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Global COO Turnover Index

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

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Incoming
Outgoing
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Industry view
Incoming COOs
Incoming COOs: Gender
Incoming COOs: Appointment
Incoming COOs: Experience

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Global (All Companies)   S&P 500   FTSE 100   ASX 200   CAC 40   EuroNext 100   FTSE 250   HANG SENG   Nikkei 225   S&P/TSX Composite   STI  
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 S&P/TSX Composite STI
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Incoming COOs
Incoming COOs: Gender
Incoming COOs: Appointment
Incoming COOs: Experience

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Global (All Companies)  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 Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Index view
Industry view
Outgoing COOs
Outgoing COOs: Gender
Outgoing COOs: Appointment
Outgoing COOs: Experience
Outgoing COOs: Tenure
Outgoing COOs: Retired/Board or New Role

Select Index

Global (All Companies)   S&P 500   FTSE 100   ASX 200   CAC 40   EuroNext 100   FTSE 250   HANG SENG   Nikkei 225   S&P/TSX Composite   STI  
Download data

Select Index

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

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

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

Global (All Companies)  S&P 500   FTSE 100   ASX 200   CAC 40   EuroNext 100   FTSE 250   HANG SENG   Nikkei 225   S&P/TSX Composite   STI  
Download data

Select Index

Global (All Companies) S&P 500 FTSE 100 ASX 200 CAC 40 EuroNext 100 FTSE 250 HANG SENG Nikkei 225 S&P/TSX Composite STI
Download data
Outgoing COOs
Outgoing COOs: Gender
Outgoing COOs: Appointment
Outgoing COOs: Experience
Outgoing COOs: Tenure
Outgoing COOs: Retired/Board or New Role

Select Industry

Global (All Companies)  Consumer   Financial Services   Healthcare  Industrial  Technology 
Download data

Select Industry

Global Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Select Industry

Global Consumer Financial Services Healthcare Industrial Technology
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Select Industry

Global 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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Select Industry

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

 

01

COO turnover reaches six-year high

In 2024, 124 COOs departed their roles, up from 112 departures in 2023 and significantly above the six-year average of 101 departures.

 

The elevated turnover in 2024 signals the evolving nature of the COO. As operational challenges shift from supply chain disruptions to AI implementation and digital transformation, organizations are seeking more agile, creative leaders who can partner effectively across R&D, finance, and emerging technology functions.

 

Despite this increase in turnover in 2024, 24 COOs departed the role in Q1 2025 versus 35 in Q1 2024. It's expected that turnover will pick up again once organizations adjust to the global tariff changes introduced by the Trump administration.

 

 

02

COO tenure remains significantly shorter than other C-suite roles

In 2024, average COO tenure was 3.4 years, slightly above the six-year average of 3.2 years and up from the shortest tenure period of 2.8 years in 2020. However, 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.

 

The FTSE 100 experienced a particularly sharp decline in tenure in 2024, dropping from 4.2 years in 2023 to 3.3 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—our route to the top research found that from Q1-Q4 2024, 22% of CEO hires were from the COO role. This was significantly higher in the S&P 500 at 33% and the S&P/TSX Composite at 45%.

 

 

03

Internal COO appointments signal sophisticated succession planning

Internal COO appointments rose slightly from 67.7% in 2023 to 68.5% in 2024. This trend looks set to remain high as Q1 2025 figures show that 81% of appointments were internal.

 

High internal COO appointments demonstrate increasingly sophisticated COO succession planning capabilities, with companies planning earlier and more strategically for these critical roles. However, the Q1-Q4 2024 figure remains below the six-year average of 73%, with internal COO hiring rates peaking during the Covid period.

 

While first-time COOs are still favored over experienced COOs, with the six-year average of first-time COO appointments being 78%, there has been a rise in the percentage of experienced COO appointments, increasing from 21% in 2023 to 26% in 2024. Organizations are increasingly opting for proven operational leaders to navigate current geopolitical and economic volatility.

 

 

04

Women COO appointments decline after 2023 spike

After reaching 19% in 2023, women COO appointments reverted to 13% in 2024, close to the six-year average of 14.2%. This decline underscores the ongoing pipeline challenges at the senior leadership level feeding into the COO role.

 

More positively, in Q1 2025, 21% of COOs were women appointments, compared to 9% in Q1 2024, which could be an early indicator that women COO appointments are on the rise once again.

What is CEO turnover?

CEO turnover—the rate at which chief executives leave and join organizations—serves as a key economic indicator, reflecting both business confidence and broader market conditions. High turnover often signals companies' willingness to take risks and make strategic changes, while low turnover may indicate uncertainty or a preference for stability.

How has CEO turnover changed for public companies?

CEO turnover has increased since 2018 for the companies listed on the 13 indices tracked in the CEO Turnover Index, hitting a six-year high in 2024, when 220 CEOs were appointed globally.

Why is CEO turnover so high for public firms globally?

High CEO turnover is reflective of market volatility and the increased scrutiny of CEOs today. This has also impacted the number of CEOs who are choosing to do the job more than once. We’re seeing more ‘step-up’ first-time CEOs appointed to the role; some of these are internal candidates as part of planned CEO succession, but some of them are external. In addition, many CEOs are now choosing to step down and retire from executive life rather than choosing to undertake a second CEO role elsewhere.

How many CEOs were appointed globally in 2024 at public companies?

There were 220 CEO appointments globally in 2024 for the companies listed on the 13 indices tracked in the CEO Turnover Index. This included:

  • 60 CEO appointments in the S&P 500.
  • 27 CEO appointments in ASX 200.
  • 14 CEO appointments in the FTSE 100.

How many CEOs of public companies stepped down in 2024?

There were 202 CEO departures globally in 2024 for the companies listed on the 13 indices tracked in the CEO Turnover Index. This included:

  • 58 CEO departures in the S&P 500.
  • 27 CEO departures in ASX 200.
  • 12 CEO departures in the FTSE 100.

What is the proportion of women CEO appointments at public firms in 2024?

Women remain largely underrepresented in the CEO role across the world as per the CEO Turnover Index. In 2024, women accounted for 24 of CEO appointments globally (11% of all appointments), compared to 196 for men. However, there are regional nuances. In 2024:

  • 9 women CEOs were appointed in the S&P 500, representing 15% of CEO appointments.
  • 2 women CEOs were appointed in the ASX 200, representing 7% of CEO appointments.
  • 2 women CEOs were appointed in the FTSE 100, representing 14% of CEO appointments.

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

In 2024, 85% of 220 CEO appointments were first-time CEOs for the companies listed on the 13 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 2024, the average tenure of outgoing CEOs was 7.4 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 CEO tenures were 1.2 years longer than external CEO hires.

Men vs. women. Women CEOs had shorter tenures than men in 2024. On average, women lasted 5.9 years in the CEO role globally, compared to 7.6 years for men. There is significant variation across the globe. Only in the STI, FTSE 250, and S&P/TSX Composite do women CEOs stay in the role longer than men.

  • ASX 200: -3.4 years
  • S&P 500: -5.2 years
  • FTSE 100: -3.6 years

First-time CEOs vs. seasoned CEOs. First-time public company CEO tenures were 1.8 years longer than those who had previous CEO experience.

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Global CEO Turnover Index

Explore data from the world’s leading stock indices on how many listed company CEOs are leaving their posts each quarter.

Find out more