Succession Planning in an Unpredictable Time

Senior Director, North American CEO Practice Group, Spencer Stuart

James M. Citrin

Jim Citrin leads Spencer Stuart’s North American CEO Practice and is a core member of the firm’s Board Practice. During his 25 years with the firm, he has worked with clients on more than 750 CEO, board director and other top management searches and succession assignments. In addition, he has served as a member of the Board of Directors for 20 years.

Extensive executive search and leadership expertise

• Jim’s clients include world-leading media, technology, communications and consumer companies, as well as other multinational corporations, financial services institutions, private-equity firms and venture capital firms, and educational and not-for-profit institutions.
• A noted expert on leadership and professional success, Jim has authored seven books, including The Career Playbook: Essential Advice for Today’s Aspiring Young Professional, released in April 2015, and other bestsellers You’re in Charge — Now What?, Lessons from the Top, The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers, and You Need a Leader — Now What?, based on the groundbreaking Spencer Stuart CEO Transition Study. Jim has been widely interviewed, quoted and published in outlets including The Today Show, CNN, the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Timesand Harvard Business Review, among many others. Jim is also a LinkedIn Influencer with more than a million followers, covering a range of leadership and career strategy topics.
• Deeply experienced in governance, Jim has been named to the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship 100, which recognizes the most influential leaders in corporate governance.
• Prior to joining Spencer Stuart, Jim spent five years at McKinsey & Company and was an associate at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and an analyst at Morgan, Stanley & Company.

Jim graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College in 1981 and served as a trustee on the school’s Board of Directors for 12 years, co-chairing the Nominating Committee. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1986, earning first- and second-year honors and graduating with distinction. In addition, Jim served as a trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Board at Wesleyan University for six years. He is currently a board member of the Cancer Research Institute, the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island and Girl Effect.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WD-40 Company

Garry Ridge

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WD-40 Company, Garry Ridge is responsible for developing and implementing high-level strategies and the oversight of all relationships and partnerships for the company.

Garry is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company, and his vision and leadership have positively impacted the WD-40 Company in both measurable and immeasurable ways.

Garry joined WD-40 Company in 1987 and has held various management positions in the company, including executive vice president and chief operating officer, and vice president of international. He has worked directly with WD-40 Company in over 50 countries. In 1997, he was appointed president and chief executive officer of WD-40 Company.

A native of Australia, Garry served in advisory roles for the Australian Marketing Institute and the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association. Currently, he serves as a member of the board of governors of The San Diego Foundation, and the University of San Diego’s School of Business Administration.

Garry is an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego where he teaches leadership development, talent management, and succession planning in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.’ ”

Garry holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and wholesale distribution and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego.

New York Times Best Selling Author; Executive Leadership, Business Strategy and Innovation Expert; Leadership Coach

Mark C. Thompson

Mark Thompson is an expert on executive leadership, business strategy, and innovation who has spent over 25 years leading teams and building companies from the ground up. He delivers actionable, valuable and practical advice for leaders at all levels of an organization.

New York Times bestselling author Mark C. Thompson is a leadership coach for the world’s fastest growing, most innovative companies—from LYFT CEO & Cofounder Logan Green, Pinterest Cofounder Evan Sharp and World Bank CEO Dr. Jim Kim, to founders Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Charles Schwab, for whom he served as the world’s first CXO—Chief Customer Experience Officer.

Forbes Magazine says Mark has the ‘Midas’ touch as a sought after coach, speaker, and venture investor.  His New York Times bestselling books include: ADMIRED: 21 Ways to Double Your Value; Now Build a Great Business; and Success Built to Last – Creating a Life that Matters, Mark is also an Innovation Leadership columnist for Forbes.com, Inc.com, and FastCompany.com. His most recent bestseller ADMIRED is a primer on how the world’s “Most Admired Companies” achieve long-term success and growth as well as the qualities that are common to “Most Admired Leaders”.

Mark was Charles Schwab’s former Chief of Staff and Chief Customer Experience Officer, and the Executive Producer of Schwab.com which today has assets over $3 Trillion. He is a co-founding advisor of Sir Richard Branson’s Entrepreneurship Centres.

Mark is a founding advisor of the Stanford Realtime Venture Design Lab, and served as a visiting scholar at his alma mater, Stanford University, and adjunct faculty at the World Economic Forum, World Business Forum, and John F. Kennedy University.

A successful venture capitalist over the last two decades, Mark was as an early investor in companies like Facebook, Netflix and founding board member of Esurance. He has been a Board Member for many well-known technology, biotech and retail companies, including Best Buy, Korn Ferry, and Interwoven (now owned by HP). He was the Chairman of the Board for Rioport, which popularized the MP3 player prior to the iPod.

Among Mark’s passions are music and Broadway. Mark serves as a founding Board of Directors member for Smule, the top music app company on iTunes which has over 125 million users worldwide. As a Broadway producer, Mark’s plays have earned ten nominations and five Tony Awards.