APAC COO Exits Fall 71% While CHRO Appointments Remain Below Seven-Year Average of 43

31 March 2026, Singapore – Russell Reynolds Associates' (RRA) latest analysis reveals distinct C-suite leadership trends across Asia Pacific (APAC) in 2025, with both Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) appointments demonstrating a clear regional preference for internal, first-time hires.

The CHRO Turnover Index¹ found that 37 CHROs were appointed in APAC, a moderate decline from the 7-year average of 43. The COO Turnover Index² recorded 27 APAC appointments, a 21% decrease year-over-year (YoY). This contrasts with global trends, where COO turnover reached a record high of 146 appointments in 2025, up 12% YoY and the highest level since RRA began tracking the data in 2019.

Australia recorded 18 CHRO appointments in 2025, followed by India with 10, Japan with six, and Hong Kong with three. Notably, Singapore has maintained a zero CHRO turnover rate for two consecutive years (2024–2025). For COO roles, Australia also led the region with 19 appointments, followed by Japan with five, Singapore with two and Hong Kong with one.

APAC CHRO and COO Appointments Fall Below Average

APAC CHRO appointments increased 6% to 37 from 2024 to 2025, versus a 25% global rise to 155. Despite the increase, appointment levels remain below the five‑year average of 43 in APAC and 164 globally.

Michelle Chan Crouse, Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates, said: “Leadership transitions often prompt CEOs to reassess their CHRO partnership. As the role expands to support enterprise transformation and culture, alignment and trust at the top become increasingly critical. In many cases, movement in the CHRO role reflects a CEO’s desire to strengthen the partnership with someone who brings deeper familiarity with enterprise and cultural transformation.”

In 2025, global COO appointments reached a record 146, while APAC recorded 27 COO appointments, slightly below the seven‑year average of 29.

At the same time, COO exits declined significantly. APAC recorded 10 COO exits in 2025, down from 35 in 2024. A similar trend was observed globally, where COO exits fell to 65, down from 134 in 2024 and well below the seven‑year average of 103.

First-Time Leaders Dominate CHRO and COO Appointments

First-time CHROs and COOs continued to account for the majority of appointments in 2025. In APAC, 65% of incoming CHROs were first-timers, with the trend most pronounced in Hong Kong and Japan, where every CHRO appointment was a first-timer. For COO roles, 85% of the APAC appointments were first-timers, reaching 100% in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.

Companies increasingly turned to internal leadership pipelines to fill these roles. In APAC, 67% of COO hires were internal promotions, while 51% of CHRO appointments were internal hires. External hires remain important in specific contexts, particularly where companies lack the transformation capability internally or require deep industry expertise to deliver change at pace.

Vijuraj Eranazhath, who leads the Operations Officers Practice in Asia at Russell Reynolds Associates, said: “As the COO role becomes tied to enterprise transformation, particularly given tectonic shifts in AI use cases, companies prioritise internal executives with end-to-end business knowledge who can mobilise teams quickly & drive quick results. Internal hires reduce integration risk and accelerate impact when CEOs need measurable results fast. This also means firms need to invest in developing their COO talent ahead of the curve to be able to equip them well for the challenges ahead.”

APAC Turnover Stays Low as Companies Prioritise Continuity

Outgoing COO tenure also extended globally to 4.1 years in 2025, the highest since tracking began in 2019, and rose further to 4.7 years in the second half of the year. This reflects CEOs' preference for continuity amid geopolitical volatility, supply chain pressures, and AI-driven transformation. In APAC, low turnover in key markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong (often zero departures) similarly underscores stability.

“To address these trends, CEOs should initiate succession planning 3-5 years in advance for both roles, identifying ready-now and ready-soon successors while addressing development gaps,” said Euan Kenworthy, Country Lead, Singapore, Russell Reynolds Associates. “Role mandates must be clearly defined with explicit priorities, and internal candidates with deep industry and organisational context should be prioritised first to ensure alignment, continuity, and transformation impact.”

Media contact

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

Sources

_{¹ The Global Index of CHRO Turnover tracks CHRO departures from constituent companies across global stock indices, including ASX 200 (Australia), HANG SENG (Hong Kong), Nikkei 225 (Japan), NSE Nifty 50 (India) and STI (Singapore).}

_{² The Global Index of COO Turnover tracks COO departures from constituent companies across global stock indices, including ASX 200 (Australia), HANG SENG (Hong Kong), Nikkei 225 (Japan) and STI (Singapore).}