IAXOV Publications

What if the greatest CEO transitions in history weren't accidents of intuition, but products of scientific precision we've never bothered to decode?

Picture this: It's Monday morning at JPMorgan Chase, and America's financial titans are gathered for their annual investor day. Beneath the polished presentations and strategic updates, a far more primal drama unfolds — the psychological theatre of succession, where careers built over decades hang in the balance of a few pivotal moments.

As Jamie Dimon prepares to step down from commanding the nation's largest bank, three contenders emerge from the shadows: Marianne Lake, the English-born accountant turned consumer banking empress; Doug Petno, the hard-nosed commercial banker navigating treacherous political waters; and Troy Rohrbaugh, the markets visionary whose technological foresight may define banking's future. Each carries a distinct psychological blueprint. Each represents a different vision of power.

But here's the question that should terrify every board of directors: What if none of them should even be in contention?

The $1.8 Billion Problem

The numbers are staggering and troubling: According to SHRM's latest research, nearly 20% of CEO successions are "forced" rather than planned. Spencer Stuart found that 45% of boards report having an adequate emergency succession plan in place, but only 26% have a formal succession plan with options across timelines. When transitions fail — and research for two decades suggests 40-60% do — the average cost can reach $1.8 billion in shareholder value destruction. Per company. Per failure.