[mostlyghostly]

That doesn't work in small organizations with no bench strength. The next person is line usually isn't qualified.

It rarely works in large ones. Especially for an abrupt transition. An effective executive, particularly on the commercial side, is a living walking Rolodex of internal and external relationships which are immediately no longer working on behalf of the company.

Worse, they may work against you. I've seen competitors come swoop up top sellers or sales leaders and have them strip mine the good accounts from the remaining customer base.