Succession planning for top management remains a major issue for global companies

The Conference Board 2006 CEO Challenge survey results indicate that top-management succession remains a relative challenge for CEOs, hovering around 15th place out of the 40 challenges put to CEOs both this year and last. This year's survey results indicate that top management succession remains a relative challenge for CEOs. However, current availability of managerial talent is a tougher challenge and consistently so. The results indicate that 61%, 70%, and 81% of CEOs in the US, Europe, and Asia, respectively, rate current availability of managerial talent as a concern - as either among their "chief concerns" or of "greatest concern."