When to Use This Skill

/exec-summary

Generate concise executive summaries from long documents, distilling key messages, decisions, and action items for senior stakeholders. Single-pass synthesis optimised for clarity and brevity.

When to Use This Skill

• Summarising long reports for senior leadership
• Creating one-page briefs from multi-page documents
• Distilling meeting minutes into decision summaries
• Preparing board-level summaries from technical documents
• Converting detailed analyses into stakeholder communications

Usage

/exec-summary <path-to-document> [--length short|standard|detailed] [--audience ceo|cto|board|pm]

Parameters

Instructions

Phase 1: Analyse Document

1. Read the full document
2. Identify document type — Report, proposal, analysis, minutes, specification
3. Extract key elements:
   • Main conclusions or recommendations
   • Critical decisions made or needed
   • Financial implications (costs, savings, ROI)
   • Risks and mitigations
   • Action items and owners
   • Timeline and milestones

Phase 2: Synthesise Summary

Tailor the summary to the audience:

CEO/Board audience:

• Focus on business impact, financial implications, and strategic alignment
• Minimise technical detail
• Lead with the recommendation or decision needed

CTO audience:

• Include technical context and architecture implications
• Highlight risks and dependencies
• Include timeline and resource requirements

PM audience:

• Focus on scope, timeline, and resource implications
• Highlight dependencies and blockers
• Include action items and next steps

Phase 3: Generate Output

Write the executive summary using the inverted pyramid structure:

1. Bottom line up front (BLUF) — The most important conclusion in one sentence
2. Key findings — 3-5 bullet points with the essential information
3. Supporting detail — Brief context for each key finding
4. Actions required — What decisions or actions are needed

Output Format

# Executive Summary: <Document Title>

> **Source:** <document> | **Date:** YYYY-MM-DD | **Prepared for:** <audience>

## Bottom Line

<One sentence capturing the most important conclusion or recommendation>

## Key Findings

1. **<Finding 1>** — <One-sentence supporting detail>
2. **<Finding 2>** — <One-sentence supporting detail>
3. **<Finding 3>** — <One-sentence supporting detail>

## Financial Impact

| Item                | Value          |
|---------------------|----------------|
| Investment required | £X             |
| Expected savings    | £X/year        |
| ROI                 | X% over Y years|
| Break-even          | Month X        |

## Risks

| Risk                    | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation          |
|-------------------------|------------|--------|---------------------|
| <Risk>                  | Medium     | High   | <Mitigation>        |

## Actions Required

| Action                          | Owner      | Deadline    |
|---------------------------------|------------|-------------|
| <Decision or action needed>     | <Name>     | YYYY-MM-DD  |

## Next Steps

1. <Immediate next step>
2. <Follow-up action>

Examples

Example 1: Board Summary

/exec-summary ~/Documents/migration-analysis.md --length short --audience board

200-word summary focusing on business impact and investment decision.

Example 2: CTO Brief

/exec-summary ~/Documents/architecture-review.md --audience cto

Standard-length summary with technical context and architecture implications.

Example 3: Detailed PM Brief

/exec-summary ~/Documents/project-proposal.md --length detailed --audience pm

1000-word summary with full scope, timeline, and resource breakdown.

Invoke with: /exec-summary <path> to generate a stakeholder-ready executive summary