Emma Combe

speaker

323 appearances 4 recordings 1 series first heard Jan 2026 last heard 9 Sep

Emma Combe’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 4 in all, peaking in Sep 2026 with 1.

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Redefiners · Leadership Lounge: From Offer Letter to Day One: How First-Time CEOs Lay the Groundwork for Success · 9 Sep 2026 podcast

Welcome to the Leadership Lounge, a place to kick back and listen as our experts dissect some of the biggest questions leaders face today.

I'm Emma Coom, Leadership Advisor in our London office.

When people talk about stepping into a CEO role, the conversation almost always centers on the first hundred days.

But what about the weeks, and sometimes months, between accepting the role and officially starting?

Is a period that's often overlooked, yet it can have a huge impact on how successful a CEO is once they walk through the door.

So, what are the common mistakes to avoid during this period?

How do you prepare yourself for the step up into the CEO role?

And how can you build the relationships and support network that will set you up for long-term success?

I'm really excited in today's episode to explore what first-time CEOs should prioritise between the offer letter and day one.

Before we dive in, remember to share any burning questions you want our experts to answer by emailing redefiners at RussellReynolds.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

And if you enjoy listening to our episodes, leave us a five star review on Apple or Spotify.

Let's dive in.

First up, I'd like to welcome back Ty Wiggins, leadership advisor in Russell Reynolds New York office.

Ty is also one of only a handful of people globally with a PhD in leadership transitions, so we're looking forward to hearing his perspective on the topic.

Welcome back to the Leadership Lounge, Ty.

Ty, what are some of the biggest mistakes you see CEOs make before day one?

That's such good advice, Ty.

And what strikes me is that regardless of whether you're internally promoted within your organization or appointed from the outside, the period before becoming CEO provides a massive opportunity to learn as much as you can about the organisation.

So let's turn to what CEOs should actively be doing with this time.

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