Record number of companies are ditching old CEOs for younger, less experienced execs
US sees record-breaking ages in CEOs, the change might surprise you
- US public companies are experiencing a record rate of CEO turnover, with one in nine leaders replaced in 2025, marking the highest rate since 2010.
- New chief executives are typically younger, with an average age of 54, and over 80 per cent appointed in 2025 were first-timers without prior experience running major public companies.
- Companies with a combined market capitalisation of $1.3 trillion appointed new leaders in the final quarter of last year, a trend continuing into 2026 with major firms like Disney and Walmart.
- This significant leadership change is attributed to a "grand experiment in leadership" responding to shifting market pressures, post-pandemic challenges, political disruptions, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
- Despite the overall changes, the proportion of female CEO appointees declined to just nine per cent in 2025, down from 15 per cent the previous year.
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