XLI 9059 - Succession Planning...Building Sustainable Organizations 4 Contact hours (Offered as needed) In the past, succession planning was something companies did to plan for the worst-case scenario---replacing senior leadership due to retirement or sudden death. Most succession planning processes used ‘replacement planning’ for key executive positions. In today’s world, more successful businesses are embracing succession planning to deepen their talent pool and ensure top talent at every level of the company. This proactive process will ensure the continuity of leadership by cultivating talent from within the organization through planned development initiatives. These succession planning principles apply to small businesses and nonprofits as well as larger business entities.