The Success of Succession Planning at CBS Sports

The conclusion of April’s Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National marked the end of a highly successful career in sports broadcasting for Sean McManus, the CBS Sports Chairman and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer. After 27 years at the network’s sports division, he retired.

You may have read in this space that I counsel all Slater Success clients on the importance of succession planning long before retirement. I extensively talked about succession planning in a January 2024 Medium interview. We covered succession planning in the family business context a few months ago. And, we’ve recently highlighted the importance of passing along a company’s cultural legacy as part of a comprehensive succession planning process.

I was delighted to read that CBS Sports' Sean McManus followed many of our playbook's moves regarding his own succession. What's also interesting is that succession planning is occurring at the CBS Sports division level, not just in CBS's C-suite, which is owned by Paramount Global (formerly Viacom).

Succeeding Sean McManus as CEO is David Berson, who has been president of CBS Sports for over ten years. Notably, the announcement of the leadership transition was made Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, fully seven months before McManus’s departure following The Masters Tournament. (Source: sportsvideo.org)

What’s more, McManus has been planning this leadership transition with Berson for well over two years. In a Q&A with SportsVideo.org, CEO McManus reported:

“This has been our plan for more than 10 years, and we decided roughly two years ago that this (The Masters) would be my final event. I think the division is poised for even bigger and better things in the future, and I think David will do an absolutely terrific job — to a large extent because together we’ve built a phenomenal team in front of and behind the camera. I leave with a great feeling of pride and a great feeling of satisfaction for what we’ve accomplished.”

In part, the success of the leadership transition at the CBS division can be traced to the vision Sean McManus practiced by running a well-oiled team effort. David Berson has had first-hand on-the-job training in every aspect of the business. More from the Sean McManus Q&A with SportsVideo.org on succession planning:

“I think the transition is going to be seamless. David has been literally in nearly every meeting, every negotiation, and every presentation that I’ve been a part of for more than a decade. He’s an amazing executive with vast knowledge in programming and production, negotiating, marketing, and communications. I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat with David taking over. (Source: sportsvideo.org)

The retirement of McManus will mark the end of a long relationship between his family and CBS. McManus’s father, the late Jim McKay, was with CBS from 1950-61 before going to ABC, where he was best known for being the host of ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” as well as covering 12 Olympics.

The connections between Father->Son and CEO->Second-in-Command, are not lost on me. I worked with my father in a printing company and learned a great deal from him. When it was time for me to move on, I started my own printing business, Slater Graphics, then started Slater Success a dozen years later creating my own succession plan which led to a smooth and successful transition. Like the Sean McManus case, the succession was planned with open dialogue and strategic planning years in advance. 

This goes to show that whether it's a small enterprise or a multinational corporation, succession planning is a crucial part of a company's comprehensive strategic plan. Executing well in advance ensures continuous success long after the leader has retired. And … leaders, mentors, protégé’s … are all part of the mix contributing to a well-run company and its transition to the next generation of leadership.

___________________________________________________________________________

Ready to Transform Your Business Strategy?

Connect with Slater Success today to explore the role succession planning can play in a small business, a division of a larger company, and in global multinational companies. Together, we'll harvest the power of creative ideas and inspiration for your business's success. 

No matter what industry you are in, our expertise can guide you towards expanding your business by year-end and for every year to come. Let's collaborate to cultivate innovation, foster customer connections, and set your business to continuous success.