Consultant outlines best practices, timeline and risks for presidential searches at Regents meeting

An AGB Search consultant told the Iowa Board of Regents that presidential searches have shifted to a year-round cadence and that boards should set clear timelines, maintain confidentiality and conduct layered due diligence to avoid surprises.

Dr. Davis, a senior search consultant with AGB Search, told the board that “best practice says it takes 5 to 6 months to do a presidential search the right way,” while acknowledging some institutions compress that timeline to three or four months when they need to move faster. He said modern searches increasingly use virtual tools for committee meetings and semifinal interviews, with in-person meetings reserved for finalists.

The consultant said confidentiality remains important when recruiting sitting presidents or senior executives outside academe, because “there’s more of a…