How to write an executive summary slide (with example)

Introduction

The executive summary is the most important slide in any business presentation. It captures the high-level overview of the story on a single page, allowing an executive to understand the recommendation and its rationale without reading further.

Make the executive summary the first slide you build

In most business presentations, the executive summary is an afterthought: a slide added at the end of your process to summarize what has been built.

Top consultants actually do the opposite: the executive summary is written first, before they have built their slides or even finished their analysis. This can feel counterintuitive, but it will make the story the cornerstone of the presentation, clarify your thinking early and expose gaps in your argument before you’ve invested time building around them.

You don’t need to be 100% right from the start. Your reading of the situation, the problem, and your recommendation can all be hypotheses at this stage. They will be refined as your analysis and findings come in.

The executive summary is the basis for your storyboard (blank slides with titles that mirror each storyline item) which you build alongside it.

How to write an executive summary slide: a step-by-step method

1. Open a blank slide in your presentation software

Although you may opt to use a word document or even jot down your ideas on a plain piece of paper, I would definitely recommend using your favorite presentation software (PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, etc.) for this process. You will indeed probably use it to build your presentation anyway so you might as well use it directly. Take a blank slide and start your draft.

2. Set the scene

For most business presentations, you can follow the SCR (Situation, Complication, Resolution) framework.

Start with a short, neutral Situation, the shared starting point, one or two sentences. Follow with the Complication: the problem or change that creates the need for a decision. Keep both as tight, standalone bold statements: a sentence or two each is enough.

Read more: SCR framework: Situation, Complication, Resolution explained

3. Build your Resolution top-down

Follow the Pyramid Principle

Your Resolution follows the Pyramid Principle, a three-level top-down structure:

• A main message at the top
• Supporting arguments that justify it
• Evidence at the base (the data, facts and analyses that prove each argument)

Only write the first two levels

Start with your main message, in bold: a single, specific sentence stating your recommendation, not the topic. Below it, list two to four supporting arguments as bullets.

On the executive summary, you usually write only the first two levels. The evidence level goes straight into your storyboard. Each argument will become a slide, and its evidence will fill the slide body or get deep-dive slides of its own.

Check

Run the overlap and gap test on your supporting arguments: could two of them contain the same point? Is anything relevant missing? Adjust until each covers a distinct dimension and together they make the full case.

Read more: What is the Pyramid Principle? Minto’s method explained, The MECE principle explained with examples, our complete guide to building a consulting-style presentation

Note: this method is built for presentations meant to convince a decision-maker. A purely informative presentation like a status update usually works differently. There is often no true Complication, and instead of one main message you’ll have several parallel key messages, one per category (schedule, budget, risks, etc.). Each is built as its own small pyramid: a clear finding, backed by evidence. The same discipline still applies: each key message states a finding, not a topic, and the categories together should be MECE.

Be clear and concise

Bold for the Situation, Complication and Resolution, bullets for the arguments. This is what makes a dense page scannable: a reader should get the gist of the story from the bold lines alone, then drop into the bullets for the arguments behind it.

Aim for one slide, two slides maximum. If you find yourself needing more room, the message isn’t focused enough yet.

Make each item a strong, standalone statement. Each Situation, Complication, and supporting argument will later become a slide title in your storyboard, so it needs to hold up on its own. A good item states a conclusion, not a topic. It is specific enough that a reader knows exactly what you found, ideally with numbers. It carries a single message, stays short, and earns its place by contributing to the story. See our guide on writing slide titles like a consultant.

An executive summary slide example

Behind each argument sits the evidence that will need to appear in the storyboard:

• Current products are outdated: competitors offer cheaper alternatives; solar panel sales have slowed.
• Consumers now prefer smart home technology: 60% of consumers prefer smart home products; competitors saw a 15% increase in sales after launching smart home products.
• Direct-to-consumer sales will increase profitability: direct-to-consumer brands report higher profit margins; competitors saw a 10% higher conversion rate with direct sales.

Common mistakes

Being too descriptive

Executive summary items should be action-oriented and state a conclusion, not a topic. “Financial results” is a topic. “Competition is eroding margins across all segments” is a conclusion.

Being too vague

“Performance was mixed” or “the market is evolving” are not useful executive summary items. Every point should be specific enough that a reader knows exactly what you found and what it means.

Tackling more than one message per item

Each executive summary item should carry a single, clear point. If an item covers two ideas, it will create an ambiguous slide title and a slide that is hard to focus. Split it into two separate items.

Getting too detailed

The executive summary is a one-pager. Be concise. Keep the executive summary items collectively exhaustive at a high level and keep details for the slides.

Introducing overlapping arguments

If two items cover the same ground, the structure is not mutually exclusive. Each item should cover a distinct dimension, with no overlap.

Forgetting the story logic

If some executive summary items don’t contribute to the story, get rid of them, no matter how interesting the findings are.

Conclusion

The executive summary is the highest-leverage slide in your presentation. It is the first thing a senior reader looks at, and often the only thing they read carefully before the discussion begins.

It is the outcome of your storyline, and will be the basis for the storyboard.

Build it first. Keep it to one slide. Follow the SCR structure when your presentation drives a decision. Write specific supporting arguments. Check that the arguments are MECE.

Get the executive summary right, and the rest of the deck almost writes itself.

To go further: What is the Pyramid Principle? Minto’s method explained, The MECE principle explained with examples, SCR framework: Situation, Complication, Resolution explained, How to build a McKinsey-style presentation: step by step.

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