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Top 7 Executive Summary Templates With Samples and Examples

Naveen Kumar

C-suite executives are akin to budget shoppers in Walmart. Neither of them spends time or money on things that are not necessary. While budget shoppers make budgets or shopping lists, business persons depend on short versions of documents like executive summaries to manage their time. In the vast landscape of reports, analyses, and proposals, where every minute counts and decisions hold the weight of an entire enterprise, the executive summary emerges as a strategic tool that condenses the essence of information into a concise format.

Executive Summaries: Your Shortcut to Information Nirvana

An executive summary is a concise and condensed overview of a document, report, or presentation. It provides busy executives, decision-makers, or stakeholders with a quick and comprehensive understanding of the main points, key findings, recommendations, and essential insights within the document. An executive summary captures vital information in a way that allows the reader to grasp the main ideas without reading the entire document. For that, it should include:

• Context and Purpose : The background and purpose of the document highlight why the information is important and relevant.
• Findings : Summarize the key discoveries, results, or conclusions. Highlight the essential data, trends, or insights that the document presents.
• Recommendations : If applicable, provide any suggestions or action points that arise from the findings. These could be advice for future actions, strategies, or decisions based on the information provided in the document.
• Key Points : Condense the main points of each section or topic covered in the full document. It helps the reader understand the document's structure and scope.
• Data and Evidence : Highlight significant data, statistics, or evidence supporting the findings or conclusions of the document.
• Conclusion : Summarize the overall implications or significance of the information presented and reiterate its importance to the reader.

Executive summaries are used in business, academia, research, and various professional settings to communicate important information in a quick manner to individuals who do not have the time or need to read the entire document. These succinct snapshots offer a remarkable advantage, allowing decision-makers to grasp the essence of complex matters without being bogged down by exhaustive details. 

Simplify Documents With Executive Summary Templates

The effectiveness of an executive summary lies in its structure, brevity, and ability to encapsulate critical insights.

Our executive summary templates emerge as indispensable tools to assist professionals in making these documents the most effective with less time and effort. These content-ready slides, crafted with careful consideration of best practices, provide a much-needed structure that streamlines the process of condensing extensive content into a concise yet impactful format. The 100% customizable nature of these designs gives the desired flexibility to create professional executive summaries and presentations that make messages accessible and compelling and ensure effective communication of key points. 

From a high-stakes board meeting to presenting research findings, these executive summary templates can be the key to delivering resonating information. Let's dive in!

1. Executive Summary PowerPoint Presentation Deck

Step into a world of concise brilliance with our versatile collection of industry-tailored executive summary templates, catering to diverse sectors like food and beverage, IT organizations , soft drink companies, car manufacturing organizations, consumer goods firms, fashion clothing brands, consultancy services, and cement companies. These PPT Designs encapsulate the essence of your business, ensuring key insights are conveyed in an effective manner. Crafted for leaders, managers, and decision-makers, our deck equips you with the tools to captivate your audience and convey critical information. Whether you're presenting to stakeholders, colleagues, or clients, these PowerPoint Slides empower you to distill complex data into impactful executive summaries that shine. Download it now!

Download this template

2. Outsourcing Proposal Executive Summary Presentation Deck

Revolutionize the way you present your outsourcing strategies with a single click with our meticulous and expert-designed slides that redefine clarity and impact. This exhaustive collection empowers you to communicate your company's mission, vision, and meeting agendas. Display problems and solutions with precision using executive dashboards, financial insights, target market analyses, and growth matrices. Elevate your workforce's strategic prowess as you unveil unique selling propositions, value proposition expansions, feedback loops, and profit margin possibilities. From product sales volumes to action plans and desired outcomes, this PowerPoint Set becomes your compass in crafting a compelling outsourcing proposal. Get it now!

3. Marketing Plan Executive Summary Presentation Template

The well-organized sections of this executive summary presentation slide unveil a panoramic company overview, defined target markets, and the quintessential roadmap of marketing strategies that foster exponential growth. This PPT template empowers entrepreneurs, marketing mavens, and visionary leaders to distill complex marketing plans into masterful executive summaries that resonate. From captivating company narratives to laser-focused target market analyses and growth-oriented strategies, each slide is a canvas for your ideas to flourish. Grab it today!

4. Project Report Executive Summary Presentation Template

This ready-to-use one-page PPT Layout unravels a scenic project overview, showcasing key milestones achieved and the visionary roadmap ahead. Dive into financial insights, and navigate the deliverable timeline and the tempest of key project risks with the seamless guidance of this concise yet comprehensive presentation layout. It empowers you to condense intricate project reports into simplified executive summaries that resonate. Fuel your insights with visual storytelling through charts and timelines that command attention. Download it now!

5. Startup Company Executive Summary Presentation Template  

Unveil your brilliance in a single glance and ignite the potential of your startup journey with our one-page startup executive summary design. This presentation slide is a masterpiece that showcases your business vision, accomplishments, and expertise, in one cohesive page. It empowers you to capture the very essence of your startup in a succinct yet impactful manner. From the business landscape to a financial trajectory, every element of this one-page PPT Slide is a stroke of strategic genius. With our PowerPoint template, you can present your business mission, products, and core team, while showcasing your readiness to excel with confidence. This slide becomes your beacon for pitching, investor meetings, and networking events. Get it now!

6. Investment Pitch Executive Summary Presentation Template

This single-page investment template is a symphony of insights curated for startups, visionaries, and audacious entrepreneurs ready to shake the investment landscape. This template packs a punch in portraying your venture's essence, from company details to your dream team. Dive into the intricacies of customer conundrums and unveil how your solutions are second to none. With a flick of the slide, showcase your rivals and assert your competitive edge like a chess master. The revenue model unfolds, aligning visions of profit and growth. Reveal how investor funds will be used and the exit strategy to give investors a VIP pass to the thrilling last act of acquisition by venture capital. Grab it today!

7. Business Executive Summary Presentation Template

Your business brilliance meets a canvas of clarity and impact with our one-page presentation template. This template unravels your business in a single glance with finesse. Let the audience understand your business with an overview that sets the stage. Your mission and vision unfold with key offerings and innovation. Numbers come alive with a bar chart on your financial journey and a pie chart showcasing the competitive markets and market share. Highlight your competitive advantages with a table about your strengths and weaknesses. The business executive summary presentation template gives a snapshot of your historical footprints leading to your current spotlight. Download it now!

From Seconds to Success!

In today's fast-paced business landscape, the importance of executive summaries cannot be understated. These succinct snapshots distill complex information into vital components, enabling decision-makers to comprehend and act upon key insights in a swift way. Studies have shown that professionals spend an average of just a few seconds to minutes perusing documents before making critical judgments. This highlights the critical role that executive summaries play in capturing attention and conveying value in the shortest time.

An effective executive summary is akin to a guiding beacon for leaders navigating the labyrinth of meetings, reports, and strategic decisions. In a world where clear communication is a cornerstone of success, a well-crafted executive summary can catalyze impactful presentations, engage stakeholders, and steer organizations toward their objectives.

This is where our executive summary templates come into play. These well-thought-out and expert-designed PPT Slides are powerful tools that empower professionals to create concise, compelling, and crystal-clear executive summaries. Organized to cover the essentials – from purpose and findings to recommendations and impact – these designs streamline the process of refining information without sacrificing substance. 

Make every word count and every moment matter in your presentation with these executive summary templates.

FAQs on Executive Summary

What is an executive summary.

An executive summary is a concise and condensed version of a document, report, or proposal. It is designed to provide a high-level overview of the main points, findings, and recommendations of the document, allowing busy professionals to grasp the essential information without reading the entire content. In business, research, marketing, and other fields, executive summaries are used to communicate key information to decision-makers, stakeholders, and other interested parties.

What is included in the executive summary?

What's included in an executive summary can vary depending on the type of document it summarizes, but it should cover the following:

• Purpose/Objective : State the purpose of the document and what it aims to achieve in a brief manner.
• Context/Background : Provide a brief introduction to the topic, context, or problem the document addresses.
• Main Findings/Key Points : Highlight the most important findings, insights, or key points from the document.
• Recommendations/Actions : If applicable, outline the main recommendations or actions that are suggested based on the findings.
• Conclusion : Summarize the main results drawn from the document.
• Benefits/Impact : Explain the potential benefits or impact of the findings and recommendations.
• Target Audience : Specify who the document is intended for and who would benefit from reading the full version.
• Scope/Limitations : Brief the limitations or constraints of the document's findings.
• Visuals : Use visuals like charts, graphs, or diagrams to support key points.

How to make an executive summary?

To create an effective executive summary:

• Read the Document : Before writing the summary, read the entire document to understand its content and key points.
• Identify Key Information : Identify the most crucial information, findings, and recommendations from the document.
• Be Concise : Keep your sentences short and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or jargon.
• Maintain Flow : Structure the summary in a logical way, following the order of the main document's sections.
• Use Clear Language : Write in clear, straightforward language your target audience can easily understand.
• Focus on Impact : Emphasize the impact of the findings and why they matter.
• Proofread and Edit : Review the summary for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. Ensure it captures the essence of the original document in an effective way.
• Tailor to Audience : Customize the tone and level of detail based on the knowledge and interests of your audience.
• Include Visuals : If appropriate, incorporate visuals to illustrate key points.

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• [Updated 2023] Top 50 Most Effective Executive Summary Templates [includes One pagers and Full Templates] To Impress Your Clients
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How to write an effective executive summary like a mckinsey or bcg consultant.

Table of contents

Key components of an effective executive summary, an in-depth look at each component of the executive summary (with examples), some practical tips and tricks, the bottom line.

Management consultants at firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain are renowned for their ability to present complex ideas in a clear, concise manner that is easy to digest and understand. A key component of this process is the executive summary slide – often presented as the first part of a presentation deck on a given topic or problem. 

An executive summary aims to provide the audience with an overview of the subject at hand or a snapshot of the key points that will be discussed in greater depth. It should serve to quickly get the main messages and conclusions across and motivate audiences to dive deeper into the details.

In this post, we will outline the essential components of an effective executive summary using techniques from McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. We will also provide tips on how to craft a compelling executive summary in practice and give examples of best practices.

For a broader view on how to create consultant-style presentations take a look at our blog post 'How McKinsey Consultants Make PowerPoint Presentations' . Or deep-dive into other specific elements of creating best-in-class presentations, like our post on 'Mastering Risk Mitigation Slides: A Best Practice Guide with Examples'.

A good executive summary provides all the key information in one slide. The goal is to communicate as much information in as few words as possible.

To achieve this goal, you should focus on the following key components when crafting an executive summary slide: 

• [optional] Objective: Clearly state the purpose and objective of the presentation.
• Situation: Provide relevant background information to set the context for the problem or opportunity being addressed.
• Complication: Define the complication (problem or opportunity) the presentation addresses in simple, to-the-point sentences. This includes identifying the root cause of the problem or opportunity and its implications for the organization.
• Resolution: Present the recommended solution or solutions to the complication in a clear and concise manner. This should be based on data-driven insights and analysis.
• [optional] Benefits: Articulate the benefits of implementing the recommended solution. These benefits should be linked to the organization's strategic objectives.
• Call to Action: Provide a clear call to action outlining what the organization needs to do to implement the recommended solution. This should be actionable and linked to the organization's strategic objectives.

This structure is similar to the SCQA (situation-complication-question-answer) framework.

Craft effective executive summaries for your consulting presentations .

Let's take a closer look at each component of the executive summary and how it can be used to craft an effective executive summary deck using the McKinsey/BCG/Bain methodology.

1. Objective

The objective of the executive summary should succinctly define the purpose of the presentation and why it is important for the audience to understand the key points.

To craft an effective objective, you should consider the following: 

• Who is the target audience?
• What are the key points that the audience needs to understand?
• What is the purpose of the presentation?
• Why is it important for the audience to understand the key points?

An effective objective should be brief, clear, and focused on the needs of the audience. It should be written to clearly communicate what the presentation will cover and why it matters.

 Example: "This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of the industry and highlight key trends and opportunities for growth."

2. Situation

The background or situation section of the executive summary provides relevant context to the audience to help them better understand the problem or opportunity being addressed. 

This section should include:

• Relevant background information on the industry, market, or organization.
• Any key trends or developments that are important to the problem or opportunity being addressed.
• Any relevant historical information that helps to explain the current situation.

Some questions to ask when crafting the background section include:

• What is the context for the problem or opportunity being addressed?
• What are the key factors that have led to the current situation?
• What are the relevant historical or industry-specific factors that are important to understanding the problem or opportunity?

An effective background section should be concise and focused on the most important information. It should provide enough context for the audience to understand the problem or situation being addressed without overwhelming them with unnecessary information.

Here are some examples from McKinsey and BCG:

3. Complication

The complication section of the executive summary clearly and concisely defines the reason the situation requires action, either because there is a serious problem or there is a good opportunity. This includes identifying the root cause of the problem or opportunity and its implications for the organization.

• What is the problem or opportunity that the presentation is addressing?
• What are the root causes of the problem or opportunity?
• What are the implications of the problem or opportunity for the organization?

 An effective complication section should be short and to-the-point, focusing on the most important aspects of the problem or opportunity. The root cause of the complication should be clearly identified, along with the most relevant data or evidence that supports this analysis. In addition, the implications of the problem or opportunity for the organization should be clearly articulated, highlighting why it is important for the audience to understand the problem/opportunity and its impact and why it requires action.

Enhance your proposal writing with our Consulting Proposal template , or explore our collection of 10 Real Consulting Proposals .

4. Resolution

The resolution section of the executive summary presents the proposed solution or strategy for addressing the complication. This should include a brief overview of the approach and any relevant supporting information or evidence.

• What is the proposed approach for addressing the problem or opportunity?
• What are the key elements of the strategy?
• What are the expected benefits or outcomes of the approach?
• What evidence is there to support the proposed solution or strategy?

An effective resolution section should provide enough detail for the audience to understand what is being proposed and why without overwhelming them with unnecessary detail. The proposed approach and any relevant supporting information or evidence should be clearly outlined. In addition, the expected benefits or outcomes of the approach should be highlighted, as this helps to emphasize why it is important for the audience to understand and support the proposed solution.

5. Benefits

The benefits section of the executive summary presents a brief overview of any expected benefits or outcomes from implementing the proposed solution. This section is optional, and sometimes included as a bullet point under the resolution section.

• What are the primary benefits or outcomes of implementing the proposed solution?
• What are the secondary benefits or outcomes?
• How will these benefits impact the organization and its stakeholders?

An effective benefits section should provide a clear and concise overview of any expected benefits or outcomes from implementing the proposed solution. The primary benefits should be highlighted, as well as any secondary benefits that are relevant to the audience. Emphasis should be on quantifiable benefits.

In addition, the impact of these benefits on the organization and its stakeholders should be emphasized, highlighting why it is important for the audience to understand and support the proposed solution. 

Example: "The proposed approach will generate an incremental $10 million in revenue, reduce costs by 5%, and increase customer satisfaction by 10%. This will help to improve profitability, create new growth opportunities, and strengthen our competitive position in the sector."

6. Call to Action

The call to action section of the executive summary presents a brief overview of key proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken by the audience in order to implement the proposed solution. This section is also sometimes a bullet point under the resolution section.

• What are the proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken?
• Who needs to take these actions or make these decisions?
• What is the timeline for implementing the proposed solution?

An effective call to action/recommendation section should provide a clear and concise overview of any proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken by the audience. The proposed actions or decisions and who needs to take these actions or make these decisions should be clearly outlined. 

In addition, the timeline for implementing the proposed solution should be highlighted, ensuring that the audience understands when and how these actions or decisions need to be taken.

Apply these summary techniques in your Business Strategy template .

• Consultants typically communicate in a 'top down' or pyramid fashion, starting with the conclusion and then providing the supporting information.
• Write the most important takeaway of each section as the bolded text and follow with numbers and other supporting facts as bullet points.
• Read through the bolded text and see if the story makes sense.  
• Spend the majority of the executive summary focusing on the solution/recommendation, rather than the situation and supporting analysis.
• The executive summary is not a play-by-play summary of a project. Instead, it is a decision document for your audience to understand the proposed solutions they have to decide on, and just enough information to set the solution in context and grasp the expected outcomes.
• Read through your executive summary and remove anything that is not directly relevant to deciding/agreeing with your proposed solution.  
• Try to keep the executive summary as a single slide (sometimes two).
• Eliminate unnecessary words and sentences, and make sure that each sentence adds value to the overall message.

Creating executive summary slides like a McKinsey consultant can have a significant impact on the success of your communication and decision-making efforts. Although it seems simple and many people treat the executive summary like an after-thought, it should in fact be one of the slides you spend the most time on in any presentation.

A well-crafted executive summary helps you structure your entire presentation by making you focus on the solution you are proposing and only keeping in analyses and arguments that help explain the why, what, and how of that solution.

By following the essential components and strategies outlined above you can create a clear, concise, and compelling executive summary that effectively communicates complex ideas and drives action. 

Cheat sheet

What is an executive summary exactly?

A short summary of the key messages and conclusions in a longer presentation, focused on actionable solutions or recommendations. In McKinsey and BCG consulting presentations the executive summary is typically one or two slides, but sometimes executive summary can also refer to a short deck.

What does an executive summary include and how do I write one?

See our 'How to' guide in this post.

Does an executive summary come before or after the table of contents? 

Typically before the table of contents, as the first (or one of the first) slides after a title page.

Is there a good executive summary slide example?

Yes, you can download some examples from McKinsey and BCG here . You can also see full presentations from BCG and McKinsey here and here .

Or take a look at our full Business Strategy template or our Business Case template for real-life client examples.

Should I include visuals? 

Generally McKinsey and BCG executive summaries do not include visuals, except perhaps icons to make the summary more visually appealing.

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How To Write An Executive Summary Plus Examples Templates

Nowadays, it is becoming challenging to grab the attention of business executives. With jam-packed schedules, quick decisions to make, and not much time to spare, the executives are always looking for value for their time. Hence the need for the Executive Summary to capture the attention of the busy audience by providing the gist of the entire presentation engagingly.

What Is An Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a vital part of any business presentation. In the broader sense, the executive summary is the brief that precedes a more extended report or presentation and outlines the essence of the entire report.

In business environments, an executive summary presentation summarizes the intent of the entire business deck in a concise form.

The purpose of an executive summary is to pique the reader’s curiosity by presenting facts from the larger piece of content. A robust executive summary creates value for the reader as a first impression and generates interest in viewing the rest of the content.

How To Write An Executive Summary

After dealing with several professional clients, we have found many things to keep in mind while writing an executive summary format. These tips will help you build a winning executive summary.

Begin with a bang

The opening statement of your executive summary needs to be effective. Use the most differentiating plus point of your company and present it as the lead sentence. A few examples:

• List the unique problem you are solving, and the impact your solution has.
• Highlight if you have a huge market size, growth opportunity, or high potential investor return.
• Drop known names in the industry if they have collaborated, invested, or endorsed you.

Keep it Simple and Short

The executive summary template should only be 5% – 10% of the length of the entire presentation. Putting too many details in the executive summary is contradicting to its purpose. Make the executive summary focused and simple, by using short paragraphs or bullets, and subheadings.

Placement of the Summary

The executive summary slide should be the last thing you should write when  making the presentation . With every revision, the summary needs an update. However, it should be placed right after the  table of contents PowerPoint template , and before the introduction of the presentation so that the audience knows what to expect.

The Interest of the Audience

Do your research and consider the mindset of your audience. Tailor the summary to intrigue them with your study and proposal, convincing them to invest more effort in your presentation, and read further.

Good Examples Of Executive Summary For Different Business Scenarios

SlideUpLift has an extensive collection of PowerPoint &  Google slide templates  to whip up a compelling executive summary instantly. The templates cater to building an executive summary for different types of business presentations. Below are a few executive summary examples:

Strategic Initiatives Executive Summary Template

In this business summary example, you can showcase the snapshot of the strategic initiatives you are proposing in your plan. In a single executive summary slide, you can convey the current facts about the market, market trends, key milestones you wish to achieve, and further how you plan to reach milestones through your initiatives.

The template is perfect to showcase your executive in one single slide. The effective use of icons and shapes makes this template a good executive summary template.

Business Proposal Executive Summary Template

This executive summary sample gives a snapshot of the size and expertise of your organization, conveying how you are qualified to take on the prospective client’s business.

An effective executive summary design format that showcases all important aspects can increase your chances to impress your client or prospect.

Customer Journey Executive Summary Template

This Executive Summary example showcases a customer’s journey with a brand, company, or organization using creative infographics. This framework allows the brands to summarize factors such as – a customer’s tenure, activity status, demographics, and customer spread across the world.

By using an Executive Summary Template to exhibit a customer’s journey, brands can improve their sales efficiency.

Business Review Executive Summary Template

The following sample of executive summary summarizes the major points an executive need to know for a business review. The slide covers, key milestones, market share and growth, product profile, company strategy, revenue, and profit, all in a structured way.

Project Executive Summary Template

This project executive summary example is used to outline a project plan in a business presentation. Using this executive summary of a project template, you can give a quick overview of a project plan with a focus on Team Members, key highlights, and the background of the project. This framework also allows you to compare actions taken and measure the results of a project plan.

Project Launch Executive Summary Template

This project executive summary template allows you to give a quick overview of the context of your project planning.

Sales Executive Summary Template

This is a marketing plan executive summary example that can be used to summarize your marketing and sales plan.

Financial Plan Executive Summary Template

This executive summary sample can help summarize financials in your presentation.

Resume Executive Summary Template

This is the best executive summary example that helps you highlight your career experiences and achievements and allows you to showcase the reasons that make you a suitable candidate.

Best Executive Summary Templates Collection

This collection of executive summary templates that cover most of the summarization of business professionals is available in PowerPoint Themes and Google Slides themes .

Building An Executive Summary Template For A Startup

Now that we know what an executive summary is and learn the tips on how to write an effective Executive Summary. An executive summary example for a startup should be a lean abbreviated version of a business plan with no extra fat. It is like a business plan executive summary example that is crisp. The goal of the startup executive summary presentation is to get a meeting with venture capitalists however the objective of a great executive summary format for a business proposal may include a company profile, existing client information, rich media like charts, graphs, images, projections, and more to keep the readers hooked.

The Punch Statement

The first statement or paragraph should make your audience stop everything else and focus on you. Lead with the most convincing statement and tell why your idea is huge and worthy of your audience’s time. If possible, throw in names that impress the room, like world-class advisors, famous companies you are already working with, or renowned investors you have.

The Problem

Emphasize how the problem you aim to solve is big and impacts a large demographic.

The Solution

What specifically are you offering to whom? Software, hardware, service, combination? Use commonly used terms to state concretely what you have, or what you do, that solves the problem you’ve identified.

The Opportunity

Briefly describe your target customer, size of the market, growth opportunities, market dynamics, and plan for the market.

Your competitive advantage

Describe the competitive position of your company over your competitors, the possible opportunities in the future, plans for growth, and overcoming possible competitor threats.

The Business Model

How specifically are you going to generate revenues, and from whom? Why is your model leverageable and scalable? Why will it be capital efficient?

Why is your team uniquely qualified to win? Don’t just add a shortened form of each founder’s resume; explain why the background of each team member fits.

Detail the exact amount you want to raise, and the key areas where you will invest the funds. Use this section to highlight the growth and add perspective for the reader by showing relevant numbers.

In short, having a good executive summary is crucial to capturing the attention and excitement of your audience. An effective executive summary template captures the core message of your presentation and successfully raises your audience’s intrigue to read further into your presentation.

Build an excellent executive summary to convey to the business executives how you value their time and are worthy of the same, increasing the likelihood of the success of your business presentation . Get ideas from 100+ creative ways of building executive summaries from SlideUpLift Library.

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How to write an executive summary, with examples

The best way to do that is with an executive summary. If you’ve never written an executive summary, this article has all you need to know to plan, write, and share them with your team.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is an overview of a document. The length and scope of your executive summary will differ depending on the document it’s summarizing, but in general an executive summary can be anywhere from one to two pages long. In the document, you’ll want to share all of the information your readers and important stakeholders need to know.

Imagine it this way: if your high-level stakeholders were to only read your executive summary, would they have all of the information they need to succeed? If so, your summary has done its job.

You’ll often find executive summaries of:

Business cases

Project proposals

Research documents

Environmental studies

Market surveys

In general, there are four parts to any executive summary:

Start with the problem or need the document is solving.

Outline the recommended solution.

Explain the solution’s value.

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.

What is an executive summary in project management?

In project management, an executive summary is a way to bring clarity to cross-functional collaborators, team leadership, and project stakeholders . Think of it like a project’s “ elevator pitch ” for team members who don’t have the time or the need to dive into all of the project’s details.

The main difference between an executive summary in project management and a more traditional executive summary in a business plan is that the former should be created at the beginning of your project—whereas the latter should be created after you’ve written your business plan. For example, to write an executive summary of an environmental study, you would compile a report on the results and findings once your study was over. But for an executive summary in project management, you want to cover what the project is aiming to achieve and why those goals matter.

The same four parts apply to an executive summary in project management:

Start with the problem or need the project is solving.  Why is this project happening? What insight, customer feedback, product plan, or other need caused it to come to life?

Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives.  How is the project going to solve the problem you established in the first part? What are the project goals and objectives?

Explain the solution’s value.  Once you’ve finished your project, what will happen? How will this improve and solve the problem you established in the first part?

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.  This is another opportunity to reiterate why the problem is important, and why the project matters. It can also be helpful to reference your audience and how your solution will solve their problem. Finally, include any relevant next steps.

If you’ve never written an executive summary before, you might be curious about where it fits into other project management elements. Here’s how executive summaries stack up:

Executive summary vs. project plan

A  project plan  is a blueprint of the key elements your project will accomplish in order to hit your project goals and objectives. Project plans will include your goals, success metrics, stakeholders and roles, budget, milestones and deliverables, timeline and schedule, and communication plan .

An executive summary is a summary of the most important information in your project plan. Think of the absolutely crucial things your management team needs to know when they land in your project, before they even have a chance to look at the project plan—that’s your executive summary.

Executive summary vs. project overview

Project overviews and executive summaries often have similar elements—they both contain a summary of important project information. However, your project overview should be directly attached to your project. There should be a direct line of sight between your project and your project overview.

While you can include your executive summary in your project depending on what type of  project management tool  you use, it may also be a stand-alone document.

Executive summary vs. project objectives

Your executive summary should contain and expand upon your  project objectives  in the second part ( Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives ). In addition to including your project objectives, your executive summary should also include why achieving your project objectives will add value, as well as provide details about how you’re going to get there.

The benefits of an executive summary

You may be asking: why should I write an executive summary for my project? Isn’t the project plan enough?

Well, like we mentioned earlier, not everyone has the time or need to dive into your project and see, from a glance, what the goals are and why they matter.  Work management tools  like Asana help you capture a lot of crucial information about a project, so you and your team have clarity on who’s doing what by when. Your executive summary is designed less for team members who are actively working on the project and more for stakeholders outside of the project who want quick insight and answers about why your project matters.

An effective executive summary gives stakeholders a big-picture view of the entire project and its important points—without requiring them to dive into all the details. Then, if they want more information, they can access the project plan or navigate through tasks in your work management tool.

How to write a great executive summary, with examples

Every executive summary has four parts. In order to write a great executive summary, follow this template. Then once you’ve written your executive summary, read it again to make sure it includes all of the key information your stakeholders need to know.

1. Start with the problem or need the project is solving

At the beginning of your executive summary, start by explaining why this document (and the project it represents) matter. Take some time to outline what the problem is, including any research or customer feedback you’ve gotten . Clarify how this problem is important and relevant to your customers, and why solving it matters.

For example, let’s imagine you work for a watch manufacturing company. Your project is to devise a simpler, cheaper watch that still appeals to luxury buyers while also targeting a new bracket of customers.

Example executive summary:

In recent customer feedback sessions, 52% of customers have expressed a need for a simpler and cheaper version of our product. In surveys of customers who have chosen competitor watches, price is mentioned 87% of the time. To best serve our existing customers, and to branch into new markets, we need to develop a series of watches that we can sell at an appropriate price point for this market.

2. Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives

Now that you’ve outlined the problem, explain what your solution is. Unlike an abstract or outline, you should be  prescriptive  in your solution—that is to say, you should work to convince your readers that your solution is the right one. This is less of a brainstorming section and more of a place to support your recommended solution.

Because you’re creating your executive summary at the beginning of your project, it’s ok if you don’t have all of your deliverables and milestones mapped out. But this is your chance to describe, in broad strokes, what will happen during the project. If you need help formulating a high-level overview of your project’s main deliverables and timeline, consider creating a  project roadmap  before diving into your executive summary.

Continuing our example executive summary:

Our new watch series will begin at 20% cheaper than our current cheapest option, with the potential for 40%+ cheaper options depending on material and movement. In order to offer these prices, we will do the following:

Offer watches in new materials, including potentially silicone or wood

Use high-quality quartz movement instead of in-house automatic movement

Introduce customizable band options, with a focus on choice and flexibility over traditional luxury

Note that every watch will still be rigorously quality controlled in order to maintain the same world-class speed and precision of our current offerings.

3. Explain the solution’s value

At this point, you begin to get into more details about how your solution will impact and improve upon the problem you outlined in the beginning. What, if any, results do you expect? This is the section to include any relevant financial information, project risks, or potential benefits. You should also relate this project back to your company goals or  OKRs . How does this work map to your company objectives?

With new offerings that are between 20% and 40% cheaper than our current cheapest option, we expect to be able to break into the casual watch market, while still supporting our luxury brand. That will help us hit FY22’s Objective 3: Expanding the brand. These new offerings have the potential to bring in upwards of three million dollars in profits annually, which will help us hit FY22’s Objective 1: 7 million dollars in annual profit.

Early customer feedback sessions indicate that cheaper options will not impact the value or prestige of the luxury brand, though this is a risk that should be factored in during design. In order to mitigate that risk, the product marketing team will begin working on their go-to-market strategy six months before the launch.

4. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work

Now that you’ve shared all of this important information with executive stakeholders, this final section is your chance to guide their understanding of the impact and importance of this work on the organization. What, if anything, should they take away from your executive summary?

To round out our example executive summary:

Cheaper and varied offerings not only allow us to break into a new market—it will also expand our brand in a positive way. With the attention from these new offerings, plus the anticipated demand for cheaper watches, we expect to increase market share by 2% annually. For more information, read our  go-to-market strategy  and  customer feedback documentation .

Example of an executive summary

When you put it all together, this is what your executive summary might look like:

Common mistakes people make when writing executive summaries

You’re not going to become an executive summary-writing pro overnight, and that’s ok. As you get started, use the four-part template provided in this article as a guide. Then, as you continue to hone your executive summary writing skills, here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:

Avoid using jargon

Your executive summary is a document that anyone, from project contributors to executive stakeholders, should be able to read and understand. Remember that you’re much closer to the daily work and individual tasks than your stakeholders will be, so read your executive summary once over to make sure there’s no unnecessary jargon. Where you can, explain the jargon, or skip it all together.

Remember: this isn’t a full report

Your executive summary is just that—a summary. If you find yourself getting into the details of specific tasks, due dates, and attachments, try taking a step back and asking yourself if that information really belongs in your executive summary. Some details are important—you want your summary to be actionable and engaging. But keep in mind that the wealth of information in your project will be captured in your  work management tool , not your executive summary.

Make sure the summary can stand alone

You know this project inside and out, but your stakeholders won’t. Once you’ve written your executive summary, take a second look to make sure the summary can stand on its own. Is there any context your stakeholders need in order to understand the summary? If so, weave it into your executive summary, or consider linking out to it as additional information.

Always proofread

Your executive summary is a living document, and if you miss a typo you can always go back in and fix it. But it never hurts to proofread or send to a colleague for a fresh set of eyes.

In summary: an executive summary is a must-have

Executive summaries are a great way to get everyone up to date and on the same page about your project. If you have a lot of project stakeholders who need quick insight into what the project is solving and why it matters, an executive summary is the perfect way to give them the information they need.

For more tips about how to connect high-level strategy and plans to daily execution, read our article about strategic planning .

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How to Create the Perfect Executive Summary Slide [Examples and Templates]

Most business communication necessitates a quick overview – a precis of the information that follows. While it is called an executive summary, even personnel in non-executive positions benefit from this summary. They are commonly used in business settings but are also used in scientific discussions, education, projects, and so on.

Getting the design of the executive summary template for PowerPoint and ensuring its clarity can be pretty challenging. After all, it is the abridged version of the business document that follows, and yet, it has to impress the viewer and convey the message properly. We can guide you if you’re worried about creating a good executive summary slide.

Check out our collection of PowerPoint templates for executive summary slides here.

What is an Executive Summary?

It is simply a summary of business documents like whitepapers, business plans, or annual reports, which provides the important points of discussion in a concise preview of the main document. This helps the audience understand the contents to follow before they dive headlong into the details.

A more detailed definition is provided by The University of Arizona, which says that an executive summary should:

• Reiterate the aim of the following document.
• Emphasize the important points of discussion and crucial facts.
• Mention prominent outcomes, suggestions, or conclusions.

Much effort goes into creating the ideal executive summary as you have to squeeze in a great deal of information in a short space.

Executive Summary Examples

Almost all documents have executive summaries, and some are structured and presented in a better manner than others. Here are some of the most effective executive summary slide examples we collected:

Executive Summary Format

There isn’t any single format that can be touted as ideal for an executive summary slide. It all depends on the type of document to be presented, the purpose behind it, and what it contains. However, there are certain norms it needs to follow, like conveying important information at a single glance, offering a preview of the main document, highlighting outcomes and suggestions, and so on. Most readers or viewers expect to see these on the first page as it is.

An executive summary should ideally have these sections:

• A generic introduction and explanation of the important points to be discussed
• A statement of the main issue
• Handpicked outcomes, recommendations, etc.
• The importance of the points discussed.

You are likely to present this summary to other stakeholders. It may be a good idea to keep this structure as a bulleted list. You can then move the important ideas to your executive summary in PowerPoint slides.

You also need expertise in PowerPoint to ensure that your executive summary looks appealing – eye-catching, neat, and clear. It is important to make good use of white space. You can use icons and other minor visual elements to reduce text blocks; use crisp headings and subheadings to make the slide look leaner.  If you’re unsure how to do this, check out the templates listed in this article.

Length of your Executive Summary

Ideally, an executive summary should be one page, or about 500 words maximum, depending on the font, of course. If the document to be presented is voluminous, you could have a two-page summary, but it is always better to be brief. Think of an executive summary as a trailer for a movie: you reveal just enough to pique the reader’s interest.

The need for Executive Summary Slides

Your audience can easily lose interest in a PowerPoint slide deck, or lose interest in it. After all, you need to remember the information presented in the previous slide and follow the argument presented, and then link everything into a narrative that makes sense to you.

This is where executive summary slides help:

• They provide the reader with context and explain the importance of the topic of the PowerPoint slide deck.
• They convey the high-level argument prior to the reader getting into the details, which allows the reader to understand your slide deck and its details.
• These slides function like a map for the viewer to refer to in case they lose the trail of the argument or report in the slide deck.

Executive Summary Slide Templates

There is no ‘perfect’ look for an executive summary slide; presenters use custom slides to align with the content they want to project. However, there are some universal examples like these below:

How to Write an Executive Summary for a Presentation

Here are some ideas we collected from various sources that can help you create a solid draft executive summary for a presentation:

1. State the Problem

Your first paragraph is akin to the first slide of a presentation, which means you need to create an impact and convey the agenda – set the scene, so to speak. This can be achieved by stressing the urgency of the matter, showcasing the importance of the issue to be discussed, or explaining the background behind the research. You can then go on to convey the chief goals of the report or other document.

2. Talk About the Main Discussion Points

Expand the points or the report scope to fulfill the audience’s expectations. For example, utilize the subheads in the report as the main points of discussion; you can even create more descriptive and appealing statements. Here are some tips:

• Break down big blocks of text into bullet points.
• Use figures for the most important findings.
• Be sure to clarify the scope of the report and what it does not include.
• Talk about the resources and methods of research used.
• If space permits, include a summary of the findings as a conclusion, or keep it as a featured quote to catch the viewer’s attention to critical information.

3. List the Next Steps

Towards the bottom of the page, dedicate a small paragraph to stress the outcomes and deductions and what follow-up action you expect your viewer to take. Finally, summarize what you found during your research and if there’s any solution or action you have recommended.

When this is done, get feedback from team members who have not seen the report to be presented, and ask if they can say what is included in the report after reading the summary. For example, does it pique their interest, and can they understand it without getting additional context? Use their feedback to make necessary improvements.

Tips to Make the Summary Engaging

1. use a consistent tone.

Ensure you continue with the same voice tone and choice of words in the summary slide as you have in the main document. Significant differences in the tone and terms between the presentation and the summary can cause your audience to get confused and lose interest.

2. Tell a Story

Your audience will get time to read the report in its entirety; when you present it before them, you need to focus on getting them to pay attention to the most critical issues, highlight the value contained within the report, and get them interested enough to go through the entire document later. The summary must thoroughly outline the whole communication with a proper starting, middle, and ending. Most people tend to focus their summaries on the data or observations without a proper introduction or conclusion – and you can lose the audience this way. Formulating a clear narrative in your mind at the outset is important.

3. Use Bullet Points

We’ve already touched on this point briefly. People today prefer snippets of information; with attention spans dwindling, short sentences and phrases are preferred. Trim your text and resist the urge to overload your audience with information. Bulleted lists present information crisply and quickly.

4. Cut Down on Data

While figures and data visualizations are great, going overboard with data slides does not create a bigger impact – in fact, the opposite happens. You should convey what the data means, rather than the data itself. By showcasing a lot of numbers, you won’t be able to convince your audience as they cannot process all those figures. Stick to a couple of important data points in the executive summary slide – and maybe you can elaborate on why these are depicted here.

5. Give an attention-grabbing slide title

The title or heading is where anyone’s attention naturally gravitates to at first; use this to your advantage. The title must clearly state the important takeaway and set the stage for the rest of the slide.

6. Ensure it can be scanned

Even summary slides can have tons of information, making them difficult to go through; you can make it easy for your audience to consume such a slide by cutting it up into sections that can be easily noticed. For example, you could put graphs and related text in the same group. You can also use text headings for every section so that any person who is skimming through for a few seconds will get the important points.  You can also do the same for visuals – like bar charts, for example.

To Conclude

As your executive summary is the very first page or slides your audience will see, it is critical to perfect it. Now, with these tips and tricks, we’re sure it’s no longer a problem! Do you have any more tips for creating a compelling executive summary slide? Let us know.

At SlideBazaar, we help you create engaging and memorable presentations. Choose from our collection of professional templates or opt for our custom design services for a personalized touch. Your presentations deserve to be elevated to new heights, and we’re here to help you achieve just that!

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How to Write an Executive Summary Execs Can't Ignore [+ 5 Top Examples]

Published: May 30, 2024

Early in my career, I was intimidated by executive summaries. They sounded so corporate and formal. But, proper name aside, they’re really just the elevator pitch or the TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) of a document.

Writing an executive summary is an important leadership skill, whether you're an entrepreneur creating a business plan or a CEO delivering a quarterly report.

So, let’s sharpen that skill.

What is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a brief overview of a longer professional document, like a business plan, proposal, or report. It's commonly at the beginning of a document and aims to grab a reader’s attention while summarizing critical information such as the problem or opportunity being addressed, objectives, key findings, goals, and recommendations.

Ultimately, an executive summary gives readers a concise overview of the most important information in a document, so they don't have to read the entire thing.

Think of it like the SparkNotes of the business world.

Documents that frequently have an executive summary include:

• Business plans
• Research reports
• Project proposals
• Annual reports

How does it differ from other business statements? Let’s compare.

Free Executive Summary Template

Use this executive summary template to provide a summary of your report, business plan, or memo.

• Company & Opportunity
• Industry & Market Analysis
• Management & Operations
• Financial Plan

Download Free

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Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Executive Summary vs. Business Plan

All business plans have an executive summary, but not all executive summaries belong to business plans.

A business plan includes a company overview, short-term and long-term goals, information on your product or service, sales targets, expense budgets, your marketing plan, and even team information

Business plans are very detailed and comprehensive. They can be as short as a dozen pages or as long as 100 pages. The executive summary is the first section of the business plan.

An in-demand CEO or investor might not have the bandwidth to read your full business plan without first understanding your company or goals. That’s where an executive summary comes in handy.

Note: Need help putting together your business plan? We’ve got a template for you.

Executive Summary vs. Mission Statement

Mission statements and executive summaries are typically found in business plans, but they serve different purposes.

A mission statement defines your organization’s purpose, values, and vision. It’s your company’s North Star and communicates your core identity and reason for existence. On the other hand, an executive summary provides a high-level overview of the document.

I also love how we define key terms to help readers understand the rest of the report. This is an excellent example of setting the tone for the rest of your document in an executive summary and making it easier to navigate.

3. ClickUp: Product Update Release Notes

Now, I know this article is about writing an executive summary, but I love ClickUp’s unique approach with its product release notes videos.

This digital report from research firm McKinsey Global Institute features an executive summary titled “At a Glance.”

Here, the organization recaps the key findings from its 56-page research report in six easy-to-skim bullet points.

It’s compelling, easy to digest, and makes it easy to jump into the full report with download links.

5. UN: World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024

Finally, we have a fairly traditional approach to an executive summary from the United Nations (UN) , clocking in at 16 pages.

Now, I know. Sixteen pages seems lengthy, but the full report is just shy of 200 pages.

The executive summary highlights the report’s largest conclusions with headers. Then, it expands on those headers with relevant statistics. It also uses bold font to draw attention to the countries or regions affected (something the reader will likely be most interested in).

The tone and visual design are both formal, which matches the esteem of the United Nations. Overall, this executive summary does an admirable job of making the report's information more approachable.

Make your executive summary memorable.

Make sure your executive summary is strong. Tell your story. Include compelling data and facts. Use easy-to-understand and digest language. If you can, get visual.

An executive summary should be concise, but also memorable. After all, this may be the only part of your proposal, report, or analysis that actually gets read.

Use the guidance above to ensure your executive summary resonates with your audience and opens the door to the opportunities you crave.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How To Write Consulting Executive Summary Slides [BCG Example]

Table of contents.

If you’re anything like me, then y ou build all of the main body slides in your slide decks, sharpen the text , perfect your visualizations … and then quickly throw together an executive summary slide.

The problem?  The executive summary slide is the first impression of your deck and the only place that the reader can get a complete overview of your argument.

Therefore, executive summary slides shouldn’t be an afterthought. In fact, it’s important to spend significant time writing a strong executive summary that clearly articulates your argument and inspires your reader to act.

What is an executive summary slide?

An executive summary is a written overview of the main points or arguments of a larger document, memo or other report.

Strategy consultants also write executive summaries for their presentations or slide decks.

An executive summary slide is the first slide in your presentation that fully summarizes the argument, storyline, and supporting evidence of the body slides.

Download 120+ strategy consulting presentations for free

Looking for slide inspiration? Download 120+ consulting slide decks from top strategy consulting firms, such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain!

Why do you need executive summary slides?

As a reader, it’s so easy to get lost in a PowerPoint slide deck. You need to keep previous slides and messages in your mind, follow the line of argument, and somehow put everything together into a coherent story that you can make sense of.

Executive summary slides help the reader “follow along” with your slide deck. There are a few main benefits:

• Executive summaries provide context to help the reader understand why the topic of the slide deck is important.
• Executive summaries communicate the high-level argument before the reader gets into the body of the slide deck. This helps the reader understand your more detailed body slides.
• Executive summaries are a “map” that the reader can reference back to if they start losing the line of argument in the body of the deck.

How to write executive summary slides

To understand the best practices of writing executive summary slides, we’re going to break down a BCG executive summary.

In doing so, we’re going to learn the simple framework for writing executive summary slides that is used by strategy consultants, such as McKinsey & Co, Bain, and BCG.

Below you can see an example of a BCG executive summary.  This slide deck is a BCG report on “Melbourne as a Global Cultural Destination” and can be downloaded here .

Here are the two main executive summary slides:

These BCG executive summary slides are a great example of an executive summary done well. So we’ll use them to describe best practices.

Best practice #1: Bold text for summary sentences, bullet points for supporting data

One of the first things you’ll notice about the BCG executive summary is the bold-bullet structure.

The bold sentences denote key statements or claims, and the bullet points support those statements (usually with data).

If there was no evidence to support their claims — or if the evidence was buried deep in the slide deck — then the reader could quite easily doubt the validity of the claim, and ultimately the end conclusion of the slide deck.

So one of the key aspects of strategy consulting slide decks is that no claim is made without evidence. And that includes the executive summary.

Let’s zoom in on one example:

The key statement in this part of the executive summary is “there are weaknesses in Melbourne’s cultural and creative offer”.

This claim is supported by a bunch of data points, such as 90% of agencies and thought leaders believe the cultural offer is not clearly articulated.

Best practice #2: Bold summary sentences can be read alone to tell a story

Executives are busy people and many of them aren’t interested in diving into the supporting bullet points. They will simply read through your bolded summary sentences to understand the high-level argument and recommendations.

This means that  your executive summary should be “skimmable by design”.

In other words,  your bolded summary sentences should tell a complete and logical story without requiring the supporting data in the bullet points below.

Let’s read just the bolded sentences in our BCG executive summary:

Melbourne has a compelling creative and cultural offer; the city attracted >10m Australian and international visitors in 2015. Cultural visitors and creative industries drive significant economic benefits; cultural tourism projected to grow further. However, Melbourne’s position as Australia’s cultural and creative capital is being challenged. On a global index of cultural and creative cities, Melbourne ranks first in Australia, third in Asia and 12th globally. Melbourne has clear strengths to build on as a cultural and creative city. However, there are some weaknesses to address to further improve Melbourne’s cultural and creative offer. These findings suggest five strategic priorities to improve Melbourne’s position as a global cultural and creative destination, which may lift Melbourne’s position on the Performance Index.

It reads just like a narrative!

Despite ignoring all the bullet points, we can still fully understand the argument that BCG is making in their executive summary (which is also reflected in the body of the slide deck).

Best practice #3: The executive summary should reflect the ‘SCR storyline’ structure of the slide deck

It’s not good enough to just “tell a story”, you need a tell the story using a particular structure.

The structure used by strategy consulting firms, such as McKinsey & Co, Bain, and BCG, is the ‘situation, complication, resolution’ structure.

As an aside, you can learn more about how to craft a compelling argument and SCR storyline for your slide deck in our Complete Guide To Building Strategy Presentations . If you haven’t read that guide, you should check it out.

Let’s take a look at how the SCR storyline applies to your slide deck:

• What baseline knowledge do people need to have before they understand our argument?
• How did this problem come about?

Complication

• What is the problem we need to solve?
• Why is this particular problem important to solve?
• How do we respond / solve the problem?
• What are the specific recommendations and/or next steps?

Your executive summary slide should communicate the complete storyline in your slide deck. And thus it should also follow the situation, complication, resolution structure.

In our BCG example, you can clearly see the SCR structure in action:

It’s important to set the context with the situation, as there’s no guarantee that all of you readers will have the background knowledge to understand your argument. It also gives you the opportunity to explain the causes of the problem that you’re addressing in the slide deck.

Then, in the complication section, you should succinctly define the problem and why it is important to solve. Some people suggest that you use a question format, for example “How can Melbourne improve its position as a global cultural and creative destination?”, although that’s really just a matter of style.

Finally, you need to clearly articulate your proposed resolution or “answer” to the problem. You’ll note that most of the executive summary real-estate is spent on the resolution component. From a reader’s perspective, the recommendations are the most important part of the slide deck.

Executive summary slide examples

Below you’ll find examples of executive summary slides from consulting firms like Bain & Co, BCG, L.E.K. Consulting, Oliver Wyman, and others.

How To Write an Effective Executive Summary to Yield Results

By Kate Eby | April 3, 2018

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In this article, you'll learn how to craft an organized, well written executive summary the next time you have to gain the attention of a time-strapped audience.

Included on this page, you’ll find information on how to write an executive summary that wins the proposal, how to format your executive summary , an executive summary checklist , and more. 

What Is the Purpose of the Executive Summary?

An executive summary should be clear and concise (typically one to two pages long) and present the main points in a formal tone. The purpose of an executive summary is to pique the reader’s curiosity by presenting facts from the larger piece of content it is summarizing.

The executive summary can be either a portion of a business document (a business plan, project proposal, or report) or long articles and documents common in research-driven communities and academia. When crafted correctly, the executive summary provides an overview of the information and objectives in the larger document. The executive summary stands alone from the content it summarizes, and should include the essential information, the recommendations, the findings, and the conclusion of the more extensive document.

The Benefits of a Well Written Executive Summary

A well planned, well written executive summary is a valuable tool because it prioritizes the reader’s time and reduces the effort required to learn the critical aspects of the content. The summary can convey the purpose of your business plan, project proposal, product launch presentation, or sales pitch to keep the reader engaged and reading further, or empowered to take action. Even if it is the only thing your audience reads, a strong executive summary creates value for the reader as a first impression. Use the executive summary to make a business case, support a position, or tell a story. The reader should know how the subject of your content impacts them, benefits their work, their company, or their projects after reading the executive summary.  

Various industries use executive summaries as a communication tool, including healthcare, education, government, technology, real estate, finance, law, the nonprofit sector, and more. One of the benefits of using an executive summary is that it is not exclusive to one type of communication. Executive summaries show up in a variety of use cases, including the following:

Business plans

Legal briefs

Product launch plans

College campus surveys

Market research reports

Environmental studies

Project proposals

Hospital planning and evaluation

How to Write an Executive Summary

Crafting a useful executive summary requires more than simply cutting and pasting vital information from the body of your report or proposal. The executive summary may be the only part of the report your target audience reads, so you should spend the time to make it valuable.

It doesn’t have to be an intimidating process, but before you begin writing, you should ask the following critical questions:

Who depends on the information? When you write the executive summary, decide who you are targeting and the critical information that audience needs. What do they need to know to make a decision? What would they already know? Do you have a specific customer you want to reach with your message or story? Writing the executive summary with that audience in mind will make it useful because the story you’re telling about your business, project, or proposal will resonate.

What is the objective? While it’s true that an executive summary recaps essential information from the body of the content it summarizes, that is its function, not its purpose. Write the summary to your intended audience and include the crucial information that supports your objective for creating the document. What do you need the reader to understand? Is the aim to recommend change based on the results of your research? What needs to happen for the project plan to succeed based on your proposal? Let your objectives determine the content and context of your summary.  

What are you recommending? Use the executive summary to draw conclusions and make recommendations to the reader. If your report presents the need for change, recommend the actions that the body of your document supports in the summary. State the benefits of your product or service, or the solutions you provide more detail on in the proposal. Ultimately, don’t make the reader work to find out what action they need to take: Make your recommendations clear in the executive summary.

How will you make an impression? The “executive” summary earned its name from the need to get the upper management’s attention. Executives did not have the time to read every word of every document. The summary had to make an impression because it might be the only part of the material that would be read. Regardless of its origins, the principle of using the summary to make an impression on the reader is sound, as that impression might encourage the reader to keep reading or take action. Consider how you shape the message, organize the sections of your summary, or present research to stand out in a brief space.

Executive Summary Checklist

After you answer these questions and begin writing your document, refer to the following checklist as you develop the executive summary.

Download Executive Summary Checklist

What Is the Format of an Executive Summary?

Every executive summary intends to distill information to the reader upfront, so it is typically placed first in the document. (Sometimes it is a separate section of a formal business document listed in the table of contents.)

When used in a less formal manner, the executive summary is an opening paragraph, a separate one-page summary memo, or the first page of a report. For example, if your goal is to raise capital, use the executive summary like an investor profile that provides the reader the information necessary to land the meeting or get the funding, without further reading.

The format and length vary based on the purpose of the content that you are summarizing; there is no set structure to follow. Here are some formatting tips that you can use for any executive summary, regardless of the style:

Order of Appearance : Beyond the introduction, decide what sections of the summary are most important to the purpose of the document. Organize your subheadings or sections in that order. Use bullet points and plenty of spacing between the different parts of the summary to make the content more accessible to scanning eyes. By doing so, you naturally discard information better left to the body of the document, and you honor the reader’s time by prioritizing the message, recommendations, conclusions, or solutions in the longer document.  

How Much Is Too Much : Executive summaries vary in length based on the type of content they summarize or their purpose. Some recommend keeping the summary to a specific percentage of the overall document, while others advocate a set number of pages. Focus on keeping the summary brief but comprehensive, with the most important information available to the reader.

Audience Aim : The tone and language of the executive summary should match that of the target audience. Avoid using technical jargon that requires definitions, and present the information in an accessible manner based on the knowledge and expertise of your intended audience. Do not include acronyms or highlight data that need an extensive background for context, and avoid using casual, informal tones. That said, an executive summary used in internal communications will have a different tone and style than one used in external communication tools.

One-page Executive Summary Template

This template is designed to fit your executive summary on one page. Take advantage of the short sections and bullet points to keep the document concise and hook the reader with the information that will keep them reading. Organize the key points by customizing the subheadings to emphasize their importance based on your purpose for the document.

Download One-page Executive Summary Template

Excel  |  Word  |  PDF

What Are the Common Pitfalls of Executive Summaries?

When formatting and organizing the executive summary, beware of the following pitfalls that plague poorly written and poorly planned summaries:

Fact or Persuasion : Support your motives and the objective of the executive summary with the facts. If the summary is for a sales proposal or pitch deck, persuade your reader up front with data and information, not buzzwords and cliches. If the executive summary includes generalizations or opinions that you don't support within your material with market research, project examples, independent data, testimonials, etc., you risk misleading the reader. Avoid writing a summary that leads clients, policy makers, or management to an unsupported recommendation or conclusion for the sake of persuasion — instead, focus on the facts.  

Relevance Over Repetition : By nature, the executive summary is a repetitive summary of content. Therefore, only include the most relevant details — those that summarize the true purpose of the overall content. Use the rest of your business plan, research report, or client proposal to cover topics relevant background information at length. If you try to cut and paste too much information and context from your longer business or research document into the summary, the details might overshadow the impression you want to make on the reader. The background becomes the introduction, and you risk losing a reader’s attention (especially an online audience).

Consistency Is Key : The executive summary highlights the substance of the larger piece of content. Don’t feature information here that is not covered in the body of the proposal. Avoid using different subheadings to organize copy in the body of the report. For example, if you highlight “Project Milestones” in the executive summary, do not list them in a new section for “Project Goals” in the business proposal. Use the tone and language you establish in the summary throughout the material. If you target an audience without expertise in the subject matter, don’t switch to highly technical analysis in the body copy. Finally, if you cover something in the executive summary, cover it again in the report. Don’t make the reader work to learn more about something you highlighted in the summary.

Draw a Clear Conclusion : Write an executive summary that comes to a conclusion and supports your purpose for creating the document. Keep the reader’s interest in mind when you summarize a lengthy project proposal or report. Does the reader have a clear understanding of the solutions you propose? Can they identify the problems you solve? If the executive summary is the only thing they read, can they take action on your recommendations or anticipate a desired outcome based on the information you included?

Executive Summary Outline Template - PowerPoint

Use this free template to outline your next big presentation, or keep it updated as a live meeting record to keep up with your evolving internal business plans or funding needs. The slides are formatted to outline the important elements of a formal business plan summary. You can customize the slides to fit the order of importance for your content’s purpose or extend each. Use the slides as an outline to keep track of the content you want to summarize after every update or draft of the report.

‌ Download Executive Summary Outline Template - PowerPoint

What to Include in an Executive Summary

You will determine the components of each executive summary you write based on the reason for writing it and your target audience.

For example, a business plan for an external audience includes financial information and details on the size and scale of a company; startups seeking funding and investors will highlight specific financial requirements and how they impact the business strategy. Executive summaries vary in the content they cover, but here is a common framework:

Introduction : This opening statement, paragraph, or section should clearly state the document’s purpose and the content to follow. How you will use this section depends on the desired outcome for the reader or audience, who should immediately find value in the information you present. Therefore, the details included in the introduction should grab and hold the reader’s attention.  

Company Information : When writing an executive summary for an external audience, include your company name, a description of your mission or purpose, contact information, location, and the size and scale of your operations. In some cases, the summary introduces the founders, investors, and corporate leadership. It might include background information of each that outlines previous industry or startup experience, or historical context on the current state of the company. When used in a presentation or research report, introduce the team presenting or responsible for the report’s findings.

Products and Services : The executive summary is the place to highlight the problem you solve or the need you fulfill. For a report, this is where you might highlight what you researched and what the reader should know about your findings. For a project proposal, include what you’re planning to accomplish and what you need to make it successful. For marketing plans or product launch presentations, tell the reader why your service or product is relevant at this particular moment in time.

Market Analysis : The executive summary of a business plan might profile the target customer and explain the market opportunity for a product or service. Consider answering questions like: Is there a five year plan for this market? How do you anticipate growing the customer base and improving market share? What stands out from your research about your customers that the reader should know?

Competition Analysis : This section should include answers to the following questions:

What is the competitive advantage of your proposed solution or product and who or what do you compete with in this market?

What are the opportunities now and in the future?

What are the risks in your market and your product or service?

Do you have relevant experience with major competitors?

What are the future plans for growth and what obstacles do you anticipate addressing?

Financials : The executive summary might summarize key financial data that is relevant to the reader or data that supports your research. If the purpose is to secure funding, include the specific amount you are requesting. Be sure to provide context for the financial data or any number you highlight in the executive summary. This section is a great way to highlight growth, or to use metrics to provide perspective on the company.

Conclusions : Recap your findings, the problem and solution discussed, or the project and work proposed. If there is a decision the reader needs to make, be direct about it. Make the outcomes obvious, but leave enough intrigue for the rest of the content to follow.

How Do You End An Executive Summary?

Although the executive summary begins a document, it concludes so that it can stand alone from the rest of the content and still be of value. Use the conclusion to recap your findings, make recommendations, and propose solutions to the problem.

If there is a decision you want the reader to make, ask make a call to action in this section. If you are summarizing a research report, summarize the findings and the research methods used to conclude the work. Make the outcomes or recommendations visible, but leave enough out to incentivize the audience to continue reading. Close the executive summary with a strong statement or transition that sets up the theme or central message to the story you tell in the report or proposal.

What Should Be in the Executive Summary of a Business Plan?

Traditional business plans differ in context and content based on if the audience is internal or external. Both audiences benefit from some of the previously discussed elements of the executive summary (like a substantial introduction).

However, the summary of an internal business plan does not require a section that introduces management or key personnel. An external business plan targets an audience that expects to find crucial financial information in the summary. When you develop the executive summary of the business plan, determine the information to include based on the audience and purpose of the document.

Business Plan Executive Summary Template

This executive summary template is designed to get your business plan noticed and reviewed. In this scenario, you’re presenting to an external audience and therefore should include more attention to detail with a standard business plan document. Use bullet points and clear, formal language to guide the reader to the most important information about your company.

Download Business Plan Executive Summary Template

Excel  |  Word  |  PDF  | Smartsheet

You can find a variety of templates for various industries and needs by reading “Free Executive Summary Templates.”

What Should Be in an Executive Summary of a Report?

Josh Bernoff spent 20 years writing and editing reports for Forrester Research. He is an advocate of creating actionable reports that tell a story. He believes that the executive summary is crucial.

“If the report is a story, the right executive summary is the same story, written briefly,” writes Bernoff . He recommends imagining that your readers ask you questions like, “What’s the coolest stuff in this report?” and “What did you find out?” while writing the report.

“Your answer, written directly to the reader, is the executive summary,” Bernoff explains in his book.

The executive summary of a report requires vivid details that grab online readers’ attention in a hurry. According to Bernoff, the summary recaps the story you want to tell behind all the words in the report. Using this advice as a guidepost, consider including the following answers to these questions to create your report’s summary:

What is the central plot of your report?

Why is this story important?

What are the most memorable scenes (examples, data, case study results, etc.) from the different sections of the report?

How does your research address the story’s central conflict (the problem solved)?

How does your research support the story’s conclusion?

What actions does the story recommend the reader be aware of?

The executive summary of lengthy research reports — especially those used in academic articles, scientific journals, government studies, or healthcare initiatives — require additional formatting considerations and elements not found in business plans or proposals. Consider the following guidelines when developing the executive summary of a research report:

Present the sections of the executive summary in the same order as in the main report.

Do not include information or research that is not supported and presented in the body of the report.

Draw a conclusion with the executive summary that justifies the research and provides recommendations.

Use a tone and language to describe technical information that readers without advanced knowledge or expertise of the subject matter can understand.

Remember that an executive summary of a report is distinct from an abstract. Abstracts are shorter overviews of a report and are common in academia. They familiarize the reader with a synopsis of the research that is much shorter than an executive summary. You can also think of an abstract as a standalone statement that helps the reader determine if they will read on. The executive summary, by contrast, summarizes the research in a structure that includes the summary, methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations for the reader without necessarily having to read further.

Research Report Executive Summary Template

Use this template to create a synopsis of research results for reports — these will typically be longer than an executive summary for a business plan and proposal. The template is formatted to accommodate in-depth reports that need space for charts and tables to illustrate research data. It is designed to summarize technical information in a concise manner, with clear subheadings that communicate key findings to readers with various expertise and interest.

Download Research Report Executive Summary Template

Word  |  PDF

Get Funding with Your Executive Summary

Startups seeking capital investment from venture capital funds and angel investors can repurpose the executive summary from a business plan as a more concise, less formal investor profile.

This type of summary memo is stripped down and focused on the specific financial requirements and how the funding makes an impact on the business strategy. It is the perfect template to create a profile on investor platform websites like AngelList and Gust . Use the following tips to transform traditional business plan summaries into the pitch that lands you a meeting or funding:

Include the specific dollar amount you’re requesting, the purpose for the funds raised, and any relevant data such as repayment terms, collateral, equity share information, etc.

Keep the financial data simple and round to the nearest whole dollar amount.

List founders, partners, and key management personnel and highlight specific domain expertise or previous startup experience.

Describe your company’s growth plan and the proposed exit strategy.

Remove any industry buzzwords, meaningless phrases, and cliches (for example “the Uber of…,” “game-changing,” “disruptive,” “next Facebook,” “world-class,” etc.).

Mention noteworthy achievements, intellectual property, important business partnerships, or information on product development stages in test markets.

Describe work in progress and highlight relevant information about customer growth, market demand, and product development.

Startup Executive Summary Template

Transform your executive summary into an investor document with this template. It acts as a one-page pitch that serves as your company profile on investor platforms. You can repurpose this template and save it as a PDF summary memo to land future meetings with investors. For more information on business plans for startups, including free budget templates, read “ Free Startup Plan, Budget & Cost Templates .”

Download Startup Executive Summary Template

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How to write an executive summary in 10 steps

Whether presenting a business plan, sharing project updates with stakeholders, or submitting a project proposal, an executive summary helps you grab attention and convey key insights.

Think of it as a condensed version of a document, report, or proposal that highlights the most important information clearly and concisely. It's like a "cheat sheet" that gives you a snapshot of the main points without reading the entire thing.

Throughout the article, we'll explore some examples of executive summaries to give you a better understanding of how they can be applied. Plus, we'll provide you with ready-to-use templates and best practices for writing compelling executive summaries.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is a concise overview of a longer document or report. It is typically written for busy executives or decision-makers who may not have the time to read the entire document but still need to grasp its key points and recommendations. 

An effective executive summary should capture the essence of the document, highlighting the most important information in a brief and easily understandable way. It should provide a snapshot of the document's purpose, methodology, major findings, and key recommendations. The summary should be written in a way that allows the reader to quickly grasp the main ideas and make informed decisions based on the information presented.

Why do you need to write one?

For a business owner , an executive summary is one of the most important documents you will have. Like a business plan , they help you lay out the potential value of your business and your potential for success. 

Unlike a business proposal, however, an executive summary is designed to be read in a brief amount of time. That makes them ideal for a variety of uses, like project proposals and research summaries. Sending your strategic plan to a prospective investor or stakeholder likely won’t get you far. But a brief report that clearly states your key findings and what’s in it for them might help you — and your proposal — stand out. It isn't all the details. It's what gets you the meeting to share more.

An executive summary is also a business document that can travel without you. It may be presented to other leaders and potential investors. If it’s written well, it will take on a life of its own. You may find that you get support and resources from places you never imagined.

What should be included in an executive summary?

Your executive summary should include brief descriptions of who your product, service, or proposal is for and your competitive advantage. Be sure to introduce your report concisely yet clearly . Note the most important points and its overall purpose––what do you hope to achieve with this report? 

Also, include any necessary background information and statistics about the industry, high-level information about your business model, necessary financial information, or other insights you discuss in the report. Depending on your proposal, you may want to consider summarizing a market analysis of your target market.

Typically, an executive summary follows a structured format, including sections such as:

• Introduction: Provides a brief background and context for the document.
• Objective or purpose: Clearly states the goal of the document and what it aims to achieve.
• Methodology: Briefly describes the approach, data sources, and methods used to conduct the research or analysis.
• Findings: Summarizes the main findings, conclusions, or results derived from the document.
• Recommendations: Outlines the key recommendations or proposed actions based on the findings.
• Conclusion: Provides a concise wrap-up of the main points and emphasizes the significance of the document.

How do you write an executive summary?

When tackling an executive summary, it's all about following a structured approach to ensure you effectively communicate those crucial points, findings, and recommendations. Let’s walk through some steps and best practices to make it a breeze:

Step 1: Get to know the document

Take the time to dive into the full document or report that your executive summary will be based on. Read it thoroughly and identify the main objectives, key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Step 2: Know your audience

Think about who you're writing the executive summary for. Consider their knowledge level, interests, and priorities. This helps you tailor the summary to their needs and make it relevant and impactful.

Step 3: Outline the structure

Create an outline for your executive summary with sections like introduction, objective, methodology, findings, recommendations, and conclusion. This way, you'll have a logical flow that's easy to follow.

Step 4: Start strong

Kick off your executive summary with a captivating opening statement. Make it concise, engaging, and impactful to hook the reader and make them want to keep reading.

Step 5: Summarize objectives and methodology

Give a brief overview of the document's objectives and the methodology used to achieve them. This sets the context and helps the reader understand the approach taken.

Step 6: Highlight key findings

Summarize the main findings, conclusions, or results. Focus on the juiciest and most relevant points that support the document's purpose. Keep it clear and concise to get the message across effectively.

Step 7: Present key recommendations

Outline the important recommendations or proposed actions based on the findings. Clearly state what needs to be done, why it matters, and how it aligns with the document's objectives. Make those recommendations actionable and realistic.

Step 8: Keep it snappy

Remember, an executive summary should be short and sweet. Skip unnecessary details, jargon, or technical language . Use straightforward language that hits the mark.

Step 9: Review and polish

Once you've written the executive summary, give it a careful review for clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Make sure it captures the essence of the full document and represents its content faithfully. Take the extra step to edit out any fluff or repetition.

Step 10: Dress to impress

Consider formatting and presentation. Use headings, bullet points, and formatting styles to make it visually appealing and easy to skim. If it makes sense, include some graphs, charts, or visuals to highlight key points.

Tips for writing an effective executive summary

• Adapt your language and tone to suit your audience.
• Keep things concise and crystal clear—say no to jargon.
• Focus on the most important info that packs a punch.
• Give enough context without overwhelming your reader.
• Use strong and persuasive language to make your recommendations shine.
• Make sure your executive summary makes sense even if the full document isn't read.
• Proofread like a pro to catch any pesky grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.

Executive summary template for business plans

Here's a general template for creating an executive summary specifically for business plans:

[Your Company Name]

[Business Plan Title]

Business overview

Provide a brief introduction to your company, including its name, location, industry, and mission statement . Describe your unique value proposition and what sets your business apart from competitors.

Market analysis

Summarize the key findings of your market research. Provide an overview of the target market, its size, growth potential, and relevant trends. Highlight your understanding of customer needs, preferences, and behaviors.

Product or service offering

Outline your core products or services, including their key features and benefits. Emphasize how your offerings address customer pain points and provide value. Highlight any unique selling points or competitive advantages.

Business model

Explain your business model and revenue generation strategy. Describe how you will generate revenue, the pricing structure, and any distribution channels or partnerships that contribute to your business's success.

Marketing and sales strategy

Summarize your marketing and sales approach. Highlight the key tactics and channels you will use to reach and attract customers. Discuss your promotional strategies, pricing strategies, and customer acquisition plans.

Management team

Introduce the key members of your management team and their relevant experience. Highlight their expertise and how it positions the team to execute the business plan successfully. Include any notable advisors or board members.

Financial projections

Summarize your financial projections, including revenue forecasts, expected expenses, and projected profitability. Highlight any key financial metrics or milestones. Briefly mention your funding needs, if applicable.

Funding requirements

If seeking funding, outline your funding requirements, including the amount needed, its purpose, and the potential sources of funding you are considering. Summarize the expected return on investment for potential investors.

Reiterate the vision and potential of your business. Summarize the key points of your business plan, emphasizing its viability, market potential, and the expertise of your team. Convey confidence in the success of your venture.

Note: Keep the executive summary concise and focused, typically within one to two pages. Use clear and compelling language, emphasizing the unique aspects of your business. Tailor the template to suit your specific business plan, adjusting sections and details accordingly.

Remember, the executive summary serves as an introduction to your business plan and should pique the reader's interest, conveying the value and potential of your business in a concise and persuasive manner.

Executive summary examples

Every executive summary will be unique to the organization's goals, vision, and brand identity. We put together two general examples of executive summaries to spark your creativity and offer some inspiration. 

These are not intended to be used as-is but more to offer ideas for how you may want to put your own executive summary together. Be sure to personalize your own summary with specific statistics and relevant data points to make the most impact.

Example 1: executive summary for a communications business plan

Introduction:

We're thrilled to present our innovative [insert product] that aims to revolutionize the way people connect and engage. Our vision is to empower individuals and businesses with seamless communication solutions that break barriers and foster meaningful connections.

Market opportunity:

The communications industry is evolving rapidly, and we've identified a significant opportunity in the market. With the proliferation of remote work, the need for reliable and efficient communication tools has skyrocketed. Our extensive market research indicates a demand for solutions that prioritize user experience, security, and flexibility.

Product offering:

At [Company Name], we've developed a suite of cutting-edge communication tools designed to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Our flagship product is a unified communication platform that integrates voice, video, messaging, and collaboration features into a seamless user experience. We also offer customizable solutions for businesses of all sizes, catering to their unique communication requirements.

Unique value proposition:

What sets us apart from the competition? Our user-centric approach and commitment to innovation. We prioritize user experience by creating intuitive interfaces and seamless interactions. Our solutions are scalable, adaptable, and designed to keep up with evolving technological trends. By combining ease of use with advanced features, we deliver unparalleled value to our customers.

Target market:

Our primary focus is on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that require efficient and cost-effective communication tools. We also cater to individuals, remote teams, and larger enterprises seeking reliable and secure communication solutions. Our target market encompasses industries such as technology, finance, healthcare, and professional services.

Business model:

To generate revenue, we employ a subscription-based business model. Customers can choose from different plans tailored to their specific needs, paying a monthly or annual fee. We also offer additional services such as customization, integration, and customer support, creating additional revenue streams and fostering long-term customer relationships.

Marketing and sales strategy:

Our marketing strategy centers around building brand awareness through targeted digital campaigns, content marketing, and strategic partnerships. We'll leverage social media, industry influencers, and online communities to reach our target audience. Additionally, our sales team will engage in proactive outreach, nurturing leads and providing personalized consultations to convert prospects into loyal customers.

Team and expertise:

Our team is composed of experienced professionals with a deep understanding of the communications industry. Led by our visionary founder and supported by a skilled and diverse team, we have the expertise to drive innovation, develop robust products, and deliver exceptional customer service. We're passionate about our mission and dedicated to making a lasting impact in the market.

Financial projections:

Based on extensive market research and financial analysis, we anticipate strong growth and profitability. Our financial projections indicate steady revenue streams, with increasing customer adoption and market share. We're committed to managing costs effectively, optimizing our resources, and continuously reinvesting in research and development.

Funding requirements:

To fuel our ambitious growth plans and accelerate product development, we're seeking [funding amount] in funding. These funds will be allocated towards expanding our team, scaling our infrastructure, marketing efforts, and ongoing product innovation. We believe this investment will position us for success and solidify our market presence.

Conclusion:

In summary, [Company Name] is poised to disrupt the communications industry with our innovative solutions and customer-centric approach. We're ready to make a positive impact by empowering individuals and businesses to communicate effectively and effortlessly. Join us on this exciting journey as we redefine the future of communication. Together, we'll shape a connected world like never before.

Example 2: executive summary for a project proposal

[Project Name]

[Project Proposal Date]

Hello! We're thrilled to present our project proposal for [Project Name]. This executive summary will provide you with a high-level overview of the project, its objectives, and the value it brings.

Project overview:

Our project aims to [describe the project's purpose and scope]. It's a response to [identify the problem or opportunity] and has the potential to bring significant benefits to [stakeholders or target audience]. Through meticulous planning and execution, we're confident in our ability to achieve the desired outcomes.

Objectives:

The primary goal of our project is to [state the overarching objective]. In addition, we have specific objectives such as [list specific objectives]. By accomplishing these goals, we'll create a positive impact and drive meaningful change.

Our proposed approach for this project is based on a thorough analysis of the situation and best practices. We'll adopt a structured methodology that includes [describe the key project phases or activities]. This approach ensures efficient utilization of resources and maximizes project outcomes.

The benefits of this project are truly exciting. Through its implementation, we anticipate [describe the anticipated benefits or outcomes]. These benefits include [list specific benefits], which will have a lasting and positive effect on [stakeholders or target audience].

Implementation timeline:

We've devised a comprehensive timeline to guide the project from initiation to completion. The project is divided into distinct phases, with well-defined milestones and deliverables. Our timeline ensures that tasks are executed in a timely manner, allowing us to stay on track and deliver results.

Resource requirements:

To successfully execute this project, we've identified the key resources needed. This includes [list the resources required, such as human resources, technology, equipment, and funding]. We're confident in our ability to secure the necessary resources and allocate them effectively to ensure project success.

A project of this nature requires a well-planned budget. Based on our analysis, we've estimated the required funding to be [state the budget amount]. This budget encompasses all project-related costs and aligns with the anticipated benefits and outcomes.

Our project proposal is an exciting opportunity to address [the problem or opportunity] and create tangible value for [stakeholders or target audience]. With a clear vision, defined objectives, and a robust implementation plan, we're ready to embark on this journey. Join us as we bring this project to life and make a lasting impact. 

Is an executive summary the same as a project plan?

While both are important components of project management and documentation , they serve different purposes and contain distinct information.

An executive summary, as discussed earlier, is a concise overview of a longer document or report. It provides a snapshot of the key points, findings, and recommendations. It focuses on high-level information and aims to provide an overview of the document's purpose, methodology, findings, and recommendations.

On the other hand, a project plan is a detailed document that outlines the specific activities, tasks, timelines, resources, and milestones associated with a project. It serves as a roadmap for project execution, providing a comprehensive understanding of how the project will be carried out.

A project plan typically includes objectives, scope, deliverables, schedule, budget, resource allocation, risk management, and communication strategies. It is intended for project team members, stakeholders, and those directly involved in the execution.

In summary, an executive summary offers a condensed overview of a document's key points, while a project plan provides a comprehensive and detailed roadmap for executing a project.

Executive summaries vs. abstracts

An executive summary is not the same as an abstract. Executive summaries focus on the main points of a proposal. They highlight when and why a reader should invest in the company or project.

An abstract, on the other hand, concentrates on what the business does and its marketing plan. It typically doesn’t include detailed information about finances.

While it is usually compelling, it’s less of an elevator pitch and more of a summary. The goal of an abstract is to inform, not to persuade. On the other hand, the goal of an executive summary is to give readers who are pressed for time just enough information that they’ll want to look further into your proposition.

When do you use an executive summary?

An executive summary is used in various situations where there is a need to present a condensed overview of a longer document or report. Here are some common instances when an executive summary is used:

• Business proposals: When submitting a business proposal to potential investors, partners, or stakeholders, an executive summary is often included. It provides a concise overview of the proposal, highlighting the key aspects such as the business idea, market analysis, competitive advantage, financial projections, and recommended actions.
• Reports and research studies: Lengthy reports or research studies often include an executive summary at the beginning. This allows decision-makers, executives, or other stakeholders to quickly understand the purpose, methodology, findings, and recommendations of the report without going through the entire document.
• Project updates: During the course of a project, project managers may prepare executive summaries to provide updates to stakeholders or higher-level management. These summaries give a brief overview of the project's progress, achievements, challenges, and upcoming milestones.
• Strategic plans: When developing strategic plans for an organization, an executive summary is often included to provide an overview of the plan's goals, objectives, strategies, and key initiatives. It allows executives and stakeholders to grasp the essence of the strategic plan and its implications without reading the entire document.
• Funding requests: When seeking funding for a project or venture, an executive summary is commonly used as part of the funding proposal. It provides a succinct summary of the project, highlighting its significance, potential impact, financial requirements, and expected outcomes.

In general, an executive summary is used whenever there is a need to communicate the main points, findings, and recommendations of a document concisely and efficiently to individuals who may not have the time or inclination to read the entire content. It serves as a valuable tool for understanding and facilitates quick decision-making.

5 ways project managers can use executive summaries

Project managers can use executive summaries in various ways to effectively communicate project updates, status reports, or proposals to stakeholders and higher-level management. Here are some ways project managers can use executive summaries:

• Project status updates: Project managers can provide regular executive summaries to stakeholders and management to communicate the current status of the project. The summary should include key achievements, milestones reached, challenges encountered, and any adjustments to the project plan. It allows stakeholders to quickly grasp the project's progress and make informed decisions or provide guidance as needed.
• Project proposals: When pitching a project idea or seeking approval for a new project, project managers can prepare an executive summary to present the essential aspects of the project. The summary should outline the project's objectives, scope, anticipated benefits, resource requirements, estimated timeline, and potential risks. It helps decision-makers understand the project's value and make an informed choice about its initiation.
• Project closure reports: At the end of a project, project managers can prepare an executive summary as part of the project closure report. The summary should highlight the project's overall success, key deliverables achieved, lessons learned, and recommendations for future projects. It provides a concise overview of the project's outcomes and acts as a valuable reference for future initiatives.
• Steering committee meetings: When project managers present updates or seek guidance from a steering committee or governance board, an executive summary can be an effective tool. The summary should cover the important aspects of the project, such as progress, issues, risks, and upcoming milestones. It ensures that decision-makers are well-informed about the project's status and can provide relevant guidance or support.
• Change requests: When submitting a change request for a project, project managers can include an executive summary to summarize the proposed change, its impact on the project, potential risks, and benefits. It helps stakeholders and decision-makers quickly assess the change request and make informed decisions about its implementation.

Using executive summaries, project managers can efficiently communicate project-related information to stakeholders, executives, and decision-makers. The summaries provide a concise overview of the project's status, proposals, or closure reports, allowing stakeholders to quickly understand the key points and take appropriate action.

When should you not use an executive summary?

While executive summaries are widely used in many situations, there are some cases where they may not be necessary or suitable. Here are a few scenarios where an executive summary may not be appropriate, along with alternative approaches:

• Highly technical documents: If the document contains highly technical or specialized information that requires a detailed understanding, an executive summary alone may not be sufficient. In such cases, it is better to provide the complete document and supplement it with explanatory materials, presentations , or meetings where experts can explain and discuss the technical details.
• Personal or creative writing: Executive summaries are typically used for informational or analytical documents. If the content is more personal in nature, such as a memoir, novel, or creative piece, an executive summary may not be relevant. Instead, focus on providing an engaging introduction or book blurb that entices readers and conveys the essence of the work.
• Short documents: If the document itself is already concise and can be easily read in its entirety, an executive summary may be redundant. In these cases, it is more effective to present the complete document without an additional summary.
• Interactive presentations: In situations where you can present information interactively, such as in meetings, workshops, or conferences, it may be more effective to engage the audience directly rather than relying solely on an executive summary. Use visual aids, demonstrations, discussions, and Q&A sessions to convey the necessary information and capture the audience's attention.

Final thoughts on writing a compelling executive summary

An executive summary isn’t the kitchen sink — it’s the bells and whistles. Geared toward busy decision-makers, these one-pagers communicate your case for action and proposed solutions. When it’s written well, your audience will walk away with an understanding of what needs to be done, why it needs to happen, and why they should help it move forward. 

But writing it well doesn’t just mean spell-checking. It means tailoring your communication to an influential, yet busy and distracted audience. To be effective, you’ll need to write your proposal with empathy and an understanding of what matters to them .

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Allaya Cooks-Campbell

With over 15 years of content experience, Allaya Cooks Campbell has written for outlets such as ScaryMommy, HRzone, and HuffPost. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and is a certified yoga instructor as well as a certified Integrative Wellness & Life Coach. Allaya is passionate about whole-person wellness, yoga, and mental health.

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Free Executive Summary Template [PDF + Masterful Examples]

Use these templates to craft an effective executive summary for your business or project.

According to Time Magazine, 55% of people only read a piece of content for 15 seconds. Attention spans across the board are at an all-time low —  including those of potential investors and project stakeholders. If you want to capture and hold interest, then you need to craft an engaging executive summary that can effectively hold someone’s focus.

Before you dive into the details of your business plan or project proposal,  your first step should be an executive summary that captures the attention of those in a position to give buy-in.

Think of the executive summary as the back cover of your book. It convinces readers to purchase a copy because the storyline is worth their time. An investor or C-level executive with limited time probably won’t feel motivated to read a full business or product plan without a compelling executive summary.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to write a captivating executive summary, what to include in the document, and jumpstart yours with customizable templates.

What is an executive summary? 

An executive summary is a brief synopsis of a larger document such as a report or business plan. It provides a quick overview of your business plan with details like a description of your company, financial information, and market analysis.

The executive summary is made for lenders, investors, and busy executives who don’t have time to read the full proposal.

Done right, it zeroes in on what your prospective investor or project sponsor wants to hear and clearly communicates the value of your business or plan. Many investors or stakeholders will only read the executive summary during the first contact with your business, so all the information they need should be included. 

The goals of an executive summary include:

• Grab the reader’s attention
• Tell them what to expect in the business plan so they are motivated to keep reading
• Provide a high-level overview of your company, your short-term and long-term goals
• Acts as an elevator pitch

What is an executive summary in a business plan?

An executive summary in a business plan is a concise overview that provides a snapshot of the key elements of the plan as it pertains to the business overall. It outlines the business concept, objectives, market analysis, financial projections, and other essential information. The executive summary serves as a summary and introduction to the entire business plan, allowing lenders, investors, and decision-makers to quickly grasp the main points and make informed decisions.

What is an executive summary in project management?

An executive summary in project management is a summary of the most critical information of your project proposal. It’s everything that management needs to know when they land on your project before they review your project plan .

An executive summary in project management shouldn’t be confused with a project overview. While they have similar elements, an executive summary can stand alone as a document, while a project overview needs to be attached to your project.

Executive summary vs abstract

An abstract summarizes a document like a journal article while an executive summary sums up a longer document.

An abstract is mostly used in academia as a requirement when submitting conference papers, book proposals, or applying for a research grant. The abstract is not an excerpt but an original document that is self-sufficient.

An executive summary is aimed at a business audience. It contains information to help executives make funding decisions. Where the language in an abstract is technical, the language of an executive summary is non-technical. An executive summary is written as a condensed version of a project plan to secure buy-in while an abstract is written for orientation.

Executive summary vs introduction

The introduction is the first part of your project plan or business plan. It explains what the project is about and the goals you want to achieve. On the other hand, the executive summary is a standalone document condensed into a few paragraphs. It is thorough and high-level. Decision-makers can choose to read only the executive summary and still get the gist of the entire project proposal.

Think of the introduction as the first few pages of a long book with many chapters and an executive summary like a short book with only one chapter. You can understand both context and storyline when you read a short book. 

What should an executive summary include? 

For a project .

What is the problem you’re going to solve? What product plan, customer feedback, or insight led to this project? Why should it happen now ? These are questions to lead with in the opening paragraph of your executive summary.

What steps or methods are you taking to solve the problems you’ve listed in the opening paragraph? What are the goals and objectives you’ll achieve at the end of the project? Detail the answers in this section.

Value proposition

This is an important section where you briefly explain the value of the outcome. What is the ROI of the solution you’ve proposed? How will it improve service delivery and customer experience?

In a few sentences reiterate why it’s important to solve the problem now and the next steps or actions you want the reader to take.

For a business plan 

Introduction  .

For a business plan, the introduction is an opening statement that explains the purpose of the document. Your goal is to grab and hold the reader’s attention by clearly communicating the value of the business and the desired outcome. 

Company description

Include the following details in the company description:

• Business name and location
• Contact information
• Description of the purpose
• Leadership, founders, and current investors at your company
• The team responsible for the project

Products and services

Briefly explain the problem you’re going to solve. If you’ve conducted research that shows a need for the proposal, include your findings here. Also, explain how you’ll accomplish the project goals and what you’ll need for success.

Market analysis

A few questions to answer in this section include:

• Is there a market opportunity for the problem? 
• How do you plan to grow your customer base and expand your market share? 
• What is the five-year growth plan for this product/service? 
• What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about your target audience that the reader should know?

Competitive analysis

Questions to answer as part of your competitive analysis include:

• Who are your competitors?
• What are the present and future opportunities?
• What is the unique value proposition of the product or service?
• Do you have experience with competitors?
• What are the risks particular to this niche or line of product?
• What roadblocks do you expect to address?

Funding request and use

Use this section to sweeten the pot for investors. How much will you need to fund your business? What is the profitability of your business? How will investors benefit?

Financial projections 

Include financial data that supports your research such as:

• The budget baseline for your business plan
• Your projected revenue for the first three years
• Your plan to manage finances
• Your current and future business finances

Conclusion  

The conclusion is a recap of the problem and the solution. Ask about the decision you want the reader to take. The outcomes should be obvious but leave room for intrigue so they feel compelled to read the rest of the business proposal.

Executive summary examples 

Executive summary presentation.

Often, executive summaries are presented to stakeholders in addition to the document. Get the templates below to snag these PowerPoint executive summary presentation templates.

One-page executive summary template  

A one-page executive summary is a short document with a big impact. You’ll present it as a mini version of a project plan during a meeting with decision-makers or as a business plan when pitching investors.

A few details to include in a one-page executive summary:

• Business name
• Financial information
• Use of funding
• Management team
• Business model
• Unique value proposition
• Competitive advantage
• Go-to-market strategy

Startup executive summary template

Your startup executive summary could be the difference between getting a pitch meeting or not. Venture capitalists and investors and overwhelmed with pitches from startups looking for a partnership. 

An executive summary is the fastest way for them to learn about your company and evaluate its potential. It’s usually a one-page document that is concise, yet detailed and engaging. Before writing your startup executive summary, determine the goal and ensure it matches what potential investors want to see.

Details to include in your startup executive summary:

• A description of your product or service
• The value proposition
• Market analysis showing the merit of the project
• Your current business model and future plans
• An explanation of your market and customer base
• Financial projections and funding request
• Other special information that could sway a decision in your favor

Business plan executive summary template

The business plan executive summary shouldn’t exceed two pages. Make sure you’ve tailored it to your audience to show why the opportunity is special. An executive summary for a business plan should include:

• Mission statement
• Company information with details about your services or product
• Business highlights describing how you’ve grown over the years. Include details of revenue increase, number of customers, profitability, revenue increase, and market share
• Future goals
• Financial summary
• A closing sentence that reassures the value of the plan

Project executive summary template

The goal of a project executive summary is to show what life will look like after you’ve executed the project. Your executive summary should tell a story that helps the reader visualize the solution and inspire them to choose you.

The executive summary should be written as the final step of your project proposal template. This way, you save time revising the content.

Details to include in a project executive summary:

• Summary of the challenge the client wants to solve
• Description of how you’ll solve the pain point
• Overview explaining how you’ve solved similar problems in the past
• Unique value that competitors don’t offer

Marketing plan executive summary template

An executive summary for a marketing plan offers an overview of how you’ll reach your intended audience and drive conversions.

Details to include in a marketing plan executive summary:

• Introduction
• Brief description of your company and key leaders
• Project goals and objectives
• Your product or services and the major features and benefits
• Description of market factors and trends affecting them
• Who is your audience and how will you reach them?
• Financial projections

Healthcare executive summary template

A healthcare executive summary template is used in formal communications for hospitals, government health agencies, and nonprofits. The template accommodates longer-research proposal plans targeted at a wider audience of the general public, external investors, and management.

Details to include in healthcare executive summary:

• Project topic
• Overview of the organization
• Two to three key problems that have a profound impact on quality care, operations, or regulatory compliance
• A proposed solution to each identified problem
• Obstacles and opportunities
• Policy changes and program proposal
• Vision and recommendation

Executive summary report template

An executive summary for a research or analyst report offers an overview of key points from the research.

Details to include in a report executive summary report:

• Brief description of your company
• Analysis findings
• Why these findings matter

Here's an example: 

How to write an executive summary

1. write a problem-based introduction.

Use the opening paragraph to explain why your project matters. Outline the problem with supporting research or customer feedback to strengthen your claim. The reader should understand why it’s important to solve the problem now and the relevance to your customer base. 

A powerful way to grab attention is to open with a customer quote or thought-provoking statistic that forces the reader to sit up and listen.

For example:

“I wish this camera had a longer battery life span so I could record an entire football game on 4K without switching to full HD when the battery is low .” - Customer review

In a recent survey, 70% of our customers expressed a desire for a camera with a longer battery life that could last up to six hours while recording in 4k. 80% said they wouldn’t mind paying more for the convenience of not having to log extra battery packs when going out. To serve our existing clientele and improve our market share, we need to create a camcorder that performs at optimal levels while using fewer resources on battery life.

2. Tell your story

Use storytelling to explain the mission statement of your organization. Explain how you’ll use your skill and experience to solve the problem you’ve highlighted in the introduction. Storytelling sets the tone and gets the reader excited about reading the project plan.

3. Make sure you’ve done the research 

While an executive summary is short, it’s loaded with research. Research shows that you know your competitors, understand your target audience, and have a plan for capturing a significant market share.

Think of your executive summary like an elevator pitch. If an investor only read your executive summary without making it to the project proposal or business plan, what would you want them to know?

4. Outline the solution

After telling the reader the pain points and explaining your business credentials, use a bullet list to outline the solution. Your goal is to convince the reader that your solution is the best fit. Save deliverables and milestones for the project proposal. Instead, describe what will happen during the project so the user can picture the outcome working for them.

5. Show the value of the solution 

This is where you get into more details about the impact of the solution. Explain how the results provide relief and improve ROI for the company. include potential risks that may arise and relevant financial information such as income projections.

6. Formal or informal tone?

While an executive summary usually has a formal tone, your decisions should be based on your audience. 

Presenting to your C-level executives in your company? What language do they respond to? Don’t be afraid to break the mold if it gets the desired results. However, avoid clichés as they rub readers the wrong way.

If you’re presenting to investors, use language that resonates with your audience. Use personal pronouns like “I”, “you” and “we” over impersonal pronouns like “they” or “the company.

7. Make sure the summary can stand alone 

If you follow the clearly defined structure we’ve listed above, your executive summary can stand on its own merit. Keep revising the document until you’ve achieved this goal. The introduction, problem, solution, and conclusion should be detailed, yet concise. 

After writing, take a second look and read from the viewpoint of the decision-maker. Is there any section where more context is needed to clear confusion and help the reader understand the summary? Consider linking to a relevant section in the project proposal or explaining briefly in the summary.

8. Be concise

Every word in your executive summary must have an impact. The executive summary is not the place to brainstorm new ideas as it could jeopardize the project plan. 

Avoid using jargon words. Readers without prior knowledge of your company or niche should understand key findings by reading the executive summary alone.

 When you find yourself going deep into details, pull back and ask yourself if this belongs in the project proposal or executive summary. The goal is to keep the executive summary engaging and actionable.

9. Proofread for errors 

Before sending it off to executives or potential investors, read through the document three times in order to catch errors. It also helps to send it to a colleague to review with a fresh pair of eyes in case you missed a typo here and there.

10. Write the executive summary last

It takes longer to write an executive summary when you haven’t yet written the project proposal or business plan. Instead, wait to create a summary until you’ve written the full document, then pull details. This ensures that your executive summary captures the information you’ve detailed in the project plan.

Manage your executive summary templates with Guru

An executive summary is a quick and easy way to bring stakeholders up to speed on your project proposal. In a few paragraphs, you can communicate the problem, why it matters now and the key information they need to make a decision.

Rather than creating a new executive summary from scratch, these templates will add impact to your report and speed up the process. Use Guru’s knowledge management software to store your templates, collaborate remotely, and work efficiently on projects.

FAQ for executive summaries

Where does an executive summary go in a report.

Place the executive summary before the table of contents and after the title page. Include a page break before and after the executive summary.

How long should an executive summary be?

Most executive summaries are 5-10% of the length of the project proposal. Ideally, aim for one page for a 20-page project proposal.

Who is the audience of an executive summary?

The audience of an executive summary can include:

• Project stakeholders
• Management personnel who make decisions on funding
• Venture capitalists
• C-level executives

What is included in an executive summary?

Elements to include in an executive summary are:

• A summary of the key points of the project proposal report
• Major points of the report you want the reader to remember
• The goal of the report
• Results and recommendations from the report
• Other details that enable the executive summary to function as a standalone document

Resources >

Ultimate guide to executive summary slides, expand your communications toolkit with these 30 executive summary slide powerpoint templates.

As an independent consultant, it’s helpful to have multiple communication structures in your toolkit. The Ultimate Guide to Executive Summary Slides includes 30 different executive summary structures, grouped into 10 use categories from project kick-off to reporting.

The Ultimate Guide to Executive Summary Slides is grouped into different use categories for executive summary slides:

Project Kickoff

Strategic planning, market analysis and competitive landscape, budget and financial review, operational review, risk management, innovation and product development, decision briefing, status update, results reporting, request the ultimate guide to executive summary slides:.

Continue reading for a look at each of the 30 executive summary slide structures. Each includes:

• Purpose of the slide type
• Typical components (note that a slide might not use all the components listed, they are just a guideline)
• Umbrex slide template
• Example using the slide

We’ve also provided some guidelines for creating effective executive summary slides.

Additional Resource: The Umbrex PowerPoint Slide Template Library — A PowerPoint deck with 200+ slide templates you can customize for your own practice

Vision > Strategy > Action Slide

The Vision > Strategy > Action slide is used to clearly articulate a company’s long-term vision, the strategies it will employ to achieve this vision, and the specific actions that need to be taken. This slide is particularly useful in strategic planning sessions, project kickoffs, and status updates where a clear roadmap is essential.

Components :

• Vision: A concise statement of the long-term goal or aspiration.
• Strategy: Key approaches or methods to achieve the vision.
• Action: Specific steps or initiatives to implement the strategy.

Example slide use:

Three-Part Structure Slide

The Three-Part Structure slide is a straightforward and logical way to present information, commonly used in executive summaries to break down complex topics into three main sections. It can be used in various scenarios such as project kickoffs, status updates, and strategic planning to ensure clarity and focus.

• Introduction: Provides an overview or context for the presentation.
• Main Points: Details the key findings, issues, or components.
• Conclusion: Summarizes the key takeaways and next steps.

Overview Slide

The Overview slide serves as a high-level summary of the key points and structure of a presentation. Its primary purpose is to provide the audience with a clear understanding of what will be covered, set the context, and highlight the main objectives or findings. This slide helps to orient the audience and prepare them for the detailed content that follows.

Title: A concise title that clearly indicates the subject or purpose of the presentation.

Introduction: A brief introduction or background information to set the context for the presentation.

Objectives: A list of the main objectives or goals of the presentation, outlining what the presenter aims to achieve.

Key Points: A summary of the major topics or sections that will be covered in the presentation.

Agenda: An optional agenda that provides a roadmap of the presentation’s structure, including the order of topics and any planned activities or discussions.

Visuals: Relevant visuals, such as images, icons, or graphics, to enhance understanding and engagement.

Strategic Recommendations Slide

The Strategic Recommendations Slide aims to present clear and actionable recommendations based on the analysis and findings of a project or study. This slide should provide a strategic roadmap for achieving desired outcomes, addressing key challenges, and leveraging opportunities.

• Recommendations: Specific recommendations.
• Actions: Detailed action steps or initiatives.
• Expected Outcomes: Explanation of the anticipated results or benefits.

Goal > Obstacle > Strategy > Action Slide

The Goal > Obstacle > Strategy > Action slide is designed to help outline a clear path to achieving specific goals by identifying obstacles, formulating strategies to overcome them, and detailing actionable steps. This slide is useful in strategic planning, project kickoffs, and operational reviews.

• Goal: Define the specific, measurable objective to be achieved.
• Obstacle: Identify the main challenges or barriers to achieving the goal.
• Strategy: Outline the approach or plan to overcome the obstacles.
• Action: List the specific steps or initiatives to implement the strategy.

CLEAR Method Slide

The CLEAR Method is used to provide a clear and concise analysis and recommendations framework. It stands for Context, Lead-in, Evidence, Analysis, and Recommendations. This method is useful in decision briefings, strategic planning, and presenting complex information in a structured manner.

Context: Provide background information and the setting for the issue or project.

Lead-in: Introduce the main topic or problem to be addressed.

Evidence: Present data, facts, and supporting information.

Analysis: Analyze the evidence to draw conclusions.

Recommendations: Offer clear and actionable recommendations based on the analysis.

The 4 P’s Slide

The 4Ps framework (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) is a marketing model used to analyze and optimize the marketing strategy for a product or service. This slide is useful in market analysis, strategic planning, and decision briefings, helping to ensure that all key aspects of the marketing mix are addressed.

• Product: Describe the product or service, its features, and benefits.
• Price: Outline the pricing strategy, including pricing models and positioning.
• Place: Detail the distribution channels and how the product will reach the target market.
• Promotion: Explain the promotional strategies and tactics to create awareness and drive sales.

The 5 C’s Slide

The 5 Cs framework (Company, Competitors, Customers, Collaborators, Climate) is a strategic tool used to analyze and understand the business environment. This slide is useful in market analysis, strategic planning, and competitive analysis, providing a comprehensive view of the internal and external factors affecting a business.

• Internal strengths and weaknesses
• Core competencies and resources

Competitors:

• Key competitors and their market positions
• Competitive advantages and disadvantages
• Target customer segments
• Customer needs and preferences

Collaborators:

• Key partners, suppliers, and alliances
• Role and contributions of collaborators
• External environment including economic, technological, and regulatory factors
• Market trends and dynamics

Trends > Implications > Opportunities Slide

The Trends > Implications > Opportunities slide is designed to analyze current trends, understand their implications, and identify opportunities that arise from these trends. This slide is particularly useful in strategic planning, market analysis, and decision-making processes to help organizations anticipate changes, adapt strategies, and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

• Trends: Identify and describe the key trends affecting the industry, market, or environment. This section should highlight significant patterns, shifts, or developments that are currently influencing or expected to influence the organization.
• Implications: Analyze the implications of these trends on the organization, industry, or market. This section should discuss the potential impacts, challenges, and opportunities that these trends present.
• Opportunities: Identify and outline the specific opportunities that arise from these trends and implications. This section should focus on actionable insights, strategic initiatives, or areas for growth and innovation that the organization can pursue.

Financial Summary Slide

The Financial Summary slide provides a concise overview of a company’s financial performance. It is typically used in budget and financial reviews, strategic planning, and results reporting. The slide highlights key financial metrics, performance trends, and significant financial events or achievements.

Revenue and Profit:

• Summary of revenue and profit figures.
• Year-over-year (YoY) growth rates.
• Breakdown of major expenses.
• Comparison to budget or previous periods.

Key Financial Metrics:

• Important ratios and metrics such as EBITDA, net margin, and ROI.

Financial Highlights:

• Significant financial achievements or events.
• Strategic financial moves (e.g., investments, acquisitions).

Objective > Criteria > Metrics Slide

The Objective > Criteria > Metrics slide is designed to clearly define a specific objective, outline the criteria for success, and identify the metrics to measure progress. This slide is particularly useful in strategic planning, performance reviews, and project management.

• Objective: Define the specific goal or objective to be achieved.
• Criteria: Outline the standards or benchmarks that will be used to judge the success of the objective.
• Metrics: Identify the specific metrics that will be tracked to measure progress towards the objective.

Problem > Solution > Benefit Slide

The Problem > Solution > Benefit slide is used to clearly articulate a problem, propose a solution, and highlight the benefits of implementing the solution. This slide is commonly used in strategic planning, decision briefings, and project kickoffs to ensure that the audience understands the issue, the proposed approach, and the expected positive outcomes.

Problem: Define the specific problem or challenge being addressed.

Solution: Propose a clear and actionable solution to the problem.

Benefit: Highlight the key benefits or positive impacts of the solution.

Logical Flow Slide

The Logical Flow slide is designed to present information in a clear, structured, and sequential manner. This type of slide is particularly useful in strategic planning, project management, and operational reviews, where it’s important to show the logical progression of ideas or steps.

• Introduction: Introduce the main topic or objective.
• Step-by-Step Breakdown: Outline the key steps or stages in the process and provide brief descriptions for each step.
• Conclusion: Summarize the key points and next steps.

Situation > Complication > Resolution Slide

The Situation > Complication > Resolution slide is used to clearly articulate a problem and propose a solution in a structured manner. This slide is particularly useful in strategic planning, decision briefings, and project management to provide a concise and logical progression from problem identification to resolution.

• Situation: Describe the current state or context.
• Complication: Explain the problem or challenge that has arisen.
• Resolution: Propose the solution to address the complication.

Roadmap/Action Plan Slide

The Roadmap/Action Plan slide is designed to outline the strategic steps and milestones needed to achieve specific objectives. This slide is particularly useful in operational reviews, strategic planning, and project management to provide a clear and structured plan of action.

• Key Milestones: Identify the major milestones or phases of the project.
• Action Steps: Outline the specific actions or tasks required to reach each milestone.
• Timeline: Provide a timeline for each action step and milestone.

Problem > Process > Payoff Slide

The Problem > Process > Payoff slide is designed to clearly identify a problem, outline the process to address it, and highlight the benefits or payoff from solving the problem. This slide is particularly useful in risk management, strategic planning, and operational reviews.

Components: 

• Problem : Define the specific issue or risk that needs to be addressed.
• Process : Outline the steps or processes to resolve the problem.
• Payoff : Highlight the benefits or positive outcomes from addressing the problem.

Opportunity > Challenges > Solutions Slide

The Opportunity > Challenges > Solutions slide is designed to identify a significant opportunity, outline the challenges that may hinder capitalizing on this opportunity, and propose solutions to overcome these challenges. This slide is particularly useful in risk management, strategic planning, and decision briefings.

Opportunity: Define the specific opportunity available.

Challenges: Outline the key challenges or obstacles that may prevent seizing the opportunity.

Solutions: Propose clear and actionable solutions to overcome the challenges.

Challenge > Options > Decision Slide

The Challenge > Options > Decision slide is designed to identify a specific challenge, outline potential options to address it, and make a decision based on the analysis. This slide is particularly useful in risk management, strategic planning, and decision-making processes.

Challenge: Define the specific challenge or problem being addressed.

Options: Outline the potential options or solutions to address the challenge.

Decision: Describe the chosen decision and rationale behind it.

Highlights Slide

The Highlights slide is designed to provide a quick overview of the most important points, achievements, or updates from a report, project, or presentation. This slide is useful in executive summaries, progress reports, and strategic reviews to ensure that stakeholders can quickly grasp the key takeaways and significant accomplishments without delving into detailed data. It helps in focusing attention on the most noteworthy information that drives decisions and actions.

• Title: A concise title that reflects the overall theme or subject of the highlights.
• Introduction: A brief introduction to provide context or background for the highlights.
• Key Highlights: A list of the most significant points, each presented clearly and concisely.
• Visuals: Relevant visuals such as charts, graphs, or icons to enhance understanding and retention.

DIVE Framework Slide

The DIVE Framework slide is designed to provide a structured approach to exploring and implementing innovation and product development initiatives. DIVE stands for Describe, Investigate, Visualize, and Execute. This slide is particularly useful in innovation projects, product development, and strategic planning.

Describe : Provide a detailed description of the innovation or product development idea.

Investigate : Conduct research and gather information relevant to the idea.

Visualize : Create visual representations or prototypes to illustrate the concept.

Execute : Outline the steps needed to implement and bring the idea to fruition.

Needs > Features > Advantages > Benefits Slide

The Needs > Features > Advantages > Benefits slide is designed to articulate the specific needs that a new product or service addresses, its key features, the advantages these features provide, and the overall benefits to the customer or client. This slide is particularly useful in product development and innovation projects to ensure a clear value proposition.

• Needs: Define the specific needs or problems that the product or service addresses. Features: Highlight the key features of the product or service. Advantages: Explain the advantages these features offer over existing solutions. Benefits: Describe the overall benefits to the customer or client.

Key Findings Slide

The Key Findings slide is designed to highlight the most important insights, conclusions, or discoveries from research, analysis, or a project. This slide is useful in executive summaries, strategic planning, and project reports to ensure that stakeholders quickly grasp the critical points without getting lost in detailed data. It helps in focusing attention on the most impactful information that drives decisions and actions.

• Title: A concise title that reflects the overall theme or subject of the key findings.
• Introduction: A brief introduction to provide context or background for the findings.
• Findings: A list of the most significant findings, each presented clearly and concisely.
• Implications: A brief explanation of the implications or significance of each finding.

Insight > Action > Outcome Slide

The Insight > Action > Outcome slide is designed to present a key insight, propose specific actions based on that insight, and outline the expected outcomes from those actions. This slide is particularly useful in decision briefings, strategic planning, and executive presentations to ensure clear and actionable recommendations.

• Insight : Present a key finding or insight that has been identified.
• Action : Propose specific actions to be taken based on the insight.
• Outcome : Describe the expected outcomes or benefits from implementing the actions.

Motivation > Opportunity > Ability Slide

The Motivation > Opportunity > Ability slide is designed to provide a clear framework for decision-making by outlining the motivation behind an initiative, the opportunities it presents, and the ability of the organization to capitalize on these opportunities. This slide is particularly useful in decision briefings, strategic planning, and executive presentations.

• Motivation : Explain the reasons or motivations driving the initiative.
• Opportunity : Identify the specific opportunities that can be leveraged.
• Ability : Outline the organization’s ability to seize the opportunities, including resources, capabilities, and readiness.

Status > Action > Impact Slide

The Status > Action > Impact slide is designed to provide a clear and concise update on the current status of a project or initiative, outline the actions being taken, and describe the impact of those actions. This slide is particularly useful in status updates, project management reviews, and operational briefings.

Status : Provide a summary of the current state or progress of the project or initiative.

Action : Outline the key actions being taken to address any issues or to continue progress.

Impact : Describe the anticipated or actual impact of these actions on the project or initiative.

Context > Challenges > Strategies Slide

The Context > Challenges > Strategies slide is designed to provide a comprehensive update by outlining the current context of a project or initiative, identifying key challenges, and presenting strategies to address these challenges. This slide is particularly useful in status updates, project management reviews, and strategic planning sessions.

Context: Provide a summary of the current status or background of the project or initiative.

Challenges: Identify the main challenges or obstacles currently being faced.

Strategies: Outline the strategies or actions being taken to address these challenges.

What > So What > Now What Slide

The What > So What > Now What slide is designed to provide a structured and logical flow of information that helps the audience understand the significance of a topic and determine the next steps. This slide is useful in presentations that require clarity in problem-solving, strategic planning, and decision-making by addressing the issue, its importance, and the proposed actions.

• What: Define the specific issue, fact, or data point being presented. This section provides the basic information or context needed to understand the topic.
• So What: Explain the significance or implications of the information. This section answers why the audience should care about the information and what impact it has on the organization or project.
• Now What: Outline the proposed actions or next steps based on the information and its implications. This section provides clear, actionable recommendations or strategies to address the issue or leverage the information. 

Priority > Action > Impact Slide

The Priority > Action > Impact slide is designed to identify key priorities, outline the actions being taken to address these priorities, and describe the impact of these actions. This slide is particularly useful in strategic planning, project management, and results reporting to ensure that stakeholders understand what is being prioritized, the specific actions being implemented, and the anticipated or achieved outcomes. This structured approach helps in aligning efforts with strategic goals and demonstrating progress and effectiveness.

• Priority: Define the key priorities or objectives that have been identified as critical for the organization or project.
• Action: Outline the specific actions or steps being taken to address each priority, detailing the initiatives, strategies, or tasks involved.
• Impact: Describe the anticipated or actual impact of these actions, highlighting the outcomes, benefits, or improvements resulting from addressing the priorities.

SUCCESS Method Slide

The SUCCESS Method slide is designed to ensure that key messages in a report are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Story-driven. This method is particularly useful in results reporting to make the presentation of findings more engaging and memorable.

• Simple : Present the core message in a clear and straightforward manner.
• Unexpected : Capture attention with surprising or unexpected elements.
• Concrete : Use specific and tangible details to support the message.
• Credible : Provide credible sources or evidence to back up the claims.
• Emotional : Appeal to the audience’s emotions to make the message resonate.
• Story-driven : Use storytelling to create a compelling narrative.

Summary > Background > Analysis > Recommendation Slide

The Summary > Background > Analysis > Recommendation slide is designed to provide a comprehensive yet concise presentation of a particular issue, project, or initiative. This slide is useful in strategic planning, decision-making processes, and executive briefings to ensure that stakeholders have a clear understanding of the topic, the context behind it, the detailed analysis conducted, and the recommended course of action. This structured approach helps in making informed decisions and setting clear directions.

• Summary: Provide a concise summary of the content or decision points.
• Background: Give a brief background that informs the current situation or decision.
• Analysis: Offer a detailed analysis supporting the summary and background.
• Recommendation: End with strong recommendations based on the analysis, guiding the audience towards intended actions or decisions.

Real-world Examples of Executive Summary Slides:

Guidelines for creating strong executive summary slides:.

Clarity and Brevity :

• Use clear and concise language.
• Focus on essential information only; avoid unnecessary details.

Logical Structure :

• Start with an overview of the topic or problem.
• Follow with key findings or insights.
• Conclude with recommendations and next steps.

Visual Appeal :

• Use bullet points, infographics, and charts to present information visually.
• Maintain a clean, professional design with consistent fonts, colors, and formatting.

Actionable Insights :

• Emphasize practical and actionable recommendations.
• Ensure that each point is directly relevant to the decision-makers’ interests and concerns.

Key Data and Metrics :

• Include critical data points and metrics that support your findings and recommendations.
• Use visuals like graphs and tables to make data easily digestible.

Engaging Narrative :

• Tell a coherent story that guides the audience through the key points.
• Use headings and subheadings to create a logical flow.

Tailored Content :

• Customize the content to address the specific interests and needs of the executive audience.
• Highlight how the information impacts the organization’s goals and strategies.

Additional Resource

Umbrex also offers a comprehensive library of more than 200 PowerPoint slide templates , used by major consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain, and BCG.

This PPT deck includes templates for slides such as:

• Text slides
• Column charts
• Line charts
• Scatter plots
• Concept slides
• Flow charts
• Consulting frameworks

Click below to view this resource:

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How To Write an Executive Summary (with examples)

An effective executive summary can mean the difference between a client win and the recycle bin. It's arguably the most valuable component of any business proposal , but many people get confused when it comes time to put pen to paper.

An executive summary is not actually about summarizing at all; it’s about selling. Here’s how to write a proposal executive summary that seals the deal, including the 5 key components you need and some helpful dos and don'ts.

(This article was originally published on 7/4/2017 and updated on 05/16/2023)

There is so much dissent surrounding the executive summary of a proposal— Where does the executive summary go? How long should an executive summary be? How do you format an executive summary? These uncertainties can add to the already stressful task of getting a winning proposal written, designed, and delivered to the prospective client on time. It’s time to set things straight.

What is an executive summary?

The executive summary is arguably the most valuable component of any proposal. It serves as an introduction, allowing readers to quickly get acquainted with your proposal by outlining what’s to come. It gives you an opportunity to sell your proposed solution and explain why the prospective client should choose you over the competition.

The purpose of an executive summary

First of all, the term “executive summary” needs a rebrand. The name itself speaks of stuffy suits, boring, jargon-filled reports, and boardrooms filled with cigar smoke and people ready to say no.

They can’t wait to read your executive summary.

In all seriousness, the word “summary” can be misleading, and this is the first mistake people often make when it comes to writing their executive summary. They think that the purpose of an executive summary is to explain the entire proposal in 250 words. But it’s not.

The real purpose of an executive summary is to engage your prospective client. It helps the prospect quickly decide whether they're going to read the rest of the proposal, pass it on to other decision-makers, or if it's destined for the recycle bin.

So you better make it good.

The executive summary of your proposal needs to grab the reader’s attention and pique their interest. Even though you and your team spent painstaking hours writing this proposal, selecting just the right graphics, and coming up with the best solution for your potential client’s problem, they may only read this one page and then flip to your pricing table.

That’s why this section needs to be specific and persuasive, with a focus on results and benefits of your company/product/service, rather than describing features. You can save the features for the body of the proposal.

When should you write the executive summary?

Whether you write the executive summary before or after the rest of the proposal is as contentious as the debate about the best part of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: the chocolate or the peanut butter.

Some people feel that you should write the executive summary first because it can help you outline your concept and organize your thoughts for the entire proposal. That way, it acts as a guide for members of your team who are tasked with preparing sections of the proposal, ensuring that the big idea is consistent throughout, and that all necessary components are included.

Others feel strongly that you should write the executive summary after you’ve prepared the rest of the proposal because you’ve had a chance to work through the objectives and the solutions, and you’ll have a better idea of what to say and how to say it. Plus, things may have changed since you first started the proposal, so you might need to adjust your approach.

How to format an executive summary

The format of an executive summary is an important consideration that many people overlook. What do you include? How do you arrange the sections? To help you get started, here are the components of a good proposal executive summary:

The Opener: Capture their attention

You need an opener that's compelling. A way to get the potential client’s attention right away, and you do that by talking about THEM, not about you. Focus on the issue and the result, but be direct, concise, and evocative.

This is the time to hook them in — get them excited about what they’re going to read next.

The Need: We get it

Before a client hires you, they want to know that you get them. You can’t solve a problem that you don’t understand. This section of the executive summary is where you demonstrate your grasp of the situation. You could include a bit of your own research or a brief reference to your company’s experience dealing with a similar situation. You should also talk about how the client will benefit from solving the problem — what will change, the positive outcomes, the results.

Again, the focus here is on the prospect and their challenge, not on you and your company.

The Proposed Solution: We’ve got it

Now you’re in the spotlight. This section is where you talk about the brilliant solution you’re proposing and why it will work. But remember, this is just an overview. The prospect can read all the delicious details in the proposal, so keep it high level but still provide enough detail to convince them you have something specific and well thought out for them.

This section should start to provide your prospect with a sense of relief and get them excited about the result.

The Evidence: We can do it

It's time to show your stuff. Talk about why your company, your team, or your product is not only willing to take this challenge on, but how and why you're qualified to do so. Demonstrate what sets you apart and why they should choose you over the competition.

Maybe this is your niche market and you have lots of experience helping other companies with a similar issue. Maybe it’s a particular skill set your team possesses, your research, your algorithm, or your project management process. Or maybe you’ve won 27 Academy Awards for best picture, and you know you can make this a hit.

Talk about WHY you can make this a successful project and deliver results, but (broken record) keep it brief.

The Call to Action: Let’s do it

Keeping in mind that the purpose of the executive summary is to sell, it’s now time to close the deal.

Make the client feel like they have no other chance for happiness than to hire you and proves your solution is the one that will make their dreams come true.

Talk about why you want to work with them — a little flattery goes a long way — and about how, as partners, you will be successful.

Executive Summary Examples

Without further adieu, here are four (fictional) business proposal executive summary examples that will get your prospects excited to work with you.

1. Example of Ecommerce Executive Summary

Prospect: Gyuto -- Japanese chef knife brand Sender: ThinkBig -- Shopify design agency Project title: Shopify ecommerce Proposal

Gyuto sells what is arguably the coolest line of artisanal, sustainably-sourced kitchen knives in the world. They're handmade in Japan, capable of slicing tomatoes as thin as paper, and surprisingly affordable, considering the attention to detail. But as impressive as Gyuto knives are, you've got a static website that merely showcases low-res photos of your product line and requires customers to pick up the phone and place orders manually.

As you're well aware, placing orders manually is not sustainable. It’s severely limiting your potential for sales, and it's negatively affecting the way your customers perceive and experience the Gyuto brand. You need an ecommerce store so that customers can easily buy products from you directly at any time, from anywhere, however they want. This is the only way to grow your business online.

Lucky for you (and 1,000,000 other retailers around the world) there's Shopify. Shopify is an awesome hosted ecommerce app that empowers retailers with an easy-to-use, easy-to-manage, customizable online store and secure checkout. Shopify gives you control over the look and feel of your store and allows you to add products, manage inventory, track sales, and more. It's hassle-free ecommerce that allows you to focus on other aspects of your business.

We'll focus on implementing Shopify and leveraging its features to help drive Gyuto revenue and improve your customer experience. We'll also include powerful search and categorization so customers can easily and quickly find what they're looking for. We use best practices so that product pages convert users to add more items to their shopping cart. And then, most importantly, we’ll guide people down the conversion funnel to complete the checkout process. With this solution, we aim to grow your monthly sales by 50% within the next six months.

Here at ThinkBig, we're proud to be Shopify experts. That means we're among an elite group of developers who have been trained and approved by Shopify to help businesses like yours grow their online presence. Our Shopify status only enhances our already extensive knowledge of ecommerce trends, functionality, customer behaviour, and design. We've helped many businesses transform underperforming sites to an all-out sales boom just by improving their online shopping experience.

We love working with companies like Gyuto. Those who embrace the changes required for growth while still honouring their brand values and customer loyalty. With this attitude, a partnership with ThinkBig can transform Gyuto from mom and pop shop to family-run global online enterprise in a way that is manageable, sustainable, and profitable. We've done it for superstar brands like Dollar Shave Club, and for soon-to-be star brands like Rum Runners Rum Cake Factory.

If you're ready to increase your monthly sales by 50% in 6 months, we're ready to take you there. This proposal outlines in more detail how we'll do it, and what you can expect along the way. But your biggest expectation should be one of success.

As you can see, ThinkBig addresses all five aspects of a winning executive summary. They focus on the client with the opener, identify the prospect's need in the second paragraph, offer a solution with evidence to back it up, and include a clear call-to-action. While this sample executive summary is on the longer side, it tells the prospect exactly why ThinkBig is right for the job before they even get to the meat of the proposal.

2. Example of Marketing Executive Summary

Prospect: Pete’s Pizzeria -- Toronto pizza restaurant Sender: uGrow -- Social media marketing agency Project title: Social Media Marketing Proposal

Pete’s Pizzeria has been our favorite restaurant since the very first day we moved our offices to Toronto. The crispy-yet-fluffy crust is to die for, the sauce is otherworldly, and don’t even get us started on that fresh buffalo mozzarella you use. Surely this isn’t the first time you’re hearing this, but we have a feeling that you don’t hear it often enough. We noticed that you don’t have much of a social media presence, which is unfortunate because we think that everyone in the city should be lining up to eat at Pete’s Pizzeria.

If you weren’t already aware, social media is one of the most effective ways to expand your reach and grow your business. Without it, you’re leaving a giant, untapped pool of potential customers on the table and you risk losing existing, hungry customers to other restaurants that they follow. What you need is a social media marketing strategy to showcase your delicious restaurant in order to increase sales and customer loyalty.

Fortunately, uGrow can help. We’ll leverage Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to get your name out to millions of users. Here’s how: First, we’ll get you set up on each of the platforms and work with you to establish the Pete’s Pizzeria brand and voice. Then, we’ll take some stunning pictures of your food and write captions with trending hashtags. After that, we’ll create a consistent content calendar and posting schedule to maximize engagement. And to top it all off, we’ll manage all of the accounts to grow follower counts and increase traffic to your website. With this approach, we expect to increase your sales by 25% before year end.

At uGrow, we specialize in helping small, Toronto restaurants like Pete’s Pizzeria reach their full potential and grow their business. We’ve worked with over 75 restaurants across the city and throughout the GTA, and every one of our clients saw an increase in sales within three months of us taking over their social media. We’ve had several posts go viral, which resulted in our clients’ restaurants being completely sold out for the following weeks. All this to say: we love Pete’s Pizzeria and want to help you get the attention you deserve.

If you’re interested in increasing your sales by at least 25% by the end of the year, we can make it happen. This proposal goes into more detail on how exactly we plan to execute on your social media marketing strategy, and what you can expect once we start. Let’s get Pete’s Pizzeria trending.

In this sample executive summary, uGrow does a great job at playing to Pete’s Pizzeria’s pain points (whew!), and offers specific solutions and outcomes to build credibility with the prospect. uGrow also makes a great use of social proof to demonstrate its effectiveness with evidence from past clients.

3. Example of Cleaning Services Executive Summary

Prospect: ELC Holdings -- Property management company Sender: CLEAND -- Commercial cleaning services company Project title: Cleaning Services Proposal

With over 15,000 rentals in 3 states, ELC Holdings is one of the biggest property management companies in the midwest. Your growing portfolio of residential and commercial properties is seriously impressive, but we heard you could use some help keeping your commercial spaces in good shape. As people begin to return to the office, it’s essential that your properties are clean, safe, and compliant to public health guidelines.

As you know, maintaining commercial spaces is no walk in the park. It takes a lot of time and effort to clean even one floor, let alone 4. And that’s just one of your many buildings. But now more than ever, it’s important that your spaces are well-maintained so that your tenants feel safe and secure. It’s not an easy task, especially if you lack the staff and equipment. This is why you need commercial cleaning services.

Having spent over 25 years in the cleaning services industry, we’ve built an experienced team and an arsenal of cleaning equipment that will leave your building absolutely spotless. We offer daily, weekly, and biweekly cleaning arrangements to ensure that your buildings are always in perfect shape for your tenants. From the carpets to the ceilings and everything in between, we can help you clean and sanitize every last corner of your properties so you can rest assured that your tenants are happy.

CLEAND specializes in commercial cleaning services, and has worked with over 200 businesses across the Midwest. We currently have contracts with the United Center and the Auditorium Building in Chicago, and haven’t had a single complaint in the 10 years they’ve been using our services. We provide consistent, reliable results, and stand by our commitment to quality. In fact, if you aren’t happy with our services, we’ll pay the first month’s bill if you switch to another cleaning services company.

ELC Holdings is one of the biggest property management companies in the Midwest, and CLEAND is one of the best cleaning services companies in the area. What do you say we join forces? This proposal outlines how our services could benefit your company, and details what to expect if you choose to seize this opportunity.

This sample cleaning services executive summary immediately highlights the prospect’s pain points and explains why CLEAND is uniquely positioned to help relieve them. It incorporates all five components of a well-written executive summary and even highlights different service offerings before the prospect digs into the solutions section of CLEAND’s cleaning services proposal .

4. Executive Summary Template Example

Here's an example of an executive summary made using a customizable proposal template from Proposify's gallery.

Of course every executive summary needs to be tailored to your specific project, your potential client's needs, and your brand voice. But if you're looking for more inspiration, we have many other business proposal templates that you can customize yourself.

Executive summary tips: The Do’s and Don’ts

Some other important points and guidelines to keep in mind when writing your executive summary:

Do: use a template for your executive summary Getting started is the hardest part of writing a proposal executive summary. If you’re struggling to get the ball rolling, consider using a business proposal template that includes a sample executive summary. This can help ensure that you cover everything an executive summary should include.

Don’t: make it too long

Some people recommend that the executive summary should be 10% of your entire proposal, but it’s best if you try to keep it to one page, two tops if it’s a larger proposal. Be mindful that if you’re working on an RFP, they may already set out a particular length limit, so you’ll want to stick to that.

Don’t: use jargon

This rule applies to everything but is especially important when writing proposals. Jargon can act as a smokescreen to mask the fact that someone doesn’t really know what they’re talking about, or it can confuse people if they’re not familiar with the same terms.

Don’t: use overly technical language

Unless you are absolutely sure that the only person who will read the executive summary is an engineer or a developer or someone who will understand exactly what you’re talking about, don’t get too technical. In some situations, you may need to reference certain details, but remember that this is a persuasive document—sell the benefits, not the features. Save the tech stuff for the proposal.

Don’t: talk about your company history

The history of your company does not belong in the executive summary. After all, the executive summary is about your prospective client, not about you. However, if it is appropriate and relevant, put it in the body of the proposal under “About Us” or something.

Do: focus on your prospective client

Think about what they want to know, not what you want to tell them. Like any piece of copy, you need to write for your audience, so make sure you think about them; what turns them off and what turns them on.

Do: mention your potential client’s company name

People like to hear their names and the same holds true for businesses. Make sure you reference your prospect’s full company name several times in the executive summary, so they feel like you’re focused on them.

Do: use plain language

The regular rules for writing apply to executive summaries. Use simple, short sentences that are clear and can be understood at almost any reading level, especially if you might be writing for people whose first language is not English. Don’t be pretentious - you’ll come off like an ass. Be concise, and be persuasive. Here are some more writing tips for writing an effective business proposal .

Do: proofread and edit

This probably goes without saying, but you really, really don’t want any typos in your executive summary. Get more than one set of eyes on your document before it goes out, and preferably someone who wasn’t involved in its creation.

We hope this executive summary guide will help turn your ho-hum executive summaries into wicked pitches of excellence. Remember to be persuasive, not pedantic. And if anyone has a suggestion on a new name for executive summary, bring it on.

Director of Communications @proposify. Channeling Maria Von Trapp, Queen Elizabeth II, and my taxi-driving, yard-sale-obsessed grandmother. Professional word nerd and unapologetic disciple of the Oxford comma. Connect on LinkedIn

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Executive Summary Presentation Templates

Make your executive summaries stand out with our executive summary powerpoint templates and google slides themes. crafted for clarity and impact, our 100% editable designs help you highlight key points and present data persuasively. ideal for professionals aiming to impress free downloads are available. make every summary an opportunity to excel..

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What is an executive summary.

An Executive Summary is a brief and clear overview of a larger document prepared for business purposes, such as business plans, company descriptions, investment or project proposals, financial information, market analysis, etc.

What are Executive Summary Presentation Templates?

An Executive Summary Presentation Template can help you present the key components related to your business in a summarized form. It will deliver your content appealingly to unlock new business opportunities.

Where can we use these Executive Summary Slides?

Every business can use these Executive Summary Slides to give a quick overview of essential information to the stakeholders and investors.

How can I make Executive Summary Slides in a presentation?

You can make creative Executive Summary Slides with innovative infographics, charts, and tables to make your summary easy to follow. Our tips and tutorial page will guide you to design the best presentation from scratch.

Who can use Executive Summary Presentation Templates?

CEOs, business executives, department heads, and supervisors can use Executive Summary Presentation Templates to present the summary.

Why do we need Executive Summary Presentation Slides?

Executive Summary Presentation Slides can help you deliver a summary of a larger document clearly and precisely to persuade decision-makers.

Where can I find Executive Summary Presentation Templates for Free?

You can search the internet to find a collection of Free slides for your needs. SlideEgg also has a cluster of 80+ Executive Summary Presentation Templates to help to prepare professional-looking presentations.

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How to Write an Executive Summary (Example & Template Included)

Here’s the good news: an executive summary is short. It’s part of a larger document like a business plan, business case or project proposal and, as the name implies, summarizes the longer report.

Here’s the bad news: it’s a critical document that can be challenging to write because an executive summary serves several important purposes. On one hand, executive summaries are used to outline each section of your business plan, an investment proposal or project proposal. On the other hand, they’re used to introduce your business or project to investors and other stakeholders, so they must be persuasive to spark their interest.

What Is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a short section of a larger document like a business plan , investment proposal or project proposal. It’s mostly used to give investors and stakeholders a quick overview of important information about a business plan like the company description, market analysis and financial information.

It contains a short statement that addresses the problem or proposal detailed in the attached documents and features background information, a concise analysis and a conclusion. An executive summary is designed to help executives and investors decide whether to go forth with the proposal, making it critically important. Pitch decks are often used along with executive summaries to talk about the benefits and main selling points of a business plan or project.

Unlike an abstract, which is a short overview, an executive summary format is a condensed form of the documents contained in the proposal. Abstracts are more commonly used in academic and research-oriented writing and act as a teaser for the reader to see if they want to read on.

Executive Summary Format & Template

To put all of that information together, here’s the basic format of an executive summary. You can find this same information in our free executive summary template :

• Introduction, be sure to know your audience
• Table of contents in the form of a bulleted list
• Explain the company’s role and identify strengths
• Explain the need, or the problem, and its importance
• Recommend a solution and explain its value
• Justify said solution by explaining how it fits the organization
• A strong conclusion that once more wraps up the importance of the project

You can use it as an executive summary example and add or remove some of its elements to adjust it to your needs. Our sample executive summary has the main elements that you’ll need project executive summary.

How to Write an Executive Summary

The pressure of writing an executive summary comes from the fact that everyone will pay attention to it, as it sits at the top of that heap of documents. It explains all that follows and can make or break your business plan or project plan . The executive summary must know the needs of the potential clients or investors and zero in on them like a laser. Fortunately, we’ll show you how to write and format your executive summary to do just that.

Executive summaries vary depending on the document they’re attached to. You can write an executive summary for a business plan, project proposal, research document, or business case, among other documents and reports. However, when writing an executive summary, there are guidelines to ensure you hit all the bases.

Executive Summary Length

According to the many books that have been written about executive summaries, as well as training courses, seminars and professional speakers, the agreed-upon length for an executive summary format should be about five to 10 percent of the length of the whole report.

Appropriate Language

The language used should be appropriate for the target audience. One of the most important things to know before you write professionally is to understand who you’re addressing. If you’re writing for a group of engineers, the language you’ll use will differ greatly from how you would write to a group of financiers.

That includes more than just the words, but the content and depth of explanation. Remember, it’s a summary, and people will be reading it to quickly and easily pull out the main points.

Pithy Introduction

You also want to capture a reader’s attention immediately in the opening paragraph. Just like a speech often opens with a joke to break the tension and put people at ease, a strong introductory paragraph can pull a reader in and make them want to read on. That doesn’t mean you start with a joke. Stick to your strengths, but remember, most readers only give you a few sentences to win them over before they move on.

Don’t forget to explain who you are as an organization and why you have the skills, personnel and experience to solve the problem raised in the proposal. This doesn’t have to be a lengthy biography, often just your name, address and contact information will do, though you’ll also want to highlight your strengths as they pertain to the business plan or project proposal .

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Executive Summary Template

Use this free Executive Summary Template for Word to manage your projects better.

Relevant Information

The executive summary shouldn’t stray from the material that follows it. It’s a summary, not a place to bring up new ideas. To do so would be confusing and would jeopardize your whole proposal.

Establish the need or the problem, and convince the target audience that it must be solved. Once that’s set up, it’s important to recommend the solution and show what the value is. Be clear and firm in your recommendation.

Justify your cause. Be sure to note the key reasons why your organization is the perfect fit for the solution you’re proposing. This is the point where you differentiate yourself from competitors, be that due to methodology, testimonials from satisfied clients or whatever else you offer that’s unique. But don’t make this too much about you. Be sure to keep the name of the potential client at the forefront.

Don’t neglect a strong conclusion, where you can wrap things up and once more highlight the main points.

Related: 10 Essential Excel Report Templates

What to Include in an Executive Summary

The content of your executive summary must reflect what’s in the larger document which it is part of. You’ll find many executive summary examples on the web, but to keep things simple, we’ll focus on business plans and project proposals.

Getting everything organized for your executive summary can be challenging. ProjectManager can help you get your thoughts in order and collaborate with your team. Our powerful task management tools make it easy to get everything prioritized and done on time. Try it free today.

How to Write an Executive Summary for a Business Plan

As we’ve learned above, your executive summary must extract the main points of all the sections of your business plan. A business plan is a document that describes all the aspects of a business, such as its business model, products or services, objectives and marketing plan , among other things. They’re commonly used by startups to pitch their ideas to investors.

Here are the most commonly used business plan sections:

• Company description: Provide a brief background of your company, such as when it was established, its mission, vision and core values.
• Products & services: Describe the products or services your company will provide to its customers.
• Organization and management: Explain the legal structure of your business and the members of the top management team.
• SWOT analysis: A SWOT analysis explains the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your business. They describe the internal and external factors that impact your business competitiveness.
• Industry & market analysis: This section should provide an overview of the industry and market in which your business will compete.
• Operations: Explain the main aspects of your business operations and what sets it apart from competitors.
• Marketing plan: Your marketing plan describes the various strategies that your business will use to reach its customers and sell products or services.
• Financial planning: Here, you should provide an overview of the financial state of your business. Include income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements.
• Funding request: If you’re creating your business plan to request funding, make sure to explain what type of funding you need, the timeframe for your funding request and an explanation of how the funds will be used.

We’ve created an executive summary example to help you better understand how this document works when using it, to sum up a business plan.

Executive Summary Example

For this executive summary example, we’ll imagine a company named ABC Clothing, a small business that manufactures eco-friendly clothing products and it’s preparing a business plan to secure funding from new investors.

Company Description We are ABC Clothing, an environmentally-friendly manufacturer of apparel. We’ve developed a unique method of production and sourcing of materials that allows us to create eco-friendly products at a low cost . We have intellectual property for our production processes and materials, which gives us an advantage in the market.

• Mission: Our mission is to use recycled materials and sustainable methods of production to create clothing products that are great for our customers and our planet.
• Vision: Becoming a leader in the apparel industry while generating a positive impact on the environment.

Products & Services We offer high-quality clothing products for men, women and all genders. (Here you should include pictures of your product portfolio to spark the interest of your readers)

Industry & Market Analysis Even though the fashion industry’s year-over-year growth has been affected by pandemics in recent years, the global apparel market is expected to continue growing at a steady pace. In addition, the market share of sustainable apparel has grown year-over-year at a higher pace than the overall fashion industry.

Marketing Plan Our marketing plan relies on the use of digital marketing strategies and online sales, which gives us a competitive advantage over traditional retailers that focus their marketing efforts on brick-and-mortar stores.

Operations Our production plant is able to recycle different types of plastic and cotton waste to turn it into materials that we use to manufacture our products . We’ve partnered with a transportation company that sorts and distributes our products inside the United States efficiently and cost-effectively.

Financial Planning Our business is profitable, as documented in our balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. The company doesn’t have any significant debt that might compromise its continuity. These and other financial factors make it a healthy investment.

Funding Request We’re requesting funding for the expansion of our production capacity, which will allow us to increase our production output in order to meet our increasing customer demand, enter new markets, reduce our costs and improve our competitiveness.

If you’d like to see more executive summary examples for your business plan, you can visit the U.S. small business administration website. They have business plans with executive summary examples you can download and use.

Executive summaries are also a great way to outline the elements of a project plan for a project proposal. Let’s learn what those elements are.

How to Write an Executive Summary for a Project Proposal

An executive summary for your project proposal will capture the most important information from your project management plan. Here’s the structure of our executive summary template:

• Introduction: What’s the purpose of your project?
• Company description: Show why you’re the right team to take on the project.
• Need/problem: What is the problem that it’s solving?
• Unique solution: What is your value proposition and what are the main selling points of your project?
• Proof: Evidence, research and feasibility studies that support how your company can solve the issue.
• Resources: Outline the resources needed for the project
• Return on investment/funding request: Explain the profitability of your project and what’s in for the investors.
• Competition/market analysis: What’s your target market? Who are your competitors? How does your company differentiate from them?
• Marketing plan: Create a marketing plan that describes your company’s marketing strategies, sales and partnership plans.
• Budget/financial planning: What’s the budget that you need for your project plan?
• Timeline: What’s the estimated timeline to complete the project?
• Team: Who are the project team members and why are they qualified?
• Conclusions:  What are the project takeaways?

Now that we’ve learned that executive summaries can vary depending on the type of document you’re working on, you’re ready for the next step.

What to Do After Writing an Executive Summary

As with anything you write, you should always start with a draft. The first draft should hit all the marks addressed above but don’t bog yourself down in making the prose perfect. Think of the first draft as an exploratory mission. You’re gathering all the pertinent information.

Next, you want to thoroughly review the document to ensure that nothing important has been left out or missed. Make sure the focus is sharp and clear, and that it speaks directly to your potential client’s needs.

Proofread for Style & Grammar

But don’t neglect the writing. Be sure that you’re not repeating words, falling into cliché or other hallmarks of bad writing. You don’t want to bore the reader to the point that they miss the reason why you’re the organization that can help them succeed.

You’ve checked the content and the prose, but don’t forget the style. You want to write in a way that’s natural and not overly formal, but one that speaks in the manner of your target audience . If they’re a conservative firm, well then, maybe formality is called for. But more and more modern companies have a casual corporate culture, and formal writing could mistakenly cause them to think of you as old and outdated.

The last run should be proofing the copy. That means double-checking to ensure that spelling is correct, and there are no typos or grammatical mistakes. Whoever wrote the executive summary isn’t the best person to edit it, however. They can easily gloss over errors because of their familiarity with the work. Find someone who excels at copy-editing. If you deliver sloppy content, it shows a lack of professionalism that’ll surely color how a reader thinks of your company.

Criticism of Executive Summaries

While we’re advocating for the proper use of an executive summary, it’d be neglectful to avoid mentioning some critiques. The most common is that an executive summary by design is too simple to capture the complexity of a large and complicated project.

It’s true that many executives might only read the summary, and in so doing, miss the nuance of the proposal. That’s a risk. But if the executive summary follows the guidelines stated above, it should give a full picture of the proposal and create interest for the reader to delve deeper into the documents to get the details.

Remember, executive summaries can be written poorly or well. They can fail to focus on results or the solution to the proposal’s problem or do so in a vague, general way that has no impact on the reader. You can do a hundred things wrong, but if you follow the rules, then the onus falls on the reader.

ProjectManager Turns an Executive Summary Into a Project

Your executive summary got the project approved. Now the real work begins. ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that helps you organize tasks, projects and teams. We have everything you need to manage each phase of your project, so you can complete your work on time and under budget.

Work How You Want

Because project managers and teams work differently, our software is flexible. We have multiple project views, such as the kanban board, which visualizes workflow. Managers like the transparency it provides in the production cycle, while teams get to focus only on those tasks they have the capacity to complete. Are you more comfortable with tasks lists or Gantt charts? We have those, too.

Live Tracking for Better Management

To ensure your project meets time and cost expectations, we have features that monitor and track progress so you can control any deviations that might occur. Our software is cloud-based, so the data you see on our dashboard is always up to date, helping you make better decisions. Make that executive summary a reality with ProjectManager.

You’ve now researched and written a persuasive executive summary to lead your proposal. You’ve put in the work and the potential client sees that and contracts you for the project. However, if you don’t have a reliable set of project management tools like Gantt charts , kanban boards and project calendars at hand to plan, monitor and report on the work, then all that preparation will be for nothing.

ProjectManager is online project management software that gives you real-time data and a collaborative platform to work efficiently and productively. But don’t take our word for it, take a free 30-day trial.

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Executive Summary Templates & Slides for PowerPoint Presentations

Download an executive summary template for creating a presentation for your business plan from our wide range of executive summary templates. With our various templates, you can make 100% editable and professional-looking executive summaries.

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An Executive Summary slide template is a concise, high-level overview of a business project, typically used in presentations to convey the most critical information to executives, stakeholders, or potential investors. It includes key points about the project without delving into extensive details, allowing for quick and effective communication.

Our editable executive summary templates can help you to summarize the important information of a project into a PowerPoint presentation. You can save hours of manual work by using an executive summary slide template compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint & Google Slides.

What Is An Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a quick overview of the topics in your paper or report. Typically, an executive summary is a 1-2 page overview and includes the objectives, data, and research highlights. In an executive summary slide, you have to make sure that you keep the whole plan or proposal concisely. Keeping things brief and to the point in an executive summary helps readers to be more engaged.

You can easily edit our executive summary templates in both Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. In presentations, an executive summary typically fits in one slide. Individuals can customize the executive summary template to include their content or use their brand’s identity .

How To Create An Executive Summary With These Templates?

• Click the executive summary template that you wish to use for creating your executive summary.
• You will be redirected to the Templates section to check out all the slides.
• Click Download. Note: This will download the template on your computer.
• Feel free to edit the downloaded template as per your preference to create an appealing executive summary.

Why Choose Our Templates For Creating An Executive Summary?

At SlideModel, we make sure that all our executive summary templates and slide objects are fully editable in PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote and OpenOffice. The templates are offered in different sizes and colours, even for advanced editing objects (points and curves), making our templates the best choice for creating an executive summary.

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Our annual unlimited plan let you download unlimited content from slidemodel. save hours of manual work and use awesome slide designs in your next presentation..

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Executive Summary Presentation PowerPoint Template

The executive summary slide offers a dashboard view of your company’s purpose and goals in a short document. Executive summary for presentation would allow your stakeholders and staff to understand your company objectives with measurable visual graphics properly. The vector graphical representations in the slides highlight important aspects of a snapshot. For example, in this executive summary presentation, you can see the market share, target audience, key highlights, and financial highlights: vision, mission, and global clients.

Besides, the statistical google slides graphs, and the pictorial representations will ease your executive summary presentation. Apart from the dashboard presentation slides, the arrow-pointed text placeholders enable explanations in editable black and white slide themes. Concentrating complex information into a straightforward executive summary ensures that your business plans and reports are conveyed effectively. So, download these google slides templates now!

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• Presentations
• Presentation Techniques

Best Free Executive Summary PowerPoint PPTs to Download for 2024

Free Modern Business PowerPoint

This free template has a modern design. It includes 12 executive summary slides. The template also comes with picture placeholders.  

Validation Pitch Deck PPT

Get this business PowerPoint template for free. You’ll find executive summary slides to support a successful business pitch. 

Successful Strategic PowerPoint

Use this to create an attractive executive summary slide example about your business and present it to potential investors. 

Free Executive PPT

This executive summary template for PPT comes with 30 slides in total. You’ll also get drag and drop image placeholders. 

Success Businessman PowerPoint

This template has a bold color scheme and many slide designs. The template also comes with editable charts and image placeholders.  

Free Corporate Presentation

If you’re looking for a free corporate template to build your executive summary slides, this download can be a good choice. 

Leader for Success PowerPoint

This template has creative shapes and color schemes for your presentation. Easily design an executive summary slide example. 

Company Profile Template

This clean and multipurpose template has versatile slides. Use them to create an executive summary presentation.

Keep in mind that the free templates have limited features. If you’re on a budget, they're a good starting point, but the premium options are always a better choice. 

You can quickly create a great executive summary slide example using a professional template. Here are the top premium executive summary PowerPoint template options from Envato Elements:

Executive - Business PowerPoint

This executive summary template comes with useful features:

• 40+ unique slides
• 500+ custom icons
• image placeholders

Executive Person - PowerPoint

Try this executive summary template to make a statement. The template includes 120+ slides, 5 color variations, image placeholders, and pixel-perfect illustrations.

Executive - Real Estate Presentation

Use this template to summarize the best-selling points of your real estate property. You'll get 50 unique slides, infographics, light and dark versions, and more.

Markvia - Marketing Agency PPT

This template helps you create an executive summary for your marketing agency. It offers 30 slides and fully editable graphs. Quickly make changes with the master slides!

Executive - Business PPT Template

This minimalistic executive summary slide deck comes with:

• 30 total slides
• resizeable and editable graphics
• master slides for easy edits
• picture placeholders

Executive Summary PPT Infographics

Use this executive summary template PPT if you're a fan of visual pitches. You'll get tons of useful and fully editable infographics.

Executive - PowerPoint Slide Summary

Build your perfect business summary slide in PowerPoint with this template. You'll get editable mockups and graphics, master slides, and 30 unique slides.

Executive Summary PowerPoint Template

Talk about bundles! This great executive summary PPT offers:

• 430 total slides
• 5 premade colors
• 2 aspect ratio
• 5500+ editable icons

Executive Digital Startup Pitch Deck

Get done your executive summary PPT slide deck with this template. It's an eye-catching design featuring 75 unique slides. Choose between light and dark backgrounds.

Bostonic Business Plan PPT

This business plan template features an executive summary slide example, as well as these slides:

• mission & vision
• problem & solution definition
• business model canvas
• revenue model
• and so many more!

Business Plan PPT Presentation

A comprehensive business plan, like this one, always includes an executive summary PPT slide. If offers 28 unique slides with vector icons. It's easy to edit thanks to the master slides.

Accounting - Finance in Business

Use this executive summary template in PPT to cover the financial side of your business. The design includes graphics and a pop of color for an attractive presentation.

Mercure - Business PowerPoint Template

With a total of 15 slides, this template has one of the coolest designs. Easily create your executive summary PPT slide using the mockups, photo placeholders, and graphics.

Ecommerce Business Plan Template

This executive summary template for PPT has all the slides you need:

• executive summary
• SWOT analysis
• customer segmentation
• marketing & financial plan
• logistics & operation
• and many more

Cytrex Business Plan PowerPoint Template

This template contains 13 different sections​, including an executive summary slide for PowerPoint. Choose between 200+ unique slides and 30 premade colors. You can edit all the elements!

Chiptio - Creative PowerPoint Template

Find all the infographics you need to deliver an eye-catching presentation: bar charts, circles, lines – you name it! The template is multipurpose, so you can create as many executive summary slides as you want!

Business Plan Presentation

Here's a minimalistic business plan template with an executive summary PPT slide ready to edit. There are 24 unique slides, free fonts, and resizable vector elements waiting for you.

Business PowerPoint Slide Summary

This template has a simple yet beautiful design, with the following sections:

• executive summary slide for PowerPoint 
• timeline & history
• team management
• and many more!

Business Plan Presentation PPT

Futuristic, modern, and attractive. Your peers won't take their eyes off of your executive summary slide in PowerPoint. You'll get 40 unique slides and many sections to build a business plan.

Financial Planner - PowerPoint Template

Don't miss this template for your next financial PowerPoint slide summary. The 32-slide layout is very easy to follow and edit, with master slides for quick changes.

If you don't have a budget to spend on premium templates, the freebies are there for you. But before looking for a free PowerPoint slide summary template online, check Envato's monthly free offerings .

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Bank executive summary: examples and best practices.

Home » Bank Executive Summary: Examples and Best Practices

Banking Overview Essentials serve as the cornerstone of effective financial communication. In today's fast-paced financial world, executives need concise yet comprehensive summaries to make informed decisions. These overviews provide a snapshot of a bank's performance, highlighting key metrics, trends, and strategic initiatives.

Crafting an impactful banking overview requires a delicate balance of data and narrative. It should tell a compelling story about the institution's financial health, market position, and future outlook. By distilling complex financial information into digestible insights, these summaries enable stakeholders to quickly grasp the bank's current state and trajectory, facilitating more efficient decision-making processes and strategic planning.

Key Components of a Bank Executive Summary: Banking Overview Essentials

A comprehensive banking overview is the cornerstone of any effective bank executive summary. This crucial component provides a snapshot of the institution's current standing and future trajectory. It typically encompasses key financial metrics, market position, and strategic initiatives that define the bank's operations.

When crafting this section, it's essential to strike a balance between depth and brevity. Start by highlighting the bank's core business lines, such as retail banking, commercial lending, or wealth management. Then, delve into critical performance indicators like asset quality, capital adequacy, and liquidity ratios. These figures offer stakeholders a quick yet thorough understanding of the bank's financial health. Additionally, include a concise analysis of market trends and competitive positioning to contextualize the bank's performance within the broader financial sector.

Understanding the Target Audience

In the dynamic world of banking, understanding your target audience is paramount for crafting effective executive summaries. Different property types within commercial real estate require tailored approaches, each with its unique nuances and management challenges. Multifamily owners, office building managers, logistics warehouse operators, and retail center administrators all have distinct needs and priorities.

To create impactful executive summaries, consider the following key aspects:

Property-Specific Insights: Tailor your content to address the specific concerns of each property type. For instance, multifamily owners may prioritize tenant retention strategies, while office building managers might focus on workspace optimization.

Portfolio Diversity: Recognize that many executives oversee diverse portfolios. Your summary should demonstrate an understanding of how different property types interact within a larger investment strategy.

Industry Trends: Incorporate relevant market trends that affect each property type. This showcases your awareness of the broader real estate landscape and adds value to your summary.

Customized Solutions: Highlight how your banking products or services can be adapted to meet the unique requirements of different property types, demonstrating flexibility and client-focused thinking.

By addressing these elements, your executive summary will resonate more strongly with your target audience, showcasing your expertise in banking overview essentials and your commitment to meeting the diverse needs of commercial real estate professionals.

Highlighting Key Financial Metrics

Financial metrics serve as the backbone of any bank executive summary, providing a snapshot of the institution's health and performance. Key indicators such as return on assets (ROA), net interest margin (NIM), and efficiency ratio offer crucial insights into profitability and operational effectiveness. These metrics not only illuminate the current financial state but also guide strategic decision-making for future growth.

When highlighting financial metrics in a banking overview, it's essential to present them in context. For instance, comparing current figures to previous periods or industry benchmarks adds depth to the analysis. Additionally, explaining the implications of each metric helps stakeholders grasp their significance. By focusing on a select few impactful metrics rather than overwhelming readers with data, executives can craft a clear, actionable narrative about the bank's financial position and trajectory.

Best Practices in Crafting a Bank Executive Summary

Crafting an effective bank executive summary requires a blend of precision and clarity. This concise document serves as a snapshot of a bank's financial health, strategic direction, and key performance indicators. To create a compelling summary, start by identifying the most crucial information that stakeholders need to know at a glance.

A well-structured bank executive summary typically includes several key elements. First, provide an overview of the bank's financial performance, highlighting metrics such as net income, return on assets, and capital ratios. Next, outline the bank's strategic initiatives and their progress. Address any significant challenges or risks the bank faces, along with mitigation strategies. Finally, include a forward-looking statement that outlines the bank's goals and expectations for the coming period. By following these best practices, you can create a comprehensive yet digestible summary that effectively communicates the bank's position to stakeholders.

Clarity and Conciseness in Presentation

When presenting financial data to stakeholders, clarity and conciseness are paramount. Bank executive summaries should distill complex information into easily digestible formats, focusing on key performance indicators and strategic insights. PowerPoint presentations, supplemented with video or audio quotes, offer an effective medium for conveying these critical banking overview essentials.

Standard market research reports can be enhanced by streamlining the publishing process, allowing for a seamless transition from raw insights to polished drafts. This approach not only saves time but also ensures consistency in reporting across various client engagements. By incorporating visual elements and high-level strategic analyses, financial institutions can create compelling narratives that resonate with their audience and drive informed decision-making.

Using Data to Support Statements

In the realm of banking, data-driven decision-making is paramount. Executives rely on comprehensive reports to guide their strategies and assess the institution's performance. When crafting these summaries, it's crucial to back up statements with solid data points. This approach not only enhances credibility but also provides a clear picture of the bank's current standing.

Consider incorporating key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect the bank's financial health. These might include metrics such as return on assets (ROA), net interest margin (NIM), or loan-to-deposit ratio. By presenting these figures alongside industry benchmarks, executives can quickly gauge where they stand in the competitive landscape. Additionally, trend analysis over time can reveal valuable insights into the bank's trajectory, helping to identify areas of strength and potential improvement. Remember, the goal is to present a balanced view that informs strategic decision-making and drives the bank's growth objectives.

Conclusion: Harnessing Banking Overview Essentials for Effective Summaries

In crafting effective bank executive summaries, understanding and applying banking overview essentials is crucial. These summaries serve as powerful tools for decision-makers, providing concise yet comprehensive insights into complex financial data and market trends. By distilling key information into a structured format, executives can quickly grasp the most important aspects of their institution's performance and strategic positioning.

To create impactful summaries, focus on incorporating critical elements such as financial highlights, risk assessments, and market analysis. Tailor the content to address specific stakeholder needs, ensuring relevance and actionability. Remember that clarity and precision are paramount; use clear language and visual aids when appropriate to enhance understanding. By mastering these banking overview essentials, you'll produce summaries that drive informed decision-making and contribute to your institution's success.

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What is Project 2025?

It’s a blueprint for what a second Trump administration could look like, dreamed up by his allies and former aides.

An update: Project 2025 just announced that it was going to stop creating policies, and that its director, a former Trump administration official, was leaving, The Washington Post’s Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey report . Trump campaign, they report, is “furious” at the way Project 2025 has linked itself to Trump and how it has been received in the media. It’s not clear what that means for the initial 900-page plan, nor what it would mean for a second Trump presidency, since many of the ideas in Project 2025 are ideas Trump has endorsed and were put forward by close advisers or people who worked in his administration.

If Donald Trump struggled somewhat in his first administration to move the country dramatically to the right, he’ll be ready to go in a second term.

That’s the aim behind Project 2025, a comprehensive plan by former and likely future leaders of a Trump administration to remake America in a conservative mold while dramatically expanding presidential power and allowing Trump to use it to go after his critics.

The plan is gaining attention just as Trump is trying to moderate his stated positions to win the election, so he’s criticized some of what’s in it as “absolutely ridiculous and abysmal” and insisted that neither he nor his campaign had anything to do with Project 2025.

Still, what’s in this document is a pretty good indicator of what a second Trump presidency could look like. Here’s what Project 2025 is and how it could reshape America.

It’s a blueprint for a second Trump administration

The centerpiece is a 900-page plan that calls for extreme policies on nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives, from mass deportations, to politicizing the federal government in a way that would give Trump control over the Justice Department, to cutting entire federal agencies, to infusing Christian nationalism into every facet of government policy by calling for a ban on pornography and promoting policies that encourage “marriage, work, motherhood, fatherhood, and nuclear families.”

This isn’t coming directly from the Trump campaign. But it should be taken seriously because of the people who wrote it, analysts say. The main organization behind the plan, the Heritage Foundation, is a revolving door for Trump officials (and Heritage is a sponsor of the Republican National Convention, which will hand him the nomination next week).

“This is meant as an organized statement of the Trumpist, conservative movement, both on policy and personnel, and politics,” said William Galston, head of governance studies at the Brookings Institution.

2024 presidential election

Project 2025 calls for abortion limits, slashing climate change and LGBTQ health care funding, and much more

A few of the highlights:

Remake the federal workforce to be political : Instead of nonpartisan civil servants implementing policies on everything from health to education and climate, the executive branch would be filled with Trump loyalists. “It is necessary to ensure that departments and agencies have robust cadres of political staff,” the plan says. That means nearly every decision federal agencies make could advance a political agenda — as in whether to spend money on constituencies that lean Democratic. The project calls for cutting LGBTQ health programs, for example.

Cut the Education Department: Project 2025 would make extensive changes to public schooling, cutting longtime low-income and early education federal programs like Head Start, for example, and even the entire Education Department. “Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated,” the plan reads.

Give Trump power to investigate his opponents : Project 2025 would move the Justice Department, and all of its law enforcement arms like the FBI, directly under presidential control. It calls for a “top-to-bottom overhaul” of the FBI and for the administration to go over its investigations with a fine-toothed comb to nix any the president doesn’t like. This would dramatically weaken the independence of federal law enforcement agencies. “There’s going to be an all-out assault on the Department of Justice and the FBI,” said Galston, of Brookings. “It will mean tight White House control of the DOJ and FBI.”

Make reproductive care, particularly abortion pills, harder to get : It doesn’t specifically call for a national abortion ban, but abortion is one of the most-discussed topics in the plan, with proposals throughout encouraging the next president “to lead the nation in restoring a culture of life in America again.” It would do this by prosecuting anyone mailing abortion pills (“Abortion pills pose the single greatest threat to unborn children in a post-Roe world,” the plan says). It would raise the threat of criminalizing those who provide abortion care by using the government to track miscarriage, stillbirths and abortions, and make it harder to get emergency contraceptive care covered by insurance. It would also end federal government protections for members of the military and their families to get abortion care.

Crack down on even legal immigration : It would create a new “border patrol and immigration agency” to resurrect Trump’s border wall, build camps to detain children and families at the border, and send out the military to deport millions of people who are already in the country illegally ( including dreamers ) — a deportation effort so big that it could put a major dent in the U.S. economy. “Illegal immigration should be ended, not mitigated; the border sealed, not reprioritized,” the plan says.

Slash climate change protections : Project 2025 calls for getting rid of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which forecasts weather and tracks climate change, describing it as “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry.” It would increase Arctic drilling and shutter the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate change departments, all while making it easier to up fossil fuel production.

Ban transgender people from the military and consider reinstating the draft : “Gender dysphoria is incompatible with the demands of military service,” it reads. The author of this part of the plan led the Defense Department at the end of Trump’s presidency, and he told The Washington Post that the government should seriously consider mandatory military service.

How all of this would be implemented

A huge part of this project is to recruit and train people on how to pull the levers of government or read the law in novel ways to carry out these dramatic changes to federal policy. There’s even a place on the plan’s website where you can submit your résumé.

But there are some major hurdles to getting the big stuff done, even if Trump and Republicans win control of Washington next year. For one, Trump doesn’t appear to agree with everything in it. His campaign platform barely mentions abortion, while Project 2025 zeroes in on it repeatedly.

Also, some of these ideas are impractical or possibly illegal. Analysts are divided about whether Trump can politicize the civil workforce to fire them at will, for example. And the plan calls for using the military to carry out mass deportations on a historic scale , which could be constitutionally iffy.

Ominously, one of the project’s leaders opened the door to political violence to will all of this into being: “We are in the process of the second American revolution,” Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts warned recently, “which will remain bloodless, if the left allows it to be.”

Why Project 2025 is getting so much attention right now

It’s not unusual for wannabe administration officials to plan for how they’d govern once they get back in power. But what is unusual is how dramatic and unapologetically extreme many of these proposals are.

And the Biden campaign — which is obviously struggling right now with existential questions about its nominee — sees this as an easy target to campaign on.

Democrats are circulating a survey from a liberal organization that suggests talking about Project 2025 as a “takeover” of American government by Trumpists resonates with voters.

“It’s like reading a horror novel,” said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson. “Each page makes you want to read the next one, but when you finish reading it, you’re scared and disgusted.”

That’s much to the frustration of the Trump campaign, which doesn’t want such specific (and politically unpopular) ideas out there pegged to his campaign, as he’s trying to moderate some of his positions to win the election.

“It makes no sense to put all the crazy things you’ll be attacked for down on paper while you’re running,” a Trump adviser told The Washington Post recently .

But it’s fair to think of Project 2025 as a pretty good indicator of what a second Trump presidency would look like, analysts say.

“It’s not like Trump is going to hand out this booklet to his Cabinet on Day One and say, ‘Here you go,’” said Michael Strain, the director of economic policy studies at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute. “But it reflects real goals of important people in Trump’s community.”

A previous version of this article misspelled the name of the American Enterprise Institute's Michael Strain as Michel. The article has been corrected.

Election 2024

Follow live updates on the 2024 election from our reporters on the campaign trail and in Washington.

Kamala Harris: A majority of Democratic delegates have pledged to support Harris , signaling she is likely to secure the presidential nomination next month. We broke down seven options for her vice-presidential pick .

Biden drops out: President Biden addressed the nation , seeking to define his legacy and explain his decision to exit the presidential race. Here’s what happened in the hours before Biden posted a letter announcing his decision to end his campaign .

Trump VP pick: Donald Trump has chosen Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) as his running mate , selecting a rising star in the Republican Party. But Vance has had a challenging start as the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee , leaving the Trump campaign to try to clean up his controversial past comments.

Presidential election polls: Here’s what voters think about Harris replacing Biden and how Harris performs against Trump in recent polls .

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Interagency Guidance on Reconsiderations of Value of Residential Real Estate Valuations

A Rule by the Comptroller of the Currency , the Federal Reserve System , the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation , the National Credit Union Administration , and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on 07/26/2024

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Supplementary information:, table of contents, i. introduction, ii. discussion of comments on the proposed guidance, a. general comments, b. terminology & scope, i. description of the term “rov”, ii. description of the terms “comparable sale” and “specific and verifiable information”, iii. scope of transactions covered by the final guidance, c. comments on prescriptive versus principles-based approach, i. specific suggestions for added prescriptiveness, ii. uniformity and standardization of rov processes, iii. model forms, checklists, & policies, d. comments on burden on institutions, e. other comments submitted, iii. paperwork reduction act analysis, iv. text of final interagency guidance on reconsiderations of value of residential real estate valuations, applicable statutes, regulations, and guidance, use of third parties, reconsiderations of value, complaint resolution process, examples of policies, procedures, and control systems, enhanced content - submit public comment.

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Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); National Credit Union Administration (NCUA); and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury.

Final interagency guidance.

The Board, CFPB, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC (together, the agencies) are issuing final guidance that highlights risks associated with deficient residential real estate valuations and describes how financial institutions may incorporate reconsiderations of value (ROV) processes and controls into established risk management functions. The final guidance also provides examples of policies and procedures that a financial institution may choose to implement to help identify, address, and mitigate the risk of discrimination impacting residential real estate valuations.

The guidance is final as of July 26, 2024.

OCC: Siddarth Rao, Fair Lending Compliance Policy Specialist, (732) 635-2070; Olutoyin Falade, Fair Lending Compliance Policy Specialist, (972) 277-9551; James B. Rives, Retail Credit Risk Specialist, (202) 649-6594; Joanne Phillips, Counsel, or Marta Stewart-Bates, Counsel, Chief Counsel's Office, (202) 649-5490; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20219. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Board: Devyn Jeffereis, Senior Financial Institution Policy Analyst II, Division of Supervision and Regulation, (202) 452-2729; Keshia King, Lead Supervisory Policy Analyst, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, (202) 452-2496; Trevor Feigleson, Senior Counsel, (202) 452-3274, or Derald Seid, Senior Counsel, (202) 452-2246, Legal Division. For users of telephone systems via text telephone (TTY) or any TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services, please call 711 from any telephone, anywhere in the United States; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th and C Streets NW, Washington, DC 20551.

FDIC: Patrick J. Mancoske, Senior Examination Specialist, Division of Risk Management Supervision, (202) 898-7032; Stuart Hoff, Senior Policy Analyst, Division of Depositor and Consumer Protection, (202) 898-3852; Legal Division: Navid Choudhury, Counsel, (202) 898-6526, [email protected] , Lauren Whitaker, Counsel, (202) 898-3872, [email protected] , or Mark Mellon, Counsel, (202) 898-3884, [email protected] . Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20429.

NCUA: Naghi Khaled, Director of Credit Markets, or Walonda Hollins, Senior Credit Specialist, Office of Examination and Insurance, (703) 216-5136; Ernestine Ward, Director, Division of Consumer Compliance Policy & Outreach, Office of Consumer Financial Protection, (703) 518-6524; National Credit Union Administration, 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

CFPB: George Karithanom, Office of Regulations, at (202) 435-7700 or https://reginquiries.consumerfinance.gov/​ . If you require this document in an alternative electronic format, please contact [email protected] .

ii. Scope of Transactions Covered by the Guidance

ii. Uniformity & Standardization of ROV Processes

III. Paperwork Reduction Act

The agencies are issuing final interagency guidance (final guidance) on ROVs of residential real estate valuations. [ 1 ] The agencies considered the comments received on the proposed guidance, and as a result, made several edits to the final guidance, including clarifying the guidance's scope. The agencies are finalizing the guidance largely as proposed. This guidance is intended to highlight risks associated with deficient residential real estate valuations, describe how financial Start Printed Page 60550 institutions may incorporate ROV processes and controls into risk management functions, and provide examples of ROV policies and procedures that institutions may choose to implement. Collateral valuations, including appraisals, [ 2 ] are important to the integrity of the residential real estate lending process. Deficient collateral valuations can contain inaccuracies due to errors, omissions, or discrimination  [ 3 ] that affect the value conclusion and can result in either overvaluing or undervaluing real estate collateral. The Board, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC have previously issued guidance that describes actions a financial institution may take to correct deficiencies identified in collateral valuations. [ 4 ] These actions include ordering a second appraisal or evaluation or resolving the deficiency through the original appraiser or preparer of the evaluation. [ 5 ]

Prior to the efforts to adopt this joint guidance, the agencies had not, collectively, issued guidance specific to ROV processes. The agencies had received questions and comments from financial institutions and other industry stakeholders on ROVs. Stakeholders highlighted the uncertainty in the industry on how ROVs intersect with appraisal independence requirements and compliance with Federal consumer protection laws, including those related to nondiscrimination. As such, the final guidance addresses some of the questions raised by stakeholders. For purposes of the final guidance, an ROV is a request from the financial institution to the appraiser or other preparer of the valuation report to reassess the report based upon potential deficiencies or other information that may affect the value conclusion. [ 6 ]

On July 21, 2023, the agencies published for comment proposed guidance on ROVs of residential real estate valuations (proposal). [ 7 ] The 60-day comment period ended on September 19, 2023. The agencies invited comment on all aspects of the proposed guidance from all interested parties. In particular, the agencies requested comment on the following: (1) to what extent the proposed guidance describes suitable considerations for a financial institution to take into account in assessing and potentially modifying its current ROV policies and procedures; (2) suggestions for ROV model forms or model policies and procedures, if any, that would be helpful for the agencies to recommend; (3) suggestions for other guidance that may be helpful to financial institutions concerning the development of ROV processes; and (4) to what extent, if any, the proposed ROV guidance conflicts with, duplicates, or complements the existing Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines (Guidelines) or a financial institution's policies and procedures to implement those Guidelines. The agencies collectively received more than 45 unique comment letters from banking organizations, real estate companies, trade associations, nonprofits, The Appraisal Foundation (TAF), [ 8 ] an automated valuation model (AVM) developer, loan officers, appraisers, and other individuals.

In general, many commenters supported the agencies' issuance of interagency guidance specific to ROV processes. Some of these commenters agreed with the proposal's focus on the importance of credible collateral valuations, compliance with nondiscrimination laws, and safeguarding appraiser independence. Other commenters asserted that additional clarity in the guidance is necessary and provided recommendations. A few commenters, including certain credit unions, trade associations, and appraisers, opposed the guidance or aspects of the guidance on the grounds that it would be overly burdensome for institutions or place undue pressure on appraisers which could lead to overvaluation.

Commenters expressed mixed views on whether ROV processes should be uniform across all institutions. Some commenters recommended adding more prescriptive elements to the guidance, while others asserted that the guidance should be broad and flexible, as proposed. Some commenters believed that many of the proposal's policies and procedures should be mandatory.

In response to comments received, the agencies made several clarifying edits to the final guidance, including clearly stating the scope of transactions covered by the guidance. The agencies underscore that supervisory guidance does not have the force and effect of law or regulation and does not impose any new requirements on supervised institutions. [ 9 ] The guidance is intended to provide a flexible, risk-based approach to ROV processes that institutions can adjust to their unique profile. The justification for and benefits of the agencies' approach, and the agencies' consideration of specific comments, are discussed further below.

Commenters offered views on certain terms used in the proposal, including the terms “ROV,” “comparable sale,” and “specific and verifiable information.” Commenters also expressed views on the scope of transactions covered by the guidance.

One commenter requested that the agencies revise the definition of “ROV” to remove the language “that may affect the value conclusion.”  [ 10 ] This commenter expressed concern that including this language could result in a lender exerting pressure on an appraiser to change a value that does not satisfy the lender. Another commenter asserted that the proposal's use of the term “ROV” might be too limiting as it focuses on “value” and suggested the broader term “Appraisal Reconsideration” instead. A commenter Start Printed Page 60551 suggested that the definition of “ROV” be amended to provide that an agent of the institution, such as an appraisal management company (AMC), could initiate an ROV request.

Alternative descriptions suggested by commenters could result in overly broad or narrow descriptions and would not capture the appropriate types of requests. Therefore, the agencies believe the description of the term “ROV” in the proposed guidance captures the intended scope and the final guidance does not change that description. The agencies decline to incorporate the term “Appraisal Reconsideration” into the final guidance, as it implies that appraisals are the sole type of valuation subject to ROVs.

One commenter requested that the agencies clearly define the term “comparable sale”  [ 11 ] in the context of the content of an ROV request, which may include comparable properties not previously identified. A commenter recommended that the agencies clarify the term “specific and verifiable information” in connection with a consumer providing specific and verifiable information that may not have been available or considered when the initial valuation and review were performed. The same commenter requested that the agencies provide clear examples of both valid and invalid data in the context of consumer-provided “specific and verifiable information.”

The agencies considered the comments regarding “comparable sale” and “specific and verifiable information.” Under the provisions of title XI of the FIRREA, the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) of TAF sets appraisal standards in connection with federally related transactions, which it does through the development and publication of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). [ 12 ] What constitutes a “comparable sale” and “specific and verifiable information” fall within the purview of the ASB and USPAP. Therefore, the agencies decline to provide definitions or examples related to those terms in the final guidance.

Some commenters questioned the scope of the term “residential real estate” in connection with the types of transactions that the guidance covers. One commenter asserted that “residential real estate” likely encompassed single-unit dwellings like standalone homes, condos, co-ops, and townhouses. Another commenter stated that their interpretation of the proposal's scope was that it included loans for properties that borrowers plan to live in as their primary residence.

Commenters made specific suggestions regarding the type of loans the guidance should cover. In particular, a commenter suggested that the guidance should only extend to loans secured by a single 1-to-4 family residential property, excluding multi-family dwellings. Another commenter recommended that loans to small businesses, corporations, partnerships, and trusts should be covered by the guidance, because the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) applies to any extension of credit to those entities. Finally, a commenter asserted that the guidance should cover all types of real estate-related credit, including multi-family and commercial.

The agencies considered the comments regarding the scope of “residential real estate,” as well as the comments in favor of expansion of the guidance's scope. In response, the agencies revised the guidance to clearly state that the scope of the final guidance is intended to be limited to real estate-related financial transactions that are secured by a single 1-to-4 family residential property. [ 13 ] The considerations and principles included in the guidance are targeted towards single 1-to-4 family residential transactions and thus are best suited for those types of transactions. Other types of transactions may involve different considerations.

Some commenters recommended that the final guidance take a more prescriptive approach, suggesting specific amendments to the guidance, urging uniformity and standardization of ROV processes across institutions, and endorsing the development of model forms, checklists, and policies. Other commenters supported the proposal's more flexible and principles-based approach to the guidance.

Many commenters made specific suggestions that the agencies provide more granularity and prescriptiveness in the guidance in particular areas. With regard to second appraisals, one commenter recommended that the guidance should outline the circumstances under which a financial institution must request a second appraisal. One commenter asserted that the guidance should provide examples of when, if ever, it is reasonable to pass on the cost of a second appraisal to the consumer. A commenter recommended that, if the agencies determined that it was never acceptable to pass on the cost of a second appraisal to the consumer, the guidance should clearly state that, and should also clarify to whom the fee could be assessed. Another commenter more generally requested clear guidelines on handling second appraisals.

With regard to data submitted with an ROV request, commenters requested that the guidance define what types of data or items a consumer should or should not include. For example, one commenter suggested that alleged appraiser remarks should not be included. Another commenter requested that the guidance specify that data provided by consumers with the ROV request should not include separate valuations for the same property ( e.g., a separate appraisal or evaluation). A commenter recommended that information that was unavailable as of the appraisal's effective date should not be included with the ROV request. Finally, a commenter requested specificity on which alternate market data should be provided with an ROV request and whether it should be limited to sales that closed prior to the date of the appraisal.

Other commenters focused on adding detail to the guidance related to consumer and appraiser education and communication. One commenter requested that the agencies provide additional clarity on the process to inform consumers about how to raise valuation concerns early in the underwriting process. Another commenter suggested consumer education should be incorporated as a standard component in the ROV process. A commenter emphasized the importance of appraiser education and training on how to recognize and avoid bias. Another commenter requested additional examples of ROV policies and procedures to improve communications with consumers. Start Printed Page 60552

The agencies received several comments regarding timelines of ROV processes. A commenter requested that the agencies incorporate a set timeline for an ROV process into the guidance. Another commenter requested that the agencies consider whether the guidance should set forth a specific timeframe after receipt of the original valuation during which an ROV request must be made. This commenter noted that allowing ROV requests to be made several days or more after receipt of the original valuation can have consequences on the rate lock and can be a considerable burden on financial institutions. Another commenter believed that the guidance should state that, if an institution requests data or other information to support an ROV request, and the required information is not provided by the borrower in a reasonable timeframe, the institution should have no additional responsibilities other than conducting its own internal review to ensure there were no evident omissions, errors, or discriminatory actions involved in the valuation.

The agencies considered the range of comments aimed at adding prescriptiveness to the guidance with regard to second appraisals, the types of information submitted with an ROV request, consumer and appraiser education and training, ROV timelines, and communication with consumers. The final guidance is intended for institutions of many different sizes, types, and business models. Institutions implementing the guidance have flexibility to tailor their ROV processes based on their unique risk profile. [ 14 ] The agencies determined there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that it is important to maintain a high-level, principles-based approach to help ensure the guidance will be useful and relevant for a diverse range of institutions and circumstances. In light of their decision to retain the broad, principles-based approach of this guidance, the agencies have not made revisions to address specific topics or individual situations raised by commenters in order to provide flexible guidance for institutions designing their ROV processes.

Some commenters asserted that ROV processes should be uniform across all institutions. Other commenters believed that certain aspects of the ROV process should not be uniform due to the wide range of institutions that would be in-scope for purposes of the guidance. Another commenter recommended that the agencies build in additional flexibility to the guidance for financial institutions to exercise discretion within their own ROV processes. The agencies also received comments related to interagency coordination in developing a uniform, industry-wide ROV process.

Several commenters recommended the adoption of a standardized, expedient appeals process that would allow any party to the transaction to appeal the valuation, similar to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Tidewater Procedure. The VA's Tidewater Procedure allows VA program participants to provide relevant market data to VA fee-appraisers and staff appraisers during the appraisal process. [ 15 ] One commenter suggested that the guidance confirm that an ROV process similar to the Tidewater Procedure is acceptable. Another commenter noted that the major benefit of the Tidewater Procedure is that it establishes a process for an interested party to provide relevant data to the appraiser. A commenter noted that the Tidewater Procedure may help prevent abuse of the ROV process. The commenter raised a concern regarding who would decide the number of alternative sales to review and how it would be decided which sales transactions deserve consideration.

The agencies considered the comments on uniformity and standardization of ROV processes for all institutions and recognize that institutions may find existing standardized processes, such as the Tidewater Procedure, something to consider while developing their own ROV processes. However, a standardized approach to ROV processes ignores the differences in risk profiles of institutions of varying size and complexity. The final guidance provides a principles-based approach with flexibility for implementing institutions to adopt ROV processes that are responsive to the unique profile of each institution. Thus, the agencies do not believe it would be appropriate to prescribe a rigid, one-size-fits-all ROV process across institutions.

In the proposal, the agencies specifically requested comment on what model forms, or model policies and procedures, if any, related to ROVs would be helpful for the agencies to recommend. Several commenters encouraged the agencies to develop a standardized model form for ROV requests and provide model disclosure language for financial institutions to use when educating consumers about ROVs. One of these commenters also suggested that the agencies create a list of common documents needed for a consumer to initiate an ROV request.

One commenter suggested that the agencies work with TAF to develop model forms based on TAF's previous efforts in this area. This commenter also recommended that the agencies develop model policies addressing the denial of a consumer's ROV request and situations when consumer-provided information should be forwarded to the appraiser as part of an ROV. Another commenter requested that the agencies encourage the Federal Housing Administration, VA, and United States Department of Agriculture to develop consistent or shared materials for consumers to request ROVs and develop a model borrower application or checklist to standardize the process for consumers to request ROVs.

The agencies considered the comments recommending the development of model forms, model policies, checklists, and other standardized documents. The agencies agree that such documents may have Start Printed Page 60553 utility and will consider future development of model forms.

Several commenters stated that the proposal would add unnecessary and burdensome requirements on top of an existing ROV process that already functions well. Certain commenters noted that implementing parts of the proposal's policies and procedures may present significant challenges for smaller institutions, especially institutions with limited resources. One commenter requested an explanation of how the guidance would specifically affect small financial institutions that perform internal valuations as an alternative to formal appraisals. A commenter also expressed concern that smaller institutions do not have sufficient financial resources to support the necessary valuation staff and that many institutions will be unable to make timely and accurate ROV request decisions due to their limited access to nationwide data or analytical tools.

Several commenters expressed concerns related to burden on credit unions specifically. One commenter pointed to the cost associated with oversight and additional processes related to ROVs, which the commenter stated would be passed on to credit union members without providing additional value to their membership. Another commenter noted that applying rigid timelines for an ROV process would be difficult for certain credit unions to implement. One commenter requested that the agencies exclude from the guidance any policies and procedures that require monitoring multiple channels for ROV requests because those would be challenging for credit unions to implement. This commenter stated that monitoring multiple channels does not align with the NCUA's previous guidance on handling consumer complaints. [ 16 ] Another commenter suggested that policies and procedures that require credit unions to ensure that their lending and valuation staff are trained to identify prohibited discriminatory practices through the appraisal review process could be similarly challenging to implement.

The agencies considered these comments regarding burden on smaller institutions, credit unions, and institutions in general. The guidance is intended to provide clarity to institutions with respect to ROV processes. The agencies reiterate that the final guidance does not have the force and effect of law or regulation and does not impose any new requirements on supervised institutions. [ 17 ] The examples of policies and procedures in the final guidance are illustrative and not requirements. The final guidance clarifies that these examples may not be applicable or material to each institution or their ROV processes. Risk-based ROV-related policies, procedures, control systems, and complaint processes may vary according to the size and complexity of the financial institution. Smaller financial institutions that choose to implement the guidance may have policies and procedures that differ from those at larger and midsize institutions. Under this guidance, institutions have flexibility in their approach to their internal ROV processes and deciding the relevance of the considerations discussed in the final guidance.

This ROV guidance does not conflict with the NCUA's previous guidance on handling consumer complaints, because financial institutions can use their existing complaint resolution process to manage complaints regarding potential valuation deficiencies. ROV processes work in congruence with the NCUA's current process for consumer complaints.

Several commenters made recommendations regarding the use of automated valuation models (AVMs) in ROV processes. [ 18 ] A commenter advised that the agencies should discourage reliance solely on automatic review tools in an ROV and should identify features that AVMs should and should not include for consideration in an ROV. A few commenters encouraged the use of AVMs in ROVs and suggested the use of automated and interactive appraisal review scoring tools that could detect, correct, and minimize human error. The agencies considered these comments and neither promote nor discourage the use of a particular method or tool as part of an ROV process.

One commenter recommended that bias complaints should not be handled by an ROV. This commenter asserted that accusations of bias should trigger an alternative complaint process, either through an escalated ROV process or a review entirely independent of the ROV process. This commenter believed ROVs should be used only for correction of informational or methodological deficiencies that do not relate to discrimination.

The final guidance does not state that ROVs are the sole tool to address bias complaints, nor does the final guidance direct institutions to use a specific tool to address bias complaints. However, in response to this comment, the agencies have made a clarifying edit to the final guidance to provide that, if an ROV request includes allegations of discrimination, an institution may consider, in addition to processing the ROV, referring the allegations through a separate process that the institution may have to respond to discrimination complaints.

Other commenters requested that the guidance address the potential liability of parties who may rely on discriminatory appraisals ( e.g., third parties, AMCs, fee-appraisers, mortgage brokers, mortgage servicers, and appraisal firms), and appraisers' or evaluators' rights to dismiss non-factual or unverified claims and be shielded from any potential backlash or liability for doing so. The assigning or absolving of civil liability of future unknown parties is outside of the scope of this guidance.

The agencies received a few comments regarding appraiser independence in the context of ROVs. A commenter asserted that the agencies should provide suggestions in the guidance for how to manage ROV requests so that they do not affect appraiser independence. Another commenter recommended that the agencies clarify and provide examples of how appraiser independence can be maintained during an ROV of an internal evaluation when an institution has only one or two individuals on staff that are qualified to perform evaluations. Another commenter believed that the guidance, as proposed, puts appraiser independence at risk.

The agencies considered the comments received on appraiser independence and reiterate that institutions are responsible for maintaining standards of independence for all real estate lending activity, including ROVs, as required by the agencies' appraisal regulations and, as applicable, USPAP. For small institutions or branches, an institution may be able to demonstrate clearly that it has prudent safeguards in place when absolute lines of independence cannot Start Printed Page 60554 be achieved, due to, for example, limited staff. [ 19 ]

Commenters also made suggestions for further actions the agencies could take, such as developing data-sharing arrangements to collect ROV data. The agencies may take such suggestions under advisement when considering future agency initiatives on this topic. A few commenters encouraged the agencies to hold roundtables and hearings to gather stakeholder input in the development of the final guidance. The agencies note that the proposed guidance was published for notice and comment in the Federal Register for the purpose of gathering stakeholder input.

Lastly, one commenter asserted that the interpretation of the adequacy of an ROV process will vary and will be defined by each exam, opening banking organizations up to unnecessary criticism. Examiners will continue to review institutions' residential real estate collateral valuation programs within the framework of established safety and soundness and consumer compliance examination procedures. This examination scope includes consideration of whether institutions' risk management practices for valuations are appropriate to identify and address valuation discrimination or bias and promote credible valuations. [ 20 ]

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, [ 21 ] the Board, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC reviewed the final guidance. The agencies may not conduct or sponsor, and an organization is not required to respond to, an information collection unless the information collection displays a currently valid OMB control number. The agencies have determined that certain aspects of the final guidance constitute a collection of information and are revising their information collections related to real estate appraisals and evaluations. The OMB control number for each agency is: OCC, 1557-0190; Board, 7100-0250; FDIC, 3064-0103; and NCUA, 3133-0125. These information collections will be extended for three years, with revision. In addition to accounting for the PRA burden incurred as a result of this final guidance, the Board, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC are also updating and aligning their information collections with respect to the hourly burden associated with the Guidelines. Accordingly, the tables below provide data on both the final guidance addressed in this document and the Guidelines.

The agencies did not receive any PRA-related comments. The agencies have a continuing interest in the public's opinions of information collections. At any time, commenters may submit comments regarding the burden estimate, or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the addresses listed in the ADDRESSES caption in the Notice of Proposed Guidance. All comments will become a matter of public record. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this document to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain . Find this information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or using the search function.

Abstract: The final guidance describes principles for financial institutions to implement ROV policies, procedures, and control systems that identify, address, and mitigate the risk of deficient valuations. Such policies and procedures create a recordkeeping requirement.

Frequency of Response: Annual.

Affected Public: Businesses, other for-profit institutions, and other not-for-profit institutions.

Respondents:

OCC: National banks, Federal savings associations.

Board: State member banks (SMBs), bank holding companies (BHCs) and nonbank subsidiaries of BHCs.

FDIC: Insured state nonmember banks and state savings associations, insured state branches of foreign banks.

NCUA: Private Sector: Not-for-profit institutions.

Table 1—Summary of Estimated Annual Burden

[OMB No. 1557-0190]

RequirementCitationsNumber of respondentsBurden hours per respondentTotal number of hours annually Resolution stating plans for use of property§ 7.1024(d)6530 ARM loan documentation must specify indices to which changes in the interest rate will be linked§ 34.22(a); § 160.35(b)1646984 Appraisals must be written and contain sufficient information and analysis to support engaging in the transaction§ 34.449761,465 responses per respondent @5 minutes per response119,072 Written policies (reviewed annually) for extensions of credit secured by or used to improve real estate§ 34.62; appendix A to subpart D to part 34; § 160.101; appendix A to § 160.1011,4133042,390 Real estate evaluation policy to monitor OREO§ 34.859545 New Information Collection (“IC”) 1—ROV Guidance—Policies and Procedures (Implementation: Applies to first year only)N/A90713.312,093 New IC 2—ROV Guidance—Policies and Procedures (Ongoing)N/A90721,814 New IC 3—Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines—Policies and ProceduresN/A976109,760Start Printed Page 60555 Procedure to be followed when seeking to use an alternative index§ 34.22(b); § 160.35(d)(3)24961,494 Prior notification of making advances under development or improvement plan for OREO§ 34.866530 Default notice to debtor at least 30 days before repossession, foreclosure, or acceleration of payments§ 190.4(h)42284 New IC 4—Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation GuidelinesN/A97654,880Total Annual Burden Hours192,676

Table 2—Summary of Estimated Annual Burden

[OMB No. 7100-0250]

FR Y-30	Estimated number of respondents	Estimated annual frequency	Estimated average hours per response	Estimated annual burden hours
Sections 225.61—225.67 for SMBs	706	498	5 minutes	29,299
Sections 225.61—225.67 for BHCs and nonbank subsidiaries of BHCs	4,516	25	5 minutes	9,408
Guidelines	5,222	1	10	52,220
Policies and Procedures ROV guidance (Initial setup)	5,591	1	13.3	74,547
Policies and Procedures ROV guidance (Ongoing)	5,591	1	2	11,182
Guidelines	5,222	1	5	26,110
Total				202,766

Table 3—Summary of Estimated Annual Burden

[OMB No. 3064-0103]

Information collection (IC) (obligation to respond)	Type of burden (frequency of response)	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Time per response (HH:MM)	Annual burden (hours)
Recordkeeping Requirements Associated with Real Estate Appraisals and Evaluations (Mandatory)	Recordkeeping (On Occasion)	2,936	259	00:05	63,369
New IC 1—ROV Guidance—Policies and Procedures—Implementation (Voluntary)	Reporting (Annual)	2,887	0.33	40:00	38,120
New IC 2—ROV Guidance—Policies and Procedures—Ongoing (Voluntary)	Disclosure (Annual)	2,887	1	02:00	5,774
New IC 3—2010 Guidelines—Policies and Procedures—Ongoing	Recordkeeping (Annual)	2,936	1	10:00	29,360
New IC 4—2010 Guidelines—Disclosure—Ongoing (Voluntary)	Reporting (Annual)	2,936	1	05:00	14,680
Total Annual Burden (Hours)					151,303
Source: FDIC.
The estimated annual IC time burden is the product, rounded to the nearest hour, of the estimated annual number of responses and the estimated time per response for a given IC. The estimated annual number of responses is the product, rounded to the nearest whole number, of the estimated annual number of respondents and the estimated annual number of responses per respondent. This methodology ensures the estimated annual burdens in the table are consistent with the values recorded in OMB's consolidated information system.

Table 4—Summary of Estimated Annual Burden

[OMB No. 3133-0125]

Information collection	Type of burden	Average annual number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Time per response (hours)	Annual burden (hours)
Recordkeeping Requirements Associated with Real Estate Appraisals and Evaluations	Recordkeeping (On Occasion)	2,871	517	0.0833	123,643
New IC 1—ROV Guidance—Policies and Procedures—Implementation	Recordkeeping (Annual)	2,871	1	5	14,355
New IC 2—ROV Guidance—Policies and Procedures—Ongoing	Recordkeeping (Annual)	2,871	1	1	2,871
New IC 3—2010 Guidelines—Policies and Procedures—Ongoing	Recordkeeping (Annual)	2,871	1	10	28,710
New IC 4—2010 Guidelines—Disclosure—Ongoing	Disclosure (Annual)	2,871	1	5	14,355
Total Annual Burden Hours					183,934

Comments continue to be invited on:

(a) Whether the collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the agencies' functions, including whether the information has practical utility;

(b) The accuracy of the estimate of the burden of the information collections, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the information collections on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and

(e) Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

Credible collateral valuations, including appraisals, are essential to the integrity of the residential real estate lending process. [ 22 ] Deficiencies identified in valuations, either through an institution's valuation review processes or through consumer-provided information, may be a basis for financial institutions to question the credibility of the appraisal or valuation report. Collateral valuations may be deficient due to prohibited discrimination;  [ 23 ] errors or omissions; or valuation methods, assumptions, data sources, or conclusions that are otherwise unreasonable, unsupported, unrealistic, or inappropriate. Deficient collateral valuations can keep individuals, families, and neighborhoods from building wealth through homeownership by potentially preventing homeowners from accessing accumulated equity, preventing prospective buyers from purchasing homes, making it harder for homeowners to sell or refinance their homes, and increasing the risk of default. Deficient valuations may pose risks to the financial condition and operations of a financial institution. Such risks may include loan losses, violations of law, fines, civil money penalties, payment of damages, and civil litigation.

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), and its implementing regulation, Regulation B, prohibit discrimination in any aspect of a credit transaction. [ 24 ] The Fair Housing Act (FH Act) and its implementing regulation prohibit discrimination in all aspects of residential real estate-related transactions. [ 25 ] ECOA and the FH Act prohibit discrimination on the basis of race and certain other characteristics in all aspects of residential real estate-related transactions, including in residential real estate valuations. In addition, section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices  [ 26 ] and the Consumer Financial Protection Act prohibits any covered person or service provider of a covered person from engaging in any unfair, deceptive, or abusive act or practice. [ 27 ]

The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and its implementing regulation, Regulation Z, establish certain Federal appraisal independence requirements. [ 28 ] Specifically, TILA and Regulation Z prohibit compensation, coercion, extortion, bribery, or other efforts that may impede upon the appraiser's independent valuation in connection with any covered transaction. [ 29 ] However, Regulation Z also explicitly clarifies that it is permissible for covered persons  [ 30 ] to, among other things, request the preparer of the valuation to consider additional, appropriate property information, including information about comparable Start Printed Page 60557 properties, or to correct errors in the valuation. [ 31 ]

The Board's, FDIC's, NCUA's, and OCC's appraisal regulations  [ 32 ] implementing title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989  [ 33 ] require all appraisals conducted in connection with federally related transactions to conform with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), which requires compliance with all applicable laws and regulations including nondiscrimination requirements.

The Board's, FDIC's, NCUA's, and OCC's appraisal regulations also require appraisals for federally related transactions to be subject to appropriate review for compliance with USPAP. [ 34 ] Financial institutions generally conduct an independent review prior to providing the consumer a copy of the appraisal or evaluation; however, additional review may be warranted if the consumer provides information that could affect the value conclusion or if deficiencies are identified in the original appraisal. An appraisal does not comply with USPAP if it relies on a prohibited basis set forth in either ECOA or the FH Act  [ 35 ] or contains material errors including errors of omission or commission. [ 36 ] If a financial institution determines through the appraisal review process, or after consideration of information later provided by the consumer, that the appraisal does not meet the minimum standards outlined in the agencies' appraisal regulations and if the deficiencies remain uncorrected, the appraisal cannot be used as part of the credit decision. [ 37 ]

The Board, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC have issued interagency guidance describing actions that financial institutions may take to resolve valuation deficiencies. [ 38 ] These actions include resolving the deficiencies with the appraiser or preparer of the valuation report; requesting a review of the valuation by an independent, qualified, and competent state certified or licensed appraiser; or obtaining a second appraisal or evaluation. Deficiencies may be identified through the financial institution's valuation review or through consumer-provided information. The regulatory framework permits financial institutions to implement reconsideration of value (ROV) policies, procedures, and control systems that allow consumers to provide, and the financial institution to review, relevant information that may not have been considered during the appraisal or evaluation process. [ 39 ]

A financial institution's use of third parties in the valuation review process does not diminish its responsibility to comply with applicable laws and regulations. [ 40 ] Moreover, whether valuation review activities and the resolution of deficiencies are performed internally or via a third party, financial institutions supervised by the Board, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC are required to operate in a safe and sound manner and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including those designed to protect consumers. [ 41 ] In addition, the CFPB expects financial institutions to oversee their business relationships with service providers in a manner that ensures compliance with Federal consumer protection laws, which are designed to protect the interests of consumers and avoid consumer harm. [ 42 ] A financial institution's risk management practices include managing the risks arising from its third-party valuations and valuation review functions.

An ROV request made by the financial institution to the appraiser or other preparer of the valuation report encompasses a request to reassess the report based upon deficiencies or information that may affect the value conclusion. A financial institution may initiate a request for an ROV because of the financial institution's valuation review activities or after consideration of information received from a consumer through a complaint, or request to the loan officer or other lender representative. [ 43 ]

A consumer inquiry or complaint regarding a valuation would generally occur after the financial institution has conducted its initial appraisal or evaluation review and resolved any issues that it has identified. Given this timing, a consumer may provide specific and verifiable information that may not have been available or considered when the initial valuation and review were performed. Regardless of how the request for an ROV is initiated, a consumer inquiry or complaint could be resolved through a financial institution's independent valuation review or other processes to ensure credible appraisals and evaluations.

An ROV request may include consideration of comparable properties not previously identified, property characteristics, or other information about the property that may have been incorrectly reported or not previously considered, which may affect the value conclusion. To resolve deficiencies, including those related to potential Start Printed Page 60558 discrimination, financial institutions can communicate relevant information to the original preparer of the valuation and, when appropriate, request an ROV.

Financial institutions can capture consumer feedback regarding potential valuation deficiencies through existing complaint resolution processes. The complaint resolution process may capture complaints and inquiries about the financial institution's products and services offered across all lines of business, including those offered by third parties, as well as complaints from various channels (such as letters, phone calls, in person, transmittal from regulators, third-party valuation service providers, emails, and social media). Depending on the nature and volume, appraisal and other valuation-based complaints and inquiries can be an important indicator of potential risks and risk management weaknesses. Appropriate policies, procedures, and control systems can adequately address the monitoring, escalating, and resolving of complaints including a determination of the merits of the complaint and whether a financial institution should initiate an ROV.

Financial institutions may consider developing risk-based ROV-related policies, procedures, control systems, and complaint resolution processes  [ 44 ] that identify, address, and mitigate the risk of deficient valuations, including valuations that involve prohibited discrimination, and that:

• Consider ROVs as a possible resolution for consumer complaints or inquiries related to residential property valuations. If a complaint or inquiry includes allegations of discrimination, the institution may consider, in addition to processing the ROV, separately initiating the process the institution may have to respond to allegations of discrimination.
• Consider whether any information or other process requirements related to a consumer's request for a financial institution to initiate an ROV create unreasonable barriers or discourage consumers from requesting the institution initiate an ROV.
• Establish a process that provides for the identification, management, analysis, escalation, and resolution of valuation-related complaints or inquiries across all relevant lines of business, from various channels and sources (such as letters, phone calls, in person, regulators, third-party service providers, emails, and social media).
• Establish a process to inform consumers how to raise concerns about the valuation early enough in the underwriting process for any errors or issues to be resolved before a final credit decision is made. This may include educating consumers on the type of information they may provide when communicating with the financial institution about potential valuation deficiencies.
• Identify stakeholders and clearly outline each business unit's roles and responsibilities for processing an ROV request ( e.g., loan origination, processing, underwriting, collateral valuation, compliance, customer experience, or complaints).
• Establish risk-based ROV systems that route the request to the appropriate business unit ( e.g., requests that include concerns or inquiries that allege discrimination could be routed to the appropriate compliance, legal, and appraisal review staff that have the requisite skills and authority to research and resolve the request).
• Establish standardized processes to increase the consistency of consideration of requests for ROVs:

○ Use clear, plain language in notices to consumers of how they may request the ROV;

○ Use clear, plain language in ROV policies that provide a consistent process for the consumer, appraiser, and internal stakeholders;

○ Establish guidelines for the information the financial institution may need to initiate the ROV process;

○ Establish timelines in the complaint or ROV processes for when milestones need to be achieved;

○ Establish guidelines for when a second appraisal could be ordered and who assumes the cost; and

○ Establish protocols for communicating the status of the complaint or ROV and the lender's determination to consumers.

• Ensure relevant lending and valuation-related staff, inclusive of third parties ( e.g., appraisal management companies, fee-appraisers, mortgage brokers, and mortgage servicers) are trained to identify deficiencies (including practices that may result in discrimination) through the valuation review process.

Michael J. Hsu,

Acting Comptroller of the Currency.

By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Ann E. Misback,

Secretary of the Board.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Dated at Washington, DC, on July 08, 2024.

Hina Z. Hussain,

Acting Assistant Executive Secretary.

By the National Credit Union Administration Board on June 27, 2024.

Melane Conyers-Ausbrooks,

Rohit Chopra,

Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

1.  This final guidance is supervisory guidance that does not have the force and effect of law or regulation and does not impose any new requirements on supervised institutions. See 12 CFR part 4, subpart F, appendix A (OCC); 12 CFR part 262, appendix A (Board); 12 CFR part 302, appendix A (FDIC); 12 CFR part 1074, appendix A (CFPB); 12 CFR part 791, subpart D, appendix A (NCUA).

2.  Appraisal means “a written statement independently and impartially prepared by a qualified appraiser setting forth an opinion as to the market value of an adequately described property as of a specific date(s), supported by the presentation and analysis of relevant market information.” 12 CFR 34.42(a) (OCC) ; 12 CFR 323.2(a) (FDIC); 12 CFR 225.62(a) (Board); 12 CFR 722.2 (NCUA).

3.  For the purposes of this guidance, “discrimination” is prohibited discrimination based on protected characteristics in the residential property valuation process. For these purposes, “valuation” includes appraisals, evaluations, and other means to determine the value of residential property.

4.   See Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines, 75 FR 77450 (December 10, 2010).

5.  The NCUA uses the term “written estimate of market value” in place of the term “evaluation.” See 12 CFR 722.3 .

6.  ROVs may arise from a consumer requesting a financial institution to reexamine a valuation.

7.  “Proposed Interagency Guidance on Reconsiderations of Value of Residential Real Estate Valuations,” 88 FR 47071 (July 21, 2023).

8.  TAF is a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of Illinois, which sets appraisal standards and appraiser qualifications in connection with federally related transactions. See 12 U.S.C. 3331 et seq. and https://appraisalfoundation.org/​imis . As contemplated by title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), the Board, FDIC, NCUA, and the OCC have promulgated regulations requiring that real estate appraisals be performed in accordance with generally accepted appraisal standards as evidenced by the appraisal standards promulgated by the Appraisal Standards Board of TAF. See 12 U.S.C. 3339 ; 12 CFR part 225 (Board); 12 CFR part 323 (FDIC); 12 CFR part 722 (NCUA); 12 CFR part 34 (OCC) .

9.   See authorities cited supra note 1.

10.  The proposal described the term “ROV” as a “request from the financial institution to the appraiser or other preparer of the valuation report to reassess the report based upon potential deficiencies or other information that may affect the value conclusion.” 88 FR 47071 , 47073 (July 21, 2023).

11.  The agencies note that the final guidance, like the proposed guidance, references “comparable properties” and “comparable properties not previously identified,” instead of “comparable sales.”

12.   See 12 U.S.C. 3331 et seq.

13.   See 12 CFR 34.42(k) (OCC) ; 12 CFR 323.2(k) (FDIC); 12 CFR 225.62(k) (Board); 12 CFR 722.2 (NCUA).

14.  Accordingly, institutions have flexibility as to the level of granularity to include in their own ROV processes. For example, an institution's ROV policies and procedures could specify what types of information the institution would accept with an ROV request ( e.g., comparable sales provided with an ROV request must have closed by the effective date of the appraisal).

15.  The VA's Tidewater Procedure has been in existence since 2003. Under this procedure, appraisers are required to notify the requester ( i.e., the person who orders the appraisal) when it appears that the estimated market value will be below the sale price during the appraisal process. The requester, or any parties to the transaction contacted by the requester, has two business days to submit any additional sales data that they wish to have considered. For each potential comparable sale submitted, requesters are encouraged to provide the following information: (1) street address; (2) sales price; (3) date of sale; (4) gross living area; (5) if the property was listed, a copy of the listing with details about the property; and 6) any other information to assist the appraiser in determining whether the sale could be used as a comparable property. If the requester submits market data, the appraiser will note in the appraisal report that the Tidewater Procedure was followed and include: (1) the street address of each sale submitted; (2) whether each sale was considered and, if not, the reason; and (3) the effect of the data, if any, on the opinion of value. If the market data does not result in the value meeting or exceeding the sale price, the next step is an ROV. After two business days, if the requester does not submit market data, the appraiser will note in the appraisal report that the Tidewater Procedure was followed and complete the appraisal report. See VA's Lenders Handbook, Chapter 10, Section 8, available at https://benefits.va.gov/​WARMS/​docs/​admin26/​m26-07/​Chapter_​10.pdf ; see also VA's presentation entitled “Tidewater and Reconsiderations of Value” at the 2023 Loan Guaranty Conference, available at https://benefits.va.gov/​HOMELOANS/​documents/​conf/​2023-lender-d1-04-tidewater.pdf .

16.  NCUA, Responding to Consumer Complaints (June 2015), available at https://ncua.gov/​regulation-supervision/​letters-credit-unions-other-guidance/​improving-process-consumer-complaints (recommending that credit unions “[e]stablish channels to receive consumer complaints and inquiries such as telephone numbers or email addresses dedicated to receiving [consumer complaints].”).

17.   See authorities cited supra note 1.

18.  There is a separate notice of proposed rulemaking on quality control standards for AVMs that was published in the Federal Register for comment on June 21, 2023. See 88 FR 40638 .

19.   See Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines, 75 FR 77457 , 77462 (December 10, 2010).

20.   See the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's (FFIEC) Statement on Examination Principles Related to Valuation Discrimination and Bias in Residential Lending, Attachment B (February 12, 2024), available at https://files.consumerfinance.gov/​f/​documents/​cfpb_​ffiec-statement-on-exam-principles_​2024-02.pdf . In some situations, examiners may reference (including in writing) supervisory guidance to provide examples of safe and sound conduct, appropriate consumer protection and risk management practices, and other actions for addressing compliance with laws or regulations. See 12 CFR part 4, subpart F, appendix A (OCC); 12 CFR part 262, appendix A (Board); 12 CFR part 302, appendix A (FDIC); 12 CFR part 1074, appendix A (CFPB); 12 CFR part 791, subpart D, appendix A (NCUA).

21.   44 U.S.C. 3506 .

22.  For the purposes of this guidance, the residential real estate lending process is limited to real estate-related financial transactions that are secured by a single 1-to-4 family residential property.

23.  For the purposes of this guidance, “discrimination” is prohibited discrimination based on protected characteristics in the residential property valuation process. For these purposes, “valuation” includes appraisals, evaluations, and other means to determine the value of residential property.

24.   See 15 U.S.C. 1691 et seq. and 12 CFR part 1002 . While this guidance focuses on residential valuations, ECOA covers all lending, including commercial lending. In addition, Regulation B requires creditors to (1) provide an applicant a copy of all appraisals and other written evaluations developed in connection with an application for credit that is to be secured by a first lien on a dwelling; and (2) provide a copy of each such appraisal or other written valuation promptly upon completion, or three business days prior to consummation of the transaction (for closed-end credit) or account opening (for open-end credit), whichever is earlier. See 12 CFR 1002.14(a)(1) .

25.   See 42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq. and 24 CFR part 100 . The FH Act defines “residential real estate-related transaction” as (1) the making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance for: purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing or maintaining a dwelling; or secured by residential real estate; or (2) the selling, brokering or appraising of residential real property. See 42 U.S.C. 3605(b) ; 24 CFR 100.115 .

26.   See 15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1) .

27.   See 12 U.S.C. 5531 , 5536 .

28.   See 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. and 12 CFR part 1026 .

29.   See 12 CFR 1026.42(c)(1) .

30.  “Covered persons” include creditors, mortgage brokers, appraisers, appraisal management companies, real estate agents, and other persons that provide “settlement services” as defined in section 3(3) of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act ( 12 U.S.C. 2602(3) ) and the implementing regulation. See 12 CFR 1026.42(b)(1) .

31.   See 12 CFR 1026.42(c)(3)(iii) .

32.   See 12 CFR part 34, subpart C (OCC); 12 CFR part 208, subpart E and 12 CFR part 225, subpart G (Board); 12 CFR part 323 (FDIC); 12 CFR part 722 and 12 CFR 701.31 (NCUA).

33.  Public Law 101-73, title XI, 103 Stat. 511 (1989), codified at 12 U.S.C. 3331 et seq.

34.   See 12 CFR 34.44(a) (OCC) ; 12 CFR 225.64(c) (Board); 12 CFR 722.4(c) (NCUA); and 12 CFR 323.4(c) (FDIC).

35.   See Nondiscrimination Section of the USPAP's Ethics Rule (2024 edition).

36.  An error of omission is neglecting to do something that is necessary, e.g., failing to identify the subject property's relevant characteristics. An error of commission is doing something incorrectly, e.g., incorrectly identifying the subject property's relevant characteristics.

37.   See 12 CFR 34.44 (OCC) ; 12 CFR 225.64 (Board); 12 CFR 323.4 (FDIC); and 12 CFR 722.4 (NCUA). In addition, under TILA, if at any point during the lending process the financial institution reasonably believes, through appraisal review or consumer-provided information, that an appraiser has not complied with USPAP or ethical or professional requirements for appraisers under applicable state or Federal statutes or regulations, the financial institution is required to refer the matter to the appropriate state appraisal regulatory agency if the failure to comply is material. See 12 CFR 1026.42(g) .

38.   See Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines, 75 FR 77450 (December 10, 2010).

39.  The agencies note that institutions that choose to implement ROV policies described in this guidance would not be precluded or excused from complying with other relevant legal and contractual requirements related to ROVs, as applicable.

40.   See OCC Bulletin 2023-17, “Third-Party Relationships: Interagency Guidance on Risk Management” (June 6, 2023); CFPB Compliance Bulletin and Policy Guidance; 2016-02, Service Providers (October 2016); FDIC FIL-29-2023, “Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management” (June 6, 2023); Board SR Letter 23-4, “Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management” (June 7, 2023). The Board, FDIC, and OCC also issued “Third-Party Relationships: A Guide for Community Banks,” which is intended to assist community banks when developing and implementing their third-party risk-management practices. See OCC Bulletin 2024-11 (May 3, 2024); FDIC FIL-19-2024 (May 3, 2024); SR Letter 24-2 (May 7, 2024). The NCUA does not currently have supervisory or enforcement authority over third-party credit union vendors and service providers. The NCUA issued LTR 07-CU-13 “Evaluating Third Party Relationships” to communicate guidance to examiners on a standard framework for reviewing third party relationships.

41.   See section 39 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act ( 12 U.S.C. 1831p-1 ) (which requires each appropriate Federal banking agency to prescribe safety and soundness standards for insured depository institutions). The Federal banking agencies implemented section 1831p-1 by rule through the “Interagency Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safety and Soundness.” See 12 CFR part 30, appendix A (OCC); 12 CFR part 208, appendix D -1 (Board); and 12 CFR part 364, appendix A (FDIC). See also 12 U.S.C. 1786(b) ; 12 U.S.C. 1789 ; and 12 CFR 741.3 (NCUA).

42.  CFPB Compliance Bulletin and Policy Guidance; 2016-02, Service Providers (October 2016).

43.   See Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines, 75 FR 77450 , 77463 (December 10, 2010).

44.  Risk-based ROV-related policies, procedures, control systems, and complaint processes may necessarily vary according to the size and complexity of the financial institution. Smaller financial institutions that choose to implement the guidance may have policies and procedures that differ from those at larger and midsize institutions.

[ FR Doc. 2024-16200 Filed 7-25-24; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4810-33-P; 6210-01-P; 6714-01-P; 7535-01-P; 4810-AM-P

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A bill to require executive agencies to take steps to better meet the statutory deadline for processing communications use applications, and for other purposes.

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