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Global CEO Turnover Index - Draft

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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Incoming
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   SMI  
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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 SMI
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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 SMI
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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 SMI
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Incoming CEOs
Incoming CEOs: Gender
Incoming CEOs: Appointment
Incoming CEOs: First Timers

Select Industry

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   SMI  
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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 SMI
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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 SMI
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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 SMI
Download data

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   SMI  
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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Select Industry

Global (All Companies)  Consumer   Financial Services   Healthcare  Industrial  Technology 
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Global CEO Turnover Index: Key trends Q1 2025

 

01

CEO turnover dipped in Q1 2025 following a record year of turnover.

In Q1 2025, 46 CEOs departed their positions globally, a 21% decrease from Q1 2024, and slightly below the average of 50 departures for this quarter.

 

This slower start to the year is due to the fact that only two CEOs departed the FTSE 100, a 67% drop year-on-year, and the ASX 200 had the lowest number of CEO departures in Q1 2025 on record. The S&P 500, however, saw 20 departures, a 25% increase year-on-year for Q1.

 

 

02

CEO tenure declines.

The average tenure for outgoing CEOs fell to 6.8 years in Q1 2025, notably lower than 8.1 years in Q1 2024. This decline is particularly pronounced in the FTSE 100, where the two departing CEOs had an average tenure of just 1.1 years, categorizing them as a ‘short-term appointment.’

 

A potential driver of this shorter CEO tenure could be the increase in CEOs choosing to leave the role for personal reasons, which has risen from 2% in Q1 2024 to 11% in Q1 2025—the highest on record for the first quarter.

 

 

03

Increase in the percentage of women CEOs appointed in Q1 2025 compared to last year’s figure.

In Q1 2025, of the CEOs appointed, six were women, accounting for 13% of all incoming CEOs. This is higher than Q1 2024, where only 7% of incoming CEOs were women. In the S&P TSX Composite, two women CEOs were appointed in Q1 2025, the highest on record for the first quarter.

 

While the percentage of women appointed to the CEO role is increasing, boards must continue to expand their view of what makes an effective CEO, in turn ensuring organizations benefit from the broadest possible pool of leadership talent.

 

 

04

CEOs departing as the result of a planned succession increases.

A positive trend in succession planning emerged this quarter, with 28% of all CEO departures attributed to planned succession processes, up 7% from the same period in 2024.

 

This shift indicates that boards are being more proactive, long-term, and strategic in their approach to succession planning.
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The Transformation of the CEO

Global CEO Turnover Index Annual Report 2024
Twelve months on from our inaugural Global CEO Turnover Index Annual Report, business and societal transformation continues to accelerate at pace.

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.

View data