Why the search for a managing director begins before the farewell.

6 August 2026 · 2-minute read

In many owner-managed companies, succession in management only becomes concrete once a date has been set. By then, the best time to search has often passed. Starting early gains you one thing above all: the freedom to shape the handover yourself.

In brief

The search, the notice period and the induction together often take more than a year.
The first step is to clarify the future role; only then does the search for the person begin.
A shared transition period builds trust among employees, customers and banks.

A craftsman shaping a workpiece on an anvil

The time required is routinely underestimated

A careful search for a managing director usually takes four to six months. Whoever is recruited generally holds a position of responsibility and has a notice period of six months or more. On top of that comes the period in which predecessor and successor are in the company together.

Taken together, that quickly adds up to more than a year. Those who only start searching once the departure is fixed lose precisely the phase in which a handover works best.

First the role, then the person

Before the search begins, an honest clarification pays off. Should the new management continue the company’s course or set a new direction? Which decisions lie ahead in the coming years, and which competencies are missing in-house today? And what role will the current owner take on afterwards – as a shareholder, on the advisory board, or none at all?

The profile emerges from these answers. It describes not the predecessor, but the task of the years ahead.

Those who shape their own succession hand over more than a position.

Discretion from the outset

Succession is a sensitive matter for any company. Employees, customers and competitors should only learn of it once the solution is in place. A confidential search is therefore the rule: we approach candidates without naming the company and introduce it only in a personal meeting. This also makes it possible to fill a position whose incumbent is still in office.

Shaping the handover

The most successful handovers we support have one thing in common: predecessor and successor work together for a time, with clearly divided responsibilities and an agreed end date. The workforce sees that the change is orderly. Customers and banks get to know the new person while the trust placed in the owner still carries weight.

We know this situation from the inside. Since 1987, KON-PART has been handed over to the next generation of owners three times, and each of these handovers was prepared over several years. We bring this experience to every succession search.