Leadership transitions are inevitable and increasingly complex in today’s higher education landscape. Colleges and universities face the challenges of filling immediate leadership gaps while also ensuring the long-term strength of their leadership teams. Too often these processes are handled separately; an interim leader is brought in through one channel, while the search for a permanent successor is conducted through another. The result can be duplication of effort, limited knowledge transfer, and a slower path to stability.

There is a better way.

Combining interim and permanent searches under a single, coordinated framework can reduce disruption, accelerate onboarding, and set up new leaders for long-term success. This integrated model is gaining traction across higher education, as more institutions recognize the value of working with a single partner who understands both the urgency of the present and the vision for the future.

Why integration matters

1. Knowledge transfer and continuity. When the same search partner manages both the interim and permanent process, vital institutional knowledge is preserved. Interim leaders can help map the terrain – the challenges, opportunities, and cultural nuances - and ensure that insights are passed seamlessly to the permanent hire. This continuity accelerates the new leader’s effectiveness.
2. Faster onboarding and impact. Interim leaders often serve as bridge-builders, preparing the institution for its next chapter. When the permanent search is aligned with that work, the new executive arrives to an environment already primed for success, shortening the learning curve.
3. Efficiency and ease for the institutions. Working with one partner eliminates duplication of process, contracts, and communications channels. Trustees, faculty, and search committees interact with a single team that has already built trust and context. The result is less friction and more focus on what truly matters: finding the right leader.

A proven model: The Registry and ZRG

The Registry has long been recognized as the “gold standard” in interim executive leadership for higher education. Since joining ZRG in 2023, The Registry has collaborated with ZRG’s Education Practice and affiliates to deliver integrated interim and permanent searches for colleges and universities. Early successes underscore the promise of this model: faster transitions, stronger candidate alignment, and smoother handoffs between interim and permanent leadership.

These integrated searches demonstrate that when interim and permanent efforts are strategically coordinated, institutions gain more than just leaders; they gain momentum.

Moving forward

As higher education faces unprecedented challenges, from demographic shifts to financial pressures to evolving expectations from students and constituents, leadership transitions will only become more critical. Integrated interim and permanent searches represent a best practice that balances immediate stability with long-term vision.

ZRG’s goal is simple: to help institutions navigate leadership transitions with confidence, clarity, and continuity. By aligning the Registry’s interim expertise with permanent search strategy, we ensure that colleges and universities don’t just bridge leadership gaps; they build stronger futures.

With contributing author, Robert V. Smith, PhD, Senior Consultant at The Registry.

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