Chief Executive Officer William R. Johnson of the H. J. Heinz Company, in support of his own CEO succession planning and development efforts, sponsored the research project that prompted publication of this book. The work was made possible by the participation and remarkable candor of Bill and twenty-six other sitting CEOs of global companies. Drs. Leslie W. Braksick and James S. Hillgren of the Continuous Learning Group, Inc. conducted the research during 2008 and 2009. The purpose of the research is to provide unvarnished advice based on the real experiences of sitting CEOs to assist in preparing future CEOs, executives, and leaders. Often, the participants’ experiences were unflattering to themselves or their companies, and yet they shared openly and honestly with the assurance of confidentiality. It matters not who said what, but rather that an impressive collection of CEO peers offered these important insights for future peer CEOs.
