Q1 2025 Asia COO Turnover Trends & Leadership Insights

Singapore and Asia Maintain COO Stability in Q1 2025 as Global Turnover Remains High

7 July 2025, Singapore – New data from Russell Reynolds Associates’ (RRA) Global COO Turnover Index reveals that Singapore recorded zero COO departures in Q1 2025, a similar trend observed in Hong Kong and Japan, indicating leadership stability, in line with historical trends of departures ranging between 0 – 2 since 2019. Global COO turnover rates have experienced a slight drop from an average of 35 in Q1 (2022 - 2024). Asia recorded an impressive 0% turnover rate, lower than the global average (1.3%).

The Global COO Turnover Index provides an analysis of the appointment and departure of Chief Operating Officers (COOs) across leading listed companies worldwide. Drawing on data from major stock indices, including the Hang Seng (Hong Kong), Nikkei 225 (Japan), STI (Singapore), and prominent indices in North America and Europe, the Index offers valuable insights into executive trends. As the COO position becomes more strategic and expansive, driven by digital transformation and sustainability pressures, it is increasingly viewed as a top contender for CEO succession.

Asia COO turnover remains low in keeping with regional CHRO and CFO turnover rates

In Q1 2025, global COO departures decreased to 24 from 35 in Q1 2024, one of the lowest in the recent 5 years. Notably, half of these departures are from within the Industrial sector.

Asia experienced low turnover during the same period. Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan reported zero COO departures in Q1 2025, consistent with the previous quarter, underscoring exceptional leadership stability compared to global markets where turnover remains elevated.

“The sustained stability in COO roles across Singapore and Asia, reflects organisations’ commitment to operational continuity and forward-looking leadership. At a time when global markets are experiencing heightened turnovers, companies in this region are thinking long-term about their business strategies and leveraging robust talent development to maintain stability at the top. This approach not only positions Asia organisations to weather uncertainty in supply chains, but also enables them to capitalise on new growth opportunities over the medium-to-long term as business demands evolve,” said Vijuraj Eranazhath, who leads the Operations Officers Practice in Asia for Russell Reynolds Associates.

This trend of leadership stability is not limited to COOs. Recent data shows that CHRO and CFO turnover rates in Asia are also among the lowest globally, with CHRO turnover below 1% and CFO turnover declining 24% year-over-year (2023 – 2024), both significantly below global averages.

Global COO tenure remains brief

Globally, COO turnover remains dynamic, with the average tenure for outgoing COOs at approximately 3.4 years in 2024, and a slight increase at 3.8 years in Q1 2025. This tenure reflects the evolving demands of the COO role, which continues to be one of the shortest among C-suite positions worldwide.

This remains notably below the six-year average of other C-suite roles, with CEOs at 7.8 years, CFOs at 6.2 years, and CHROs at 6.1 years.

This shorter tenure is likely due to the dual nature of the COO role. In many cases, the COO serves as a stepping stone to the CEO role. RRA’s research found that from Q1-Q4 2024, 22% of CEO hires were from the COO role.

APAC COO tenure similarly had scaled up towards global averages in the last two years, as companies increasingly looked for stability at the top post the pandemic churn, and regional supply chain strategies started getting locked down & implemented on the ground (e.g. “China + 1” into geographies like SE Asia & India).

Internal COO appointments preferred globally

Internal appointments accounted for 81% of COO hires globally in Q1 2025, up from 68.5% in 2024 and above the six-year global average of 73%. This preference for internal hires is evident across sectors: 87.5% of consumer companies, 85.7% of financial services firms, 100% of healthcare organisations, 68.8% of industrial companies, and 100% of technology firms appointed their COOs from within.

This indicates that, across most sectors, organisations continue to place strong emphasis on developing and promoting internal talent for the COO role, leveraging institutional knowledge and continuity to drive operational success.

Media Contacts

Russell Reynolds Associates
Joann Chin
Joann.Chin@russellreynolds.com
+65 6496 0614