The Art and Science of CEO Succession with National Vision CEO Alex Wilkes and Executive Chairman Reade Fahs

What does CEO succession look like when it’s planned, values-led, and built for continuity and change at the same time?

In this episode of A Podcast About Leadership, host Jonathan Kirschner, founder and CEO of AIIR Consulting, sits down with three leaders who’ve lived the succession story from every angle:

• Reade Fahs, who led National Vision for more than two decades, guiding the company from a modest optical chain into one of the largest vision care retailers in America — and who recently transitioned out of the role of CEO.

• Alex Wilkes, National Vision’s new CEO, who joined as president and stepped into the top role with a modernization agenda rooted in customer reality and operational urgency.

• Jamie Ramsden, senior executive coach, author of Let’s Go, and a former CEO himself, who has coached both leaders and offers a behind-the-scenes view into what makes a succession succeed or fail.

Together, they explore the art and science of handing over the baton — including the internal work required of the outgoing CEO, the strategic choices required of the incoming CEO, and the practical routines that protect trust during a high-stakes transition.