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Success Stories

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

A successful year of succession planning and leadership development
Successfully guiding BCBSND through a yearlong CEO succession planning and leadership development process.

Client Background

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota is one of 36 independent, community-based Blue Cross Blue Shield companies. It employs over 1,000 people and provides healthcare coverage to approximately 375,000 individuals. BCBSND has earned the National Brand Excellence Award eight times since 1995.
Industry: Health Insurance
Project Duration: 12 months
Solutions: CEO succession planning, leadership development, executive assessments, and board collaboration.

The Challenge

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota needed a structured and thorough CEO succession plan to select the best candidate from three internal executives, ensuring a smooth leadership transition.
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CEO Succession

BCBSND sought to identify and develop the most qualified candidate for the CEO role by thoroughly evaluating three internal candidates through qualitative and quantitative assessments.

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Leadership Development

We created extensive development plans for each candidate, including stretch assignments, and worked on preparing them for potential outcomes, ensuring all three were ready for leadership.

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Board Involvement

BCBSND’s Board of Directors played an active role in defining business priorities and participating in key decision points, helping guide the CEO selection process.

Our Approach

The Bailey Group conducted 360-degree interviews and assessments to evaluate the three candidates. We developed detailed growth plans for each individual, with our coach consultants working closely with them over the course of a year. BCBSND’s board was consistently involved, providing insights into long-term business goals and ultimately selecting the new CEO after a structured interview and presentation process.

Coaching Outcomes

BCBSND implemented a robust CEO succession plan, positioning the organization for continued leadership stability.
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Successful CEO Transition

The structured succession plan resulted in a smooth transition to a new CEO, ensuring continuity in leadership and strategy for BCBSND.

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Leadership Pipeline

The value of the succession process prompted BCBSND to begin planning for other key leadership transitions, including the CFO and CIO roles.

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Investment in Leadership

BCBSND’s commitment to the development process ensured that not only was a strong CEO selected, but the organization is also prepared for future leadership needs.

What Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota had to say

Often, CEO succession planning is discussed but no formal plan is made, leaving an organization scrambling when a CEO leaves. Thanks to The Bailey Group, we put together a formal succession plan, identified three potential internal candidates, and created robust development plans for each, resulting in the hiring of a strong successor and a thorough, thoughtful transition of CEOs. And the dividends of that work didn’t stop there. It cultivated a forward-thinking mindset, prompting us to be proactive with other future leadership needs.

— Tim Huckle, President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota