---
id: "entity-samantha-hellauer"
type: "entity"
source_timestamps: ["¶1"]
tags: ["author", "ghsmart"]
related: ["entity-ghsmart", "entity-rens-van-den-broek", "entity-dina-wang", "framework-shape-index"]
entityType: "person"
canonicalName: "Samantha Hellauer"
aliases: []
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2025/09/what-companies-with-successful-ai-pilots-do-differently"
source_title: "What Companies with Successful AI Pilots Do Differently"
sources: ["execution", "tail2"]
isSpeakerEntity: true
---
## Segment 2 — tail2

## Article 120 — a120

# Samantha Hellauer

**Profile / role:** A co-author of the source HBR article and part of the [[entity-ghsmart-d120|ghSmart]] research team behind the underlying assessment study. Listed among the source's authorial voices rather than as an interviewed CEO.

**Attributed contributions in this vault:** as a co-author, shares authorship of the study's headline outputs — the [[framework-pe-ceo-capabilities|five crucial capabilities framework]] and its supporting statistics ([[claim-pe-corporate-talent-shift|the 53% corporate-pipeline finding]], [[claim-commercial-excellence-gap|+17% commercial]], [[claim-strategic-thinking-priority|+20% strategic thinking]], [[claim-risk-taking-propensity|+12% risk-taking]]). No individually distinguished quote is attributed to her in the extraction; entity retained for cross-vault speaker resolution.

## Article 122 — a122

# Samantha Hellauer

**Profile.** Leadership advisor at [[entity-ghsmart-d122]] (principal/partner), advising investment firms and corporations on executive transitions and private-equity value creation. Listed as an author of the HBR article "Leading After the Founder" (January 2026).

**Role in this source.** Co-author. The article is jointly authored and does not disaggregate individual contributions, so authorship of the ideas below is shared across all five ghSMART authors.

**Attributed contributions (collective).** The central thesis that founder transitions are psychological processes disguised as organizational ones ([[quote-psychological-processes]]); the risk framing in [[concept-founder-transition-risk-premium]] and [[claim-higher-failure-rate]]; the three operating frameworks — [[framework-founder-role-archetypes]], [[framework-successor-survival-traits]], and [[framework-four-big-mistakes]]; and the practical playbook including [[action-standing-agenda-item]], [[action-create-role-scorecards]], and [[action-observe-90-days]].

## Segment 8 — execution

## Article 60 — a060

# Samantha Hellauer

## Samantha Hellauer

**Entity type:** person

Partner / senior leader at the leadership advisory firm [[entity-ghsmart]] and **co-author** of the HBR article *What Companies with Successful AI Pilots Do Differently* (with [[entity-rens-van-den-broek]] and [[entity-dina-wang]]).

### Role in this source
One of the three authoring voices. Because the article is written in a collective 'Authors' voice, her contributions are shared across the trio rather than individually attributed.

### Attributed contributions to this vault
- Co-development of the [[framework-shape-index|SHAPE Index]] and its five dimensions ([[concept-strategic-agility]], [[concept-human-centricity]], [[concept-applied-curiosity]], [[concept-performance-drive]], [[concept-ethical-stewardship]]).
- The four-step [[framework-ai-leadership-transition]] and its action items.
- The survey-based claims and contrarian insights carried throughout this vault (see [[entity-rens-van-den-broek]] for the full attributed list, shared by all three authors).