Who runs a new CEO's onboarding
The board does, through one named director. That is usually the chair or the lead director. For the first 90 days that director is the CEO's single point of contact and keeps the written plan.
One director matters because a new CEO who hears from six directors hears six sets of priorities. A People leader, corporate secretary or chief of staff can run the calendar and the logistics. The promises were made by the board, and the board answers for them.
What the board promised: write it down
During the search, directors say things about authority, money, strategy and the people already in the building. The contract covers title and total compensation. It rarely covers any of this. Those statements are part of why the CEO said yes, so before the start date put them in writing, in plain words, and ask the CEO to confirm them.
| What was promised about | The question to answer in writing |
|---|---|
| Authority over the leadership team | Can the CEO change the team without coming back to the board? From when? |
| The budget and the strategy | What has the board already agreed, and what is the CEO free to reopen? |
| Contact with the board | How often does the board expect to hear from the CEO, in what form, and through whom? |
| The former CEO or founder | What will they do, what will they not do, and until when? |
| How the first year will be judged | What will the board look at after twelve months? |
Keep the list to five promises or fewer. If the board cannot agree on the wording, that is worth knowing before the CEO starts.
The first 90 days, for the board
Use this as a starting template. The check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days are meetings the board runs with the CEO. Ros does not run them.
| Phase | The board | The CEO | Check-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before the start date | Names one director as the point of contact. Writes down what the board promised. Agrees on the former CEO or founder role in writing. | Confirms the list in their own words. Says what they need in the first month. | The named director and the CEO agree on the written list. |
| Days 1 to 10 | Makes the introductions: directors, investors, lenders and key customers. Holds back new requests. | Meets the leadership team one by one. Learns how decisions are made. | Optional Promise Check. The named director and the CEO answer on day 1, day 3 and day 7. The readout arrives on day 10. |
| Days 11 to 30 | The named director speaks with the CEO every week. Other directors send requests through that director. | Listens to the team, customers and the numbers. | 30-day check-in, run by the named director. Reread the promises together. |
| Days 31 to 60 | Hears the CEO’s first read of the business. Says plainly what is settled and what is open. | Shares a diagnosis. Makes the first decisions on the team. | 60-day check-in, run by the board. Note any promise that has changed and who owns the follow-up. |
| Days 61 to 90 | Agrees on how the first year will be judged and how the CEO will report to the board. | Presents the plan for the year ahead. | 90-day check-in, run by the board. Decide what carries into the first year. |
For the general version of this plan, for any senior hire, see the 90-day executive onboarding plan.
The former CEO or founder
If the previous CEO or the founder is staying on, as chair or as an adviser, the new CEO needs to know exactly what that means. Agree on it in writing before the start date, and treat it as one of the board's promises:
- What they will do, and what they will no longer do.
- Which staff, customers and investors still go to them, and for what.
- How long the arrangement lasts, and who reviews it.
- Who the new CEO speaks to if it is not working.
In a PE-backed company
In a portfolio company, some of what the CEO was promised came from the sponsor. Write down who made each promise. Then decide whether the CEO's named contact is the chair or the operating partner, and tell the CEO. It should be one person.
An operating partner covering several companies cannot be in every conversation, and a written list of promises gives them something specific to ask about. To see where that attention is going across a portfolio, use the Coverage Map.
The early check: days 1, 3 and 7
The first formal check-in in this plan is at 30 days. A Promise Check gives the board and the CEO a reason to compare notes in the first week.
The company-side answers in a Promise Check come from the person who buys it. For a new CEO, that should be the named director. The director buys the check, names the CEO and writes one to five promises. Ros emails the CEO first to confirm their address. Then it emails those promises to the director and to the CEO on day 1, day 3 and day 7 after the start date. On day 10 the director receives a readout: each side's answer for each promise, when they answered or that there was no answer, and where their words differ. Ros does not score the answers.
A Promise Check ends with the day-10 readout. It does not continue through the 30, 60 and 90-day check-ins. For a record of the agreed terms that both sides can revisit through the first year, Ros keeps an Appointment File. See executive onboarding: the first year after hire.
Common questions
- Who is responsible for onboarding a new CEO?
- The board. A new CEO has no manager, so the board names one director, usually the chair or lead director, to run the plan and be the CEO’s point of contact for the first 90 days.
- What should a CEO onboarding plan include?
- A written list of what the board promised, a named director, the introductions the CEO needs, an agreed role for the former CEO or founder, and board check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days.
- How long should CEO onboarding last?
- Plan the first 90 days in detail. The board’s reviews continue through the first year, and the promises made at the offer stay worth rereading.
- Who answers for the company in a Promise Check on a new CEO?
- The person who buys the Promise Check. For a new CEO that should be the named director: they buy the check, name the CEO and write the promises. Ros emails the CEO first to confirm their address, then sends the same promises to the director and to the CEO. The day-10 readout goes to the director.
- Does Ros score the CEO or the answers?
- No. The readout shows what each side said, in their own words, and when. It does not score or rank anyone. The board decides what to do next.
Start with one hire
Name the CEO and write the promises you want both sides to answer. A Promise Check is $750, one-time: three check-ins in the first week and a dated readout on day 10.
See the Promise Check