The CEO has resigned.

The chief executive has resigned, or is leaving sooner than anyone planned. A permanent appointment will take months and the business still has a trading year, a plan and a set of commitments to meet.

Confidence inside the organisation is fragile. Customers, suppliers, lenders and shareholders will all read the transition for signals about the health of the business.

• The board appoints an internal caretaker without defining the authority that comes with the role.
• Decisions stall because nobody is certain who can now make them.
• The search starts before the board has agreed what the next chief executive is actually for.
• The outgoing chief executive's knowledge leaves with them.
• The departure is communicated late, badly, or differently to different audiences.

• What is the real reason for the departure, and does it point to a deeper issue?
• What decisions must be made in the next ninety days regardless of who is in the seat?
• Who holds authority in the interim, and over what?
• What does the business need from the next chief executive, given the plan rather than the past?
• What is the risk to key customers, suppliers, lenders and people?

• Agree the interim leadership arrangement and the decision rights that go with it.
• Agree one communications position for staff, customers, suppliers and shareholders.
• Secure banking, key account and supplier relationships.
• Establish a short board and management cadence for the transition period.

• Stabilise trading and protect the current-year plan.
• Establish a clear operating cadence and reporting rhythm for the interim period.
• Complete a short assessment of the business so the board is briefing the search on current reality.
• Define the role, the mandate and the success measures for the permanent appointment.
• Run a clean handover into the incoming chief executive rather than a cliff edge.