Succession Risk Audit
Know your real succession risk, in four weeks.
A structured diagnostic that turns fragmented HR data into a clear, actionable leadership pipeline story — using data you already have.
Book a Diagnostic CallUses data you already have — no new system implementation.
The Hidden Succession Crisis
Leadership and critical roles concentrated in a few individuals. Succession plans that live in slides, not systems. The board asking for evidence of pipeline strength — and a struggle to give a clear answer.
Fragmented Data
Talent data scattered across HR systems, spreadsheets, and manager opinions with no single source of truth.
Invisible Risks
No simple, shared view of who can step into what roles, or where the biggest succession gaps really are.
Accountability Pressure
Board and investors demanding evidence of leadership bench strength you can't confidently provide.
What's Included
A 4-week engagement, mapped into a proven model.
- → Time-boxed, low-friction diagnostic that fits into your existing workflow
- → Uses exported data from existing systems — no new platform roll-out required
- → Focused on leadership and critical roles, where risk hurts most
- → AI-informed analysis powered by totalia
- → Surfaces patterns invisible in spreadsheets and HR system reports
Powered by totalia
The audit is just the beginning.
totalia turns fragmented HR data into a single, intelligent view of the whole talent landscape — not just succession.
Succession Risks
Pipeline gaps & bench strength
Retention Patterns
Flight risk indicators
Skills Gaps
Future capability needs
Mobility Opportunities
Internal talent moves
What You'll Gain
Executive-level outcomes that matter to your board.
Clear Succession Coverage
A comprehensive view of succession coverage and risk for your top roles, with visual heatmaps that tell the story at a glance.
Risk Identification
Single-point-of-failure roles and fragile segments identified before they become crisis situations.
Prioritised Actions
Prioritised recommendations for the next 6–12 months, with clear action steps and accountability.
Board-Ready Story
A stronger narrative for board and investor stakeholders on leadership pipeline strength and mitigation.
Better Data Utilisation
Better use of data you already own, without a big system change or lengthy implementation.
Quick Wins
Fast-track improvements in talent visibility and planning that deliver value within weeks, not months.
How It Works
Four weeks. Simple, structured, low-risk.
Week 1: Define Scope & Gather Data
Clarify which roles matter most, agree data extracts from existing systems, establish success criteria for the audit.
Week 2: Run the Analysis
Apply the totalia model to assess succession coverage, readiness levels, and risk patterns across the leadership landscape.
Week 3: Review Heatmaps & Insights
Walk through clear visualisations and narratives with HR and talent leaders, surfacing the story behind the data.
Week 4: Agree Actions & Next Steps
Prioritise development initiatives, talent moves, and follow-up activities for the next 6–12 months, with clear ownership.
Is This Right for You?
This audit fits organisations that...
- ✓ A complex leadership footprint across multiple locations or business units
- ✓ Need to brief the board or investors on succession and leadership risk with confidence
- ✓ Multiple HR/talent systems but no single, trusted view of succession readiness
- ✓ Want to act on succession within the next 6–12 months, not just discuss it in theory
- ✓ Value data-informed decisions but don't have time for lengthy, complex implementations
Why Work With Martin
30 years of hands-on experience in talent development, succession planning, and leadership pipeline building — across gaming, technology, and engineering, working directly with boards and investors on succession.
- ▸Built executive pipelines that delivered a 45% swing to succession hires for senior roles
- ▸Created the STEP framework (Succession, Talent, Engagement, Performance), deployed to 200 then 600 leaders
- ▸Achieved 85% bench-strength coverage across 30 countries with a real 3–5 year pipeline
- ▸Worked directly with boards and investors across Europe and North America
Frequently Asked
Common questions.
What if our data is messy or incomplete? +
We work with what you have. Data quality issues are common, and part of the value is highlighting gaps and making recommendations accordingly — the audit surfaces what's missing and helps you prioritise improvements.
Do we need to implement new technology? +
No. This audit uses exported data from your existing HR systems. I bring my own analytical tools and frameworks — no new platform, no lengthy implementation.
How much time will this take from our team? +
Limited. Most of the effort is initial data extraction (typically 1–2 days) and 2–3 key meetings for scoping, review, and planning.
Is our data secure? +
Data handling terms — encrypted transfer, secure storage, confidentiality — are set out clearly in the engagement agreement before any data moves.
What happens after the audit? +
You get concrete, prioritised recommendations and a clear action plan. Implementation is yours to run, though ongoing support is available if useful. Some clients extend into totalia for ongoing tracking rather than a one-off snapshot.
Can we see other talent insights beyond succession? +
Often, yes — the same underlying data frequently surfaces retention risk, skills gaps, and mobility patterns alongside succession. Worth discussing whether it's useful to look at those too, either as a deeper one-off or via ongoing totalia access.
Ready to see your real succession risk?
45 minutes. No deck, no pitch. A sharp conversation about your succession situation.
Book a Diagnostic Call