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Global CEO Turnover Index

We share the latest CEO turnover data across listed companies globally. Each quarter, you’ll find the proportion of CEO departures and appointments globally, as well as trends on CEO appointments by gender, tenure, and whether CEOs are internal or external hires.
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Global CEO turnover - Russell Reynolds Associate

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Outgoing
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Incoming CEOs
Incoming CEOs: Gender
Incoming CEOs: Appointment
Incoming CEOs: First Timers

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Global (All Companies)   S&P 500   FTSE 100   ASX 200   CAC 40   DAX 40   EuroNext 100   FTSE 250   HANG SENG   Nikkei 225   NSE Nifty 50   S&P/TSX Composite   STI  
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 DAX 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 NSE Nifty 50 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 DAX 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 NSE Nifty 50 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 DAX 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 NSE Nifty 50 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Incoming CEOs
Incoming CEOs: Gender
Incoming CEOs: Appointment
Incoming CEOs: First Timers

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Global (All Companies)  Consumer   Financial Services   Healthcare  Industrial  Technology 
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Global (All Companies) Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Global (All Companies) Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Global (All Companies) Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Index view
Industry view
Outgoing CEOs
Outgoing CEOs: Gender
Outgoing CEOs: Appointment
Outgoing CEOs: First Timers
Outgoing CEOs: Tenure

Select Index

Global (All Companies)  S&P 500   FTSE 100   ASX 200   CAC 40   DAX 40   EuroNext 100   FTSE 250   HANG SENG   Nikkei 225   NSE Nifty 50   S&P/TSX Composite   STI  
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 DAX 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 NSE Nifty 50 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 DAX 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 NSE Nifty 50 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 DAX 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 NSE Nifty 50 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Select Industry

Global (All Companies)  S&P 500   FTSE 100   ASX 200   CAC 40   DAX 40   EuroNext 100   FTSE 250   HANG SENG   Nikkei 225   NSE Nifty 50   S&P/TSX Composite   STI  
Download data
Outgoing CEOs
Outgoing CEOs: Gender
Outgoing CEOs: Appointment
Outgoing CEOs: First Timers
Outgoing CEOs: Tenure

Select Industry

Global   Consumer   Financial Services   Healthcare  Industrial  Technology 
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Global Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Global Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Global (All Companies) Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Global (All Companies)  Consumer   Financial Services   Healthcare  Industrial  Technology 
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CEO Turnover Index Q1 2024: Key trends

 

01

CEO turnover spiked in the first quarter of 2024, as 68 CEOs were appointed and 52 CEOs departed the role, the highest Q1 totals since 2018 and 2020 respectively.

As we move forward, boards will need to double down on their succession planning, focusing not just on the CEO role but their entire C-suite.

 

 

02

Of the 68 CEOs appointed in Q1 2024, only five were women. At the current pace of change, it’s estimated to take 88 years to achieve global gender parity.

To achieve true gender balance at the top, we need to create systemic changes to how succession is planned, managed, and executed. The scope of CEO candidacy needs to be widened and organizations need to take the preparation of women for CEO roles far more seriously—investing more in their women leaders, increasing pipelines, and addressing bias.

 

 

03

Failed CEO appointments (those lasting less than two years) accounted for 15.1% of outgoing CEOs. This is up from an average of 9.6% since 2019.

This suggests that in challenging macroeconomic environments, boards are prepared to move quickly to remove underperforming CEOs. That said, even the most efficient new CEOs this quarter will find themselves still trying to put together a high-performing senior leadership team well into 2025—a factor that will hamper their ability to deliver. Boards must reframe their expectations of an incoming CEO’s ability to perform in the short term.

 

 

04

Women CEOs are more than twice as likely (24.1%) to leave their roles within two years of appointment, and are four times more likely to last less than 12 months in the CEO role than men.

Boards cannot ignore their accountability for a new CEO’s success, and many are clearly not doing enough to set women candidates up to succeed.
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The Next CEO

In our inaugural Global CEO Turnover Index Annual Report, discover 2023’s trends and what they mean for business in 2024 and beyond.

What is CEO turnover?

CEO turnover refers to the rate at which CEOs depart and are hired from their roles. It can be a helpful indicator of wider trends, including economic health and businesses’ risk appetites.

How has CEO turnover changed for public companies?

CEO turnover has increased since 2018 for the companies listed on the 12 indices tracked in the CEO Turnover Index, hitting a five-year high in 2022, when 189 CEOs were appointed globally. CEO turnover remained high in 2023, with 180 CEO appointments globally.

Why is CEO turnover so high for public firms globally?

High CEO turnover is reflective of companies’ growing risk appetites and search for leaders who can navigate increasing complexity in the macro business environment, including tech transformation, sustainability, geopolitical crises, and social issues.

How many CEOs were appointed globally in 2023 at public companies?

There were 180 CEO appointments globally in 2023 for the companies listed on the 12 indices tracked in the CEO Turnover Index. This included:

  • 45 CEO appointments in the S&P 500.
  • 24 CEO appointments in ASX 200.
  • 16 CEO appointments in the FTSE 100.

How many CEOs of public companies stepped down in 2023?

There were 178 CEO departures globally in 2023 for the companies listed on the 12 indices tracked in the CEO Turnover Index. This included:

  • 48 CEO departures in the S&P 500.
  • 20 CEO departures in ASX 200.
  • 13 CEO departures in the FTSE 100.

What is the proportion of women CEO appointments at public firms in 2023?

Women remain largely underrepresented in the CEO role across the world as per the CEO Turnover Index. In 2023, women accounted for 22 of CEO appointments globally (12% of all appointments), compared to 156 for men. However, there are regional nuances. In 2023:

  • 6 women CEOs were appointed in the S&P 500, representing 13% of CEO appointments.
  • 6 women CEOs were appointed in the ASX 200, representing 25% of CEO appointments.
  • 3 women CEOs were appointed in the FTSE 100, representing 19% of CEO appointments.

What proportion of new CEOs of public companies were first-time CEOs?

In 2023, 88% of 180 CEO appointments were first-time CEOs for the companies listed on the 12 indices tracked in the CEO Turnover Index. They had never held a CEO role at a public-listed company.

What’s the average tenure of CEOs at publicly listed companies?

In 2023, the average tenure of CEOs was 8.1 years. However, there are some interesting nuances according to the CEO Turnover Index.

Internal vs. external hires. Internal CEO hires had longer tenures than external CEO hires. On average, internal CEOs’ tenures were 1.4 years longer than external CEO hires.

Men vs. women. Women CEO tenures had shorter than men’s. On average, women lasted 5.0 years in the CEO role globally, compared to 8.0 years for men. There is significant variation across the globe. Only in the NSE Nifty 50 do women CEOs stay in the role longer than men.

  • CAC 40: -7.7 years
  • S&P 500: -3.9 years
  • NSE Nifty 50: +1.5 years
  • FTSE 100: -1.0 years

First-time CEOs vs. seasoned CEOs. First-time public company CEOs’ tenures were 2.1-years longer than those who had previous CEO experience.

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How we support boards through CEO turnover

Changing CEOs is a high-risk task. But done right, it becomes a powerful catalyst for business transformation and growth. We help boards mitigate the risks and maximize the opportunities.Discover more about our approach to CEO succession.

Global board & CEO advisory leaders

 

With more than 120 years of combined experience in executive search, our board and CEO advisory leaders ensure we bring the full power of our one-firm approach to your greatest leadership challenges. That means we bring together the right team to meet your organization’s needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Would you like to learn more about CEO succession best practices?

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Global CFO Turnover Index

Find out how many listed company Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are leaving and starting their posts each quarter globally.

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