In a growing trend, more British companies are experimenting with a co-CEO leadership structure, dividing responsibilities and accountability between two individuals. This model allows bosses to play to their strengths, take time off, and better balance work and family life.
Pippa Begg and Jennifer Sundberg, co-CEOs of Board Intelligence, are part of this shift. For nearly 16 years, they ran the company together, growing it into a major player that provides analysis and services for corporate boards. “We are quite different people – very much yin and yang – but I think decisions are better made with two brains rather than one as it stops hubris,” says Begg.
The co-CEO approach has enabled Begg and Sundberg to take maternity leaves, with each returning to work part-time. “Without the co-CEO structure, the trade-off would have either been too great for the business, or too great for the way that we wanted to have our children and have maternity leave,” Begg reflects.
Similarly, Dhruv Amin and Marcus Lowe, the co-founders and co-CEOs of startup Anything, have been able to take paternity leaves, with one covering for the other. “Marcus has covered for me twice. We’ve both had times when we’re gunning hard for the company, and times we’re not. The structure gives us permission to be human without everything falling apart,” says Amin.
However, the co-CEO model is not a panacea. Tierney Remick, a vice chairman at Korn Ferry, observes that it works best at independent companies without complex structures, and with leaders who have already worked together. Otherwise, there can be power struggles, misalignment in vision, and confusion within the organisation.
Indeed, some high-profile co-CEO arrangements, such as at Salesforce, SAP, and Marks & Spencer, have lasted no more than two years. Remick notes that co-CEO pairings are also sometimes used as a form of succession planning, to see if one will ultimately become the sole, core CEO.
For Begg, her co-CEO days came to an end in 2024 when Board Intelligence was acquired by private equity backers. She is now the sole CEO, acknowledging that she has less time to spend with family. Her husband has left his job to take on more of the household responsibilities.
Despite the challenges, the rise of co-CEOs reflects a broader shift in how top executives balance their professional and personal lives. As the pressures of the top job mount, more leaders are seeking ways to share the burden and better accommodate their families.
