You’ve identified your key person.Now make sure they’re in the right seat.
Executive Leadership Validation gives boards and leadership teams an independent, two-sided evaluation so you can make high-stakes leadership decisions with confidence.
Most organizations apply less rigor to leaders they already know.
That’s a risk worth retiring.
It's familiar.
Interims and internal candidates are known quantities — until they're not.
It's human.
Gut feel, bias, and groupthink can lead to costly missteps.
It's risky.
A bad leadership decision can set you back for years.
It's preventable.
Independent, structured validation gives you clarity before you commit.
Executive Leadership Validation
A comprehensive, two-sided evaluation of your leader, the role, and the conditions for success — held to the standard we would apply in a competitive executive search.
Two-sided evaluation of leader and hiring stakeholder
Evidence-based assessments, interviews & references
Clear recommendation and 90-day success plan
One process. Five decisions it serves.
Interim to permanent
The interim is performing. Validate the conversion before the announcement makes the question expensive.
Internal promotion
A trusted leader is ready for a bigger seat — confirm readiness for the role ahead, not the role behind.
Succession candidate
Succession is in motion. Give the board independent evidence, not just proximity and tenure.
Preferred finalist
Your search produced a favorite. Pressure-test the finalist with diligence the process may have skipped.
Existing executive alignment
The organization changed. Evaluate whether a current executive remains aligned with what the role now requires.
Interim-to-permanent is the most common starting point — but any high-stakes decision about a leader you already know deserves the same rigor.
Five steps. One confident decision.
Define Success
We align on the role, priorities, and the conditions for success.
Two-Sided Assessment
We assess both the executive and the hiring stakeholder for alignment.
Written. Then Verbal.
Structured written responses first — followed by a deep, live interview.
360° Due Diligence
We gather internal and external reference insights that matter.
Recommend & Plan
You receive a clear recommendation and 90-day success plan.
Clarity you can act on.
You’ll receive an Executive Leadership Report with an Executive Search Comparison Scorecard, strengths, risks, and a 90-day success plan — evidence kept distinct from interpretation throughout.
- Executive Search Comparison Scorecard
- Leadership strengths & development opportunities
- Organizational & relationship alignment
- Risks, supports, and success factors
- 90-Day Success Plan
Every rating answers one question: would this leader meet the standard we would expect in a competitive executive search?
Validation Core
Essential evaluation. Confident decisions.
- Leadership Success Profile
- Two-sided assessments
- Written + verbal interviews
- Internal references
- Executive Leadership Report
- Comparison Scorecard
Validation Advisory
Deeper insight. Stronger confidence.
- Everything in Core
- 360° external references
- Board presentation
- 90-Day Success Plan
- Risk & opportunity summary
Validation Premier
Beyond the decision — set them up to thrive.
- Everything in Advisory
- First-year onboarding roadmap
- Executive coaching alignment
- 30/90/180-day follow-up
- Ongoing advisor support
*Typical duration. Most engagements are completed within three to four weeks, depending on stakeholder availability, assessment requirements, and reference participation.
Discovery, success profile, assessments, written responses
Interviews, references, and evidence review
Report, recommendation, and stakeholder presentation
Three questions. Three ways we help.
Who are your key people?
A free starting point for organizations seeking clarity about their leadership strengths, risks, and gaps — about five minutes.
Start the Free AssessmentAre your key people in the right seats?
Executive Leadership Validation — an independent, structured evaluation of a leader you have already identified.
Request a ConsultationDo you need help finding the right key person?
When the seat is genuinely open, our retained Executive Search runs the market with the Exceptional Talent Match+™ process.
Explore Executive SearchMake your leadership decision with confidence.
Tell us about the role and the leader. A kpCompanies partner will reach out within one business day — in confidence — to shape the right validation for the decision in front of you.