Viewpoint 2025: Exploring latest Leadership Transitions
As we move further into 2025, leadership transitions are making headlines—and for good reason. In today’s evolving business climate, a change in leadership no longer signals a simple change of title. It reflects deeper shifts in strategic direction, organizational culture, and stakeholder expectations.
At ANC Global, we see these moments not just as points of change, but as pivotal opportunities. The way an organization prepares for, navigates, and responds to leadership transitions can directly influence performance, reputation, and long-term capability.
In this analysis, we explore some of the most high-impact leadership transitions of 2025, and what organizations—especially those operating in fast-moving, talent-driven markets—need to consider when managing leadership change.
Why Leadership Transitions Now Matter More Than Ever
Executive change is no longer a siloed HR event—it’s a strategic, cross-functional inflexion point. The nature of leadership is evolving:
Stakeholders demand visionary leaders who can balance innovation with accountability
Employees expect empathetic, inclusive leadership that reflects their values
Boards are under pressure to show succession readiness and risk mitigation
At ANC Global, we support clients across the MENA region, North America, and Turkiye with tailored solutions that turn leadership transitions into structured, strategic outcomes.
Key tools include:
Leadership Assessment Framework (LAF): A multi-dimensional model that evaluates readiness, capability, and alignment across leadership roles
Succession and Bench Assessments (SABA): Designed to assess internal talent pools, test leadership scenarios, and de-risk future transitions
These tools are critical as organizations strive to remain competitive, aligned, and adaptable through times of change.
Key Leadership Transitions Shaping 2025
Rosalind Brewer’s Exit from Walgreens Boots Alliance
Rosalind Brewer stepped down from her CEO role in early 2025, having focused her tenure on digital health and equity-driven business models. The board appointed Tim Wentworth, known for his background in cost optimisation within the healthcare sector.
This transition reflects a shift in boardroom priorities—from purpose-led transformation to operational discipline. For HR leaders and executive teams, this shift raises important questions about maintaining employee alignment, cultural continuity, and performance expectations during and after the handover.
Reuters covers Brewer’s departure and the appointment of Wentworth
TikTok’s Triad Leadership Restructure
Rather than naming a single successor or making minor structural changes, TikTok introduced a new triad leadership model in early 2025. The company divided top responsibilities among three executives, each overseeing regulatory, commercial, and technology verticals respectively.
The move reflects increasing geopolitical complexity and regulatory scrutiny, particularly in the U.S. and Europe. It’s also a model worth watching as organizations explore non-traditional governance frameworks that balance speed, accountability, and compliance.
Bloomberg provides insight into TikTok’s leadership restructuring
This is a strong example of how leadership structures can—and should—adapt to reflect strategic needs and market pressures.
Preparing for Leadership Transitions: Beyond the CEO Title
Despite their high visibility, many organizations still struggle with leadership transitions. Challenges include:
Limited visibility into internal talent pipelines
Lack of alignment between strategic goals and leadership profiles
Poor communication during transition periods
To support a smooth leadership shift, ANC Global uses models such as:
Fit-for-Future Organization (3F0): Aligns the organization’s structure and capability with the incoming leadership’s strategic mandate
Cultural Transition Plan (CTP): Supports culture continuity and emotional alignment across the workforce
These interventions are especially important for global firms managing multi-country leadership models, or startups entering scale-up phases.
Considerations for Boards and HR Leaders in 2025
Reframe Succession Planning as a Strategic Lever
Traditional succession planning is often too slow and disconnected from business realities. Organizations now need agile, capability-based models that anticipate future leadership scenarios and build bench strength accordingly.
At ANC Global, tools like Know Your Capability (KYC) and Capability Development Matrix (CDM) help HR teams and boards assess potential, gaps, and growth readiness in a more dynamic, data-driven way.
Read our insights on succession planning in family businesses.
Harvard Business Review outlines why boards must treat CEO succession as a strategic priority
Engage the Broader Organization in Transition Readiness
Leadership change affects more than the top of the pyramid. Managers and employees across levels experience cultural shifts, role redefinitions, and, often, uncertainty.
Interventions like Culture and Value Playshops (CVPs) and the Employee Mental Health & Psychological Safety Matrix (EMHPS) support workforce confidence, belonging, and engagement during these critical moments.
Our blog on psychological safety and high performance explores this in more detail.
Define the Capabilities of Future-Ready Leaders
Leadership in 2025 requires a distinct set of competencies—particularly in AI integration, stakeholder capitalism, and inclusive innovation. The profile of a successful leader is shifting quickly, and boards need to update their success profiles accordingly.
McKinsey & Company highlights the new mandate for CEOs in a people-first world
At ANC Global, we embed this thinking into our leadership development programs, ensuring our clients are not just replacing leaders but upgrading capabilities.
How ANC Global Can Empower Your Business
Leadership transitions in 2025 offer a chance for renewal, redefinition, and reinvention. Whether triggered by succession, strategy shifts, or external disruption, the transition process must be intentional, inclusive, and insight-driven.
At ANC Global, we help organizations manage leadership change not just effectively—but strategically. Through executive coaching, structured assessment models, and cultural alignment strategies, we ensure leadership transitions lead to long-term success.
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