning or board composition.