President search
A President runs the business day to day while a CEO, founder or chair looks after the bigger picture. You get a search that defines that split before candidates are approached, then finds an operator who can take the P&L and earn the confidence of the people who built the company.
The President role and its market
Some companies combine the titles of President and CEO. Others hire a President who reports to a CEO or a founder who has moved to chair. Either way, the President owns the P&L and leads the commercial and operating teams: sales, operations, customer service and often product. In a family-owned or founder-led company this is frequently the first senior leader hired from outside, which makes trust with the family and long-serving staff part of the job. Many President roles are agreed in advance as a path to CEO.
The pool includes division presidents, COOs and general managers who are ready for a whole company. Searches go wrong when the founder or CEO has not decided what they are actually handing over. A President who is given the title without real authority usually leaves within a short time. A second risk is hiring someone who has only run large divisions with group support and then struggles without a shared services team behind them.
What sets a strong President apart
Each of these can be tested in interview or through references before an offer.
- Full P&L ownership
- Check that revenue, margin and cost were genuinely theirs. References from a former CEO will tell you how much was shared.
- Working beside a founder
- Ask how they handled a founder who changed a decision after it was made. The answer shows whether they can share authority without losing it.
- Building without a big group
- Look for experience putting in finance, HR or planning routines where none existed. Large-company leaders sometimes lack this.
- Readiness for the top job
- If the role carries a CEO succession path, test it now. Ask what they would do differently once they held both titles.
How we assess President candidates
Before any candidate is approached, we work with you to write down what the President owns, what stays with the CEO or founder and what success looks like after the first year. Candidates then meet the founder, CEO or chair and any board members in structured interviews scored against that brief. Finalists talk through a real operating issue from your business, such as a margin squeeze or a sales team that has stopped growing. References are taken from people the candidate names and from former CEOs, peers and direct reports we find ourselves.
What shapes President compensation
Pay for a President depends on company size, ownership and whether the role is set up as a CEO successor. Base salary and an annual bonus tied to revenue and profit targets make up the core. Long-term incentives vary most: equity or options at a public or venture-backed company, management equity in a PE-backed business, and phantom equity or a deferred bonus in many family-owned companies. Location and scope both move the number. We agree the package with you or your compensation committee before the search opens.
Other general management searches
Hiring a President: common questions
How long does a President search take?
Most retained searches for a President run a few months from brief to accepted offer. The timeline depends on how clearly the role is defined at the start, how confidential the search needs to be and the candidate's notice period.
Should we hire a President or a COO?
A President usually owns the full P&L, including sales, and is often positioned as a future CEO. A COO typically runs operations while the CEO keeps commercial leadership. The choice depends on what the CEO or founder wants to keep.
Can the President role include an agreed path to CEO?
Yes, and many do. If so, write the conditions and rough timing into the brief so candidates assess the opportunity honestly and the board has a basis to make the later appointment.
We are a family business. Will an outside President fit?
Many family companies hire their first outside leader at this level. The search should screen for people who have worked with family shareholders before and who respect the company's history while changing how it runs.
Discuss your President search
Send the title, the reporting line, the ownership of the business and when you need the person in place. We will reply to set up a call about the brief.
Prefer email? Write to info@executivesearchfirms.org.
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.