This case demonstrates how a broader perspective on talent can challenge established patterns and create a stronger, more diverse succession pipeline. By identifying and developing talent across genders, functions, and countries, the succession pipeline increased from 70% to 100%, while achieving a 50/50 gender balance.

The Challenge

As Talent Development Manager, I (Judith) took a closer look at our succession pipeline for the Store Manager role, and the picture was clear: all current Store Managers were men, and the vast majority had come from the sales organization.

The succession pipeline reflected the same pattern. Male Sales Managers dominated the pipeline, while only a small number of women were being considered.

This was not a question of lacking talent. It was a question of where we were looking for talent and who we considered potential candidates. If we wanted to build a truly sustainable succession pipeline for one of our most critical leadership positions, we needed to rethink both how we identified talent and how we developed it.

The Program

I designed a development program with two clear objectives:

Expand the pool of potential successors for the Store Manager role. Create a deliberate focus on gender diversity and cross-functional representation.

This required a new approach to participant selection. Candidates were identified across functions and professional backgrounds, with a strong emphasis on diversity. Because there were only a limited number of Store Manager-level positions in each country, participants from multiple countries across the region were brought together to maintain a high level of learning and peer exchange.

The program combined online and in-person modules, supported by practical assignments, reflection groups that differed from participants' working groups, and individual learning journals. Each element was designed to anchor learning in participants' everyday work.

Throughout the program, participants were introduced to the knowledge, tools, and business disciplines needed to complete the final assignment: developing a five-year market plan for a specific market in their own country, exactly as they would if they were leading a store as Store Manager.

The Results

The program ran across multiple countries for four years and delivered a significant transformation in the succession landscape for the Store Manager role:

• Succession pipeline coverage increased from 70% to 100%
• Gender balance in the pipeline reached 50/50
• 90% of participants remain with the company
• 80% have taken a significant step forward in their careers

By consciously rethinking where we looked for talent and how we developed it, we succeeded in building a broader, stronger, and more diverse succession pipeline, benefiting both the organization and talented individuals who might otherwise never have been identified as future leaders.