Recruiting to Co-CEO Leadership and Beyond: A Recruiter’s Perspective
Is the Co-CEO model the future of leadership?
In a complex political and funding environment, organisations must respond with agility, while demonstrating inclusiveness and their collective insight and power. One leadership structure gaining traction—especially in civil society and increasingly in the corporate world—is the Co-CEO model.
Though some may view it as unconventional or unworkable, a growing number of organisations are embracing this dual-leadership approach. In the UK, Greenpeace, ActionAid, and Friends of the Earth have all used Co-CEO models. It's also appears frequently in interim leadership and succession planning contexts. In the corporate world, Marks & Spencer, Netflix, and Spotify have used Co-CEO too. And of course job sharing is also becoming much more common in other leadership roles, including Co-Chairing (of which we have personal experience) and in functional Director level roles.
What is the Co-Leadership Model?
A Co-CEO structure involves two individuals jointly leading an organisation, sharing responsibility for vision, strategy, and performance. Roles are typically divided based on strengths—one may focus outwardly on policy, partnerships, and fundraising, while the other leads on operations, internal culture, and delivery.
This model amplifies diverse perspectives, enabling more robust decision-making. It supports a values-led, flexible, and person-centred approach—often making room for family-friendly policies and different work patterns that support diversity in all its forms.
At its best, Co-leadership fosters a culture of collaboration, open communication, and shared accountability. It breaks silos and promotes equity and inclusion—sending a strong message to staff, funders, and stakeholders.
As one Board member at Home-Start UK (HSUK) reflected:
“As a family support charity that champions family friendliness, I was really pleased to see how closely the co-leadership model aligns with our values.”
What Are the Benefits?
1. Shared Workload, Reduced Burnout: The CEO role is high-pressure and can be isolating. Sharing the role allows responsibilities to be distributed, improving resilience and reducing burnout. It also offers continuity in leadership if one leader needs to step away on a temporary or longer basis.
Lin Hinnigan, Chair of HSUK said:
“The ability to bounce ideas off each other and to support each other in what can be a lonely position as a CEO are massive benefits. There is also potentially greater resilience in two people, if one is unable to contribute fully at any given time due to perhaps personal circumstances the other can often provide cover”.
2. Complementary Skill Sets: Two leaders can bring a broader range of expertise than one individual. From policy, fundraising and public engagement to internal management and team culture, the blend of experiences and specific functional expertise adds significant value.
The HSUK Nominations Committee reflected on the successful job share candidates in their CEO recruitment process:
“From paper to conversation, the candidate’s joint approach was expressed with clarity, confidence, and humility. It became obvious that not only were they the right people for the role, but that the Co-CEO model itself would bring real added value.”
Preparing the Board for Co-CEO Recruitment
Boards must be clear and intentional from the outset—understanding the model, considering staffing, cost implications, and both internal and external communication needs.
Tara Spence, from HSUK’s Nominations Committee, reflected:
“When the Co-CEO model was first mentioned during the early stages of recruitment, I’ll be honest, I dismissed it almost immediately. I couldn’t quite visualise how it would work in practice. I had concerns about confusion, inconsistency, blurred responsibilities, and the possibility of a power imbalance. How wrong I was, and I’m glad I was challenged to rethink”.
To support candidates in the recruitment process, Boards should consider sharing FAQs and guidance on the model, and clearly signal their commitment to co-leadership in recruitment materials.
Natalie Acton, incoming Co-CEO at HSUK, reflected:
“Being so explicit about Co-Leadership was key for me. Normally if job share or Co working is mentioned, it's in the small print, or the T’s & C’s. People Beyond Profit worded the appointment brief and advert in a way that made me think, ‘gosh, this might be real!’ My first call with Ami the recruiter was key, because she seemed enthusiastic about Co leadership models, and also conveyed that the charity supports job share models and believes in it”.
Natalie also noted the value of interview themes being shared in advance—a practice that allowed the Co-CEO candidates to align their responses and streamline their interview approach.
Making It Work as Co-CEOs
Some Co-CEOs have worked together previously, but many pairs only connect prior to the application process. At HSUK, the two Co-leaders had been peers in previous organisations and had previously discussed their shared values and requirement to find work/life balance, but had never formally job-shared.
Natalie reflected:
“People think you have to know each other really well—but it’s like any relationship. You can test values and working style early. You need to be open, curious, and ready to share responsibility.”
Candidates should also prepare for practicalities:
Who will liaise with the recruiter?
If on different salaries, how will you approach a joint package?
Once in the role, how will you manage handovers and overlap time effectively?
Are you comfortable making decisions independently on your Co-leader’s behalf? Can you establish pre-approval protocols?
Jodie Reed, Incoming Co-CEO of HSUK reflected on the interview process itself:
“It’s much more considered and therefore a useful and reflective experience going through the interview process with a partner. And also a lot less lonely and a lot more fun! That said, you really have to think carefully about how you put yourself across with less individual airtime. You’re selling the two of you as a package - but also have to demonstrate that you’re strong and credible as an individual. All our panel interviews were based on standard timings - which is as it should be, but that did create an extra challenge!"
Natalie added:
“By the end of the recruitment process, we were so confident we could work together. We had seen each other under stress and time pressure—it was a real test of our dynamic.”
In all job interviews, preparation is key. For Co-Leaders, sharing your working style, aligning on communications, and clearly presenting your collective leadership framework makes a big impact to the panel.
Tara noted:
“From the outset, the Co-applicants who applied, especially the pair we ultimately appointed, came with an articulated vision of how they would lead together. They understood one another’s strengths and differences and spoke openly about how they would make those work to the organisation’s advantage”.
Lin also commented:
“The fact that Natalie and Jodie were able to spell out really clearly how they would split responsibilities and in particular make sure that there would not be things 'falling between the gaps' or a need for people to have a discussion twice to reach them both was very helpful”.
Appointing to the Role
You may have explored logistics during the hiring process, but new questions will inevitably emerge. Can each role work on 0.5 or does it need to be 0.6 FTE? How many days will you need the Co-CEOs to overlap in person? Will both attend board meetings etc?
Both candidates and client may consider ongoing coaching as part of an agreed development package, which can help proactively address communication or decision-making challenges. Natalie noted this helped support her success with the Co-CEO model in the past.
Contracts, Salaries, and Governance
While the benefits of Co-CEO leadership are clear, success hinges on practical implementation. This includes clearly defined responsibilities, communication agreements, and joint strategy alignment.
Boards should also plan for joint performance reviews, contracts, and additional cost implications linked to additional hours, benefits and expenses. Co-CEOs are typically contracted separately, with linked clauses to address partnership dissolution or exit. Employment law advice may be needed to ensure contractual clarity.
Conclusion
The Co-CEO leadership model offers a compelling and realistic alternative to a traditional single-leader approach, the synergy created by two or more different leaders can lead to diverse and inclusive leadership, more sustainable growth, and a more resilient organisation. If handled with care and thought, this model can unlock additional value far beyond the role of a CEO. Success relies on both the ‘spirit’ of the endeavour, but also, as always - in the detail!
For more information around the Co-CEO model and running an inclusive search recruitment process, please reach out to Ami Jenick or Jessica Stockford on ami@peoplebeyondprofit.co.uk or jess@peoplebeyondprofit.co.uk or via direct message on LinkedIn.