A family-owned business had reached a governance inflection point. Its outside independent directors — loyal, long-serving — had grown so comfortable in their roles that they’d stopped challenging the status quo. As the family looked ahead, it recognized the need for a board capable of real strategic thinking: one that could evaluate acquisitions, divestitures, adjacent business opportunities, and even the formation of a family-office investment vehicle. The existing board wasn’t positioned to lead that conversation. The family needed an outside director of a fundamentally different caliber and composition to help chart the company’s future.
Kincannon & Reed worked closely with the company’s nominating and governance committee to define what the board actually needed, rather than simply replacing departing directors in kind. K&R identified and presented a slate of candidates distinguished by direct experience in family-owned and closely held businesses, a track record of guiding companies through strategic inflection points, and deep sector expertise spanning agriculture, adjacent industries, and mergers and acquisitions. The search was built around the board’s collective capability going forward, not a single seat.
Rather than adding one new director to supplement the existing board, the family made the more consequential call: bring on multiple new directors at once, effectively reconstituting the outside board’s knowledge base in a single move. The result was a board with the strategic perspective, transactional experience, and industry fluency the family had identified as essential — positioned to pursue long-term growth, evaluate new opportunities, and plan with confidence.
Kincannon & Reed partners with family, closely held, cooperative, and publicly traded organizations across food, agriculture, and CPG to build boards, governance, and executive teams equipped to lead through strategic transitions.
Kincannon & Reed incorporates validated interview techniques and evaluation tools to accurately assess candidates. We have the capability to measure personality traits, motivations and evaluate specific competencies and behaviors. The right assessments provide a balanced approach to understanding potential as much as experience.
Coaching empowers executives to reach their full potential faster, benefiting your organization. We partner certified coaches with executives and use a strengths-based approach to guide leaders through a process that maximizes their potential to drive success.
We bring a history of success delivering advisory and fiduciary board members specifically for family, start-up, and growth organizations. Our industry networks and broad access to executive leadership bring willing candidates from every corner of the market to serve on your board.
