Five Key Traits CEOs Look For When Hiring Talent

September 5, 2013 by Douglas M. Libby
(This article is based on a presentation made by Libby at the IICF Women in Insurance Global Conference in New York on June 13, 2013.)

CEOs are often grilled in boardrooms on innumerable challenges: achieving financial targets; reviewing acquisition candidates; managing in an unsettled economic environment, just to name a few. But one topic is discussed far less frequently: “Are you hiring the best talent?” Executive SummaryWhat do CEOs look for when they hire talent? Crum & Forster’s CEO Doug Libby says the answer is game changers. In this article, he spells out the five traits that define his view of game changers.

Executive Summary

What do CEOs look for when they hire talent? Crum & Forster's CEO Doug Libby says the answer is game changers. In this article, he spells out the five traits that define his view of game changers.

Perhaps the board assumes that by the time one becomes a CEO, one has developed the skills to instinctively select the best candidates. Trust me, instinct is useful, but it is far better to know the specific characteristics you’re looking for when bringing on a new entrant into the field or an established veteran who is changing firms.