Pippa Begg spent nearly 16 years at the helm of Board Intelligence, serving as co-chief executive alongside Jennifer Sundberg from the company's inception.

Under their joint leadership, the business expanded to provide analysis and services to company boards, growing to a staff of 200 and securing high-profile clients such as Nationwide, Rolls-Royce, and Reckitt.

Begg attributes the success of their partnership to their complementary skills, stating that having two leaders makes for more informed decision-making and helps prevent hubris.

Begg and Sundberg are part of a growing trend, with an increasing number of companies adopting a co-CEO leadership structure.

Data from MyLogIQ shows that the number of companies with co-CEOs in the Russell 3000 group of US public companies more than doubled from 11 in 2015 to 24 in 2024.

Several major companies, including Oracle, Comcast, and Spotify, appointed co-CEOs in 2024, while Netflix has had a co-CEO structure in place since 2020.

A recent report found that chief executives at the UK's largest firms earn an average of 122 times the salary of a full-time UK worker.

However, the demands of leadership can take a toll, with many executives facing significant stress and pressure.

A survey by ICEO found that 56% of top executives reported feeling burnt out in 2024, highlighting the need for sustainable leadership models.

The co-CEO model offers a potential solution, as it allows two leaders to share responsibilities, accountability, and the associated burdens.

According to leadership coach Audrey Hametner, having a co-CEO partner can provide an opportunity for leaders to take time off, recharge, and focus on their personal well-being.

Hametner notes that co-CEOs can also play to their individual strengths, creating a more effective and efficient leadership dynamic.

She cites an example of a company where one co-CEO focused on marketing and product development, while the other handled finance, regulatory affairs, and legal matters.

Hametner observes that co-CEOs can bring different skill sets and approaches to the table, with one leader providing a high-level vision and the other focusing on details and data analysis.

By sharing the workload, co-CEOs may also be able to spend more time with their families, addressing a common challenge faced by many executives, with 60% reporting that they spend too little time with their loved ones.

Begg, who has three children, took three maternity leaves of around six months each over a five-year period, returning to work on a four-day week schedule after each leave.

Her co-CEO, Sundberg, also took two maternity leaves during the same period, demonstrating the flexibility and support that their partnership provided.

Begg notes that her experience is unusual, as many female CEOs face significant challenges in balancing work and family responsibilities.

Research by That Works For Me found that 71% of women in leadership positions take less than six months' maternity leave, often due to concerns about their job security.

The same study revealed a 32% drop in women at managerial level after having children, highlighting the need for more supportive and flexible work arrangements.

Begg credits her co-CEO partnership with enabling her to balance her work and family responsibilities, avoiding the common pitfalls faced by many female leaders.

She reflects that without the co-CEO structure, she would have faced significant challenges in managing her work and family life, potentially jeopardizing her career or the business.

Begg believes that their experience demonstrates the potential of the co-CEO model to support female leaders and promote greater diversity in the workplace.

A similar arrangement has worked for Dhruv Amin and Marcus Lowe, co-founders and co-CEOs of the startup Anything, which focuses on "vibe coding" technology.

Amin was able to take two paternity leaves of three weeks each in 2024 and 2025, thanks to the flexibility provided by their co-CEO partnership.

He notes that the arrangement allows them to support each other, taking turns to focus on the business and their personal lives.

In Finland, Denise Johansson, co-CEO and co-founder of payment processing platform Enfuce, was able to take time off after her father's sudden passing in 2024.

Her co-CEO, Monika Liikamaa, stepped in to manage the day-to-day operations, providing Johansson with the space and support she needed to cope with her grief and new responsibilities.

Johansson and Liikamaa, who have six children between them, have been able to balance their work and family life, thanks to their co-CEO partnership.

They prioritize their family commitments, coordinating their schedules to ensure that they can attend key events and be available for their children.

Johansson notes that their arrangement allows them to put their family first, while also maintaining a stable and effective leadership dynamic.

However, the co-CEO model is not without its challenges, and some companies have struggled to make it work in the long term.

Tierney Remick, vice chairman and co-leader of the global board and CEO practice at Korn Ferry, has observed that co-CEOs tend to be most effective in independent companies with simple structures.

She notes that co-CEOs who have a pre-existing working relationship tend to be more successful, as they can build on their established trust and communication.

Remick warns that co-CEO arrangements can be challenging to establish and maintain, particularly in complex organizations with multiple stakeholders.

She notes that leaders must navigate the challenges of establishing a partnership, driving the business, and evolving the strategy, all while avoiding confusion and misalignment within the organization.

Remick also observes that co-CEO pairings can be used as a form of succession planning, allowing companies to test and develop potential future leaders.

She notes that the current market is driving a need for innovative succession planning strategies, as companies seek to accelerate the growth of high-potential leaders.

According to Remick, this trend is being driven by the need for companies to adapt to changing market conditions and ambiguity, while also developing the next generation of leaders.

Begg's co-CEO partnership came to an end in 2024, when Board Intelligence acquired private equity backing, leading to Sundberg's decision to step down from her executive role, although she remains on the company's advisory board.

As the sole CEO, Begg has found that her new role leaves her with limited time for family, prompting her husband to make a career adjustment and take on more domestic responsibilities.

Following their youngest child's enrollment in school last September, Begg's husband established a consultancy, which he operates during school hours, allowing him to balance work and family obligations.

Begg notes that her husband now bears the primary responsibility for managing their home and family life, and his scheduling constraints often surprise others, as he typically only meets between 10am and 3pm, a limitation that can raise eyebrows when he communicates it to others.