About this episode
Ben Richardson & Mike Bott: Why LHi Group appointed two CEOsFor 25 years, LHi Group had one CEO.Founder Tom Glanfield built the business from scratch with Jim Denning taking over in 2020 and leading it it through COVID.A global recruitment group, LHi has5 brands.300 people.9Offices across the US and EuropeBen Richardson and Mike Bott had both spent their careers inside LHi.Both joined as entry level recruitersBoth built desks, teams and international offices from the ground up.Both eventually became global recruitment directors.And both had their eyes on the same job."I wanted to be CEO about a week after I joined LHI in 2007."When Jim Denning stepped down, the expectation was simple.One of them would get the role.Instead, the board made a call neither of them had anticipated.They would run the business together.Co-CEOs.This week on The RAG Podcast, Ben and Mike break down how the decision happened and what it actually takes to make a leadership structure like this work.We cover:How two recruiters who joined the business years apart both ended up competing for the CEO jobThe moment they were told they would be sharing the role instead of one of them taking itWhy the board believed the co-CEO model would work for LHiHow they divide responsibility running a global recruitment businessThe leadership principles that allow two CEOs to operate without conflictWhy ego is the biggest risk in a structure like thisThe level of trust required to make joint leadership work long-termWhat founders should think about when planning succession inside their own businessesWhy promoting from within can be a competitive advantage in recruitmentWhat the next phase of growth looks like for LHi GroupThis episode isn’t really about recruitment.It’s about succession.It’s about trust.And it’s about whether the traditional idea of a single CEO is always the right answer.Because if you’re building a recruitment business and thinking about who should lead it next…This conversation might challenge
