These CO-PDGs swear by dividing the work: “The requests of a modern CEO are almost unbearable”

The co-PDGs of Alixparners David Garfield and Rob Hornby were promoted to lead the global consulting company for 2,500 people in February, but previously worked together for about 14 years, which, according to both, was vital. “Having an earlier work experience together makes a huge difference,” said Alixparters David Garfield Co-PDG Fortune On sharing the best work with Rob Hornby. “I really believe that our decisions are better following their collaboration than they would do if we did them independently.”

Garfield is based in New York and has decades of experience in the business strategy, the creation of shareholders’ value and the commercial side of the world consulting activity. Hornby is based in the United Kingdom and spends 30% of his time in New York. It has nut soup experience in AI, digital innovation and start-up and global operational environments and has previously directed the region of Europe, the Middle East and the African Africa. At the same time, the two include technology and trade sides and have a solid and a half work decade together under their belt.

Geographical separation is a strategic advantage for CO-PDGs. Between them, they maintain 20 hours of leadership coverage in time zones – a feat that would not be durable in the long term for a single CEO.

“We are co-responsible for everything,” said Hornby. “We therefore share the responsibility of all the results for everything. But that does not mean that we are also involved in everything – because we have different expertise. ”

They operate under a single umbrella of “pre-plane pardon”, so if Hornby makes the decision that Garfield would not have taken during the time that they do not overlap, there is no harm. The same goes for Hornby.

“Then there are things we just have to say:” It’s too big. This is something we have to talk about “, said Hornby. “And we will reserve the right to take this offline line, to speak to us and to return to the one who requests a decision.”

This conversation always involves active listening, said Garfield. At this point, they trust sufficiently not to put pressure on the basis of preconceived concepts, but instead, they have the other’s prospects on the table.

“Ironically, I think that leads us to the answer more quickly because we don’t have to spend time building a business,” said Garfield. “Having shared values ​​makes a huge difference and having a base of confidence makes a huge difference.”

Although this plans Garfield and Hornby, other leadership experts are more wary of dividing the higher position. However, as the world becomes more complicated and the role of the CEO becomes more and more complex, two could Be better than one, but only if the combination is almost impeccable and the interpersonal dynamics do not derail the relationship, the experts said. In the past three weeks, Comcast, Oracle and now Spotify have all announced CEO transitions involving a co-PDG management structure with variable surveillance of the presidents of the board of directors.

“There is so much things at the same time outside and internally and organizations are going through a constant change and it is not the break,” said Susan Sandlund, general manager of Pearl Meyer who directs the practice of leadership council. “It could potentially make sense to have CO-PDGs if the company really needs it, but I would not say that it should be the norm. I think it is an exception and you must have a good good profitability analysis for that.”

The ESGAUGE data supplier reveals that there are only eight CPEOs that currently operate in the Russell 3000 among 245 CEO transitions so far in 2025. Over the past decade, the largest number of CO-PDCs at the service of a single moment among the companies in the index was 17 in 2023.

Part of the reason why it was so unpopular historically is that “many can be wrong,” noted Sandlund.

When things become embarrassing with the CO-PDGs

The most obvious trap in which a duo can fall? The power struggles, with a framework wishing to be out of competition, said Shawn Cole, president of the Cowen Partners form research. During meetings with customers, investors or the board of directors, we could talk about the other, making things painfully awkward. The factions can form. Incoherent messaging can confuse the management team; Decision making can slow down. And there is always the risk of confusion about authority, said Cole, who was called upon to settle situations after a co-chief structure went in a pot. When he fails, Cole warms him with interpersonal problems and a perception of broken promises, especially if one of the CO-PDGs had an impression, it was temporary or that they would ultimately get the role of the CEO for themselves.

“It looks a lot like a wedding,” said Cole. “It takes a lot of communication to make it work.” And just like a wedding, sometimes external offers are too attractive to pass.

“They will always be attracted to other exclusive CEO opportunities,” he said, which is another reason why the co-creator does not often last, in her opinion. It is skeptical about recent meetings, noting that some resemble short-term solutions to the problems that have emerged from succession plans. Sometimes advice find it difficult to make a decision, or leaders can be attracted elsewhere, he said. “These simply do not seem to be long-term solutions,” said Cole.

Chuck Gray by Egon Zehnder, who advises the boards of directors on the succession of CEOs, noted that the way in which the different people react to power “is not always predictable”. Sometimes it’s for good, but not in any case.

“I saw people who, when they became CEO, they have changed,” said Gray, co-chief of the North American Council of Egon Zehnder and CEO Practice. “When you have two people sharing power, you don’t always know how they will react to this type of structure.”

Gray observed that the “equal” definition in a CO-PDG relationship is almost impossible. “Is this an equal number of direct reports?” Is it P&L of equal size? Is it the same size office? ” He said. “A line of activity is greater than the other, one is responsible for all P&L and all business functions – do they feel equal?”

Gray noted that a member of the board of directors had once asked him to stop him immediately if the board of directors had ever considered a co-PDG management structure.

CEOs say they are alone

However, the role of the CEO itself could arouse a renewed interest in sharing electricity and Gray said that his business planned to seek CEO roles in depth. He recently told customers that “we arrived at a time when the CEO’s work is almost a job that is impossible to have for a human.” In the searches of the Board of Directors, the CEOs asked independent business directors to be CEOs who have been exposed to current disruptions since fall 2019.

“Wehn I’m talking to a lot of CEOs, you can just see stress and tension,” said Gray. In theory, if you can share part of the burden with someone, work could be more sustainable, he said. In addition, many CEOs say – and Gray noted that it was a cliché – but the CEOs say they are alone. Having another person could mitigate the charge, he said.

The key is to have distinctly different roles, complementary skills, shared values, clear decision -making rights and real confidence, have accepted experts. More importantly, the two people must really want to share the role, which is a line that does not always align with the personalities attracted by the CEO.

“It takes a very mature person,” said Sandlund. “Some CEOs today, could no way in hell be shared by power. Some days, one will shine and the other cannot put the folded nose on it … You really share the spotlight and you must agree with that.”

Back at Alixparters, Garfield and Hornby both said they agreed. Garfield noted that it was not good for each corporate culture, but two people can have a wider range if they have the right chemistry and correspond. “I think the requests for a modern CEO are almost unbearable,” said Hornby. “If you are a singular CEO, I think it’s a fairly difficult job these days. CO-PDG, if you can fulfill the conditions of confidence and relationship, simply offers many more bandwidth to face a complicated world.”