包括波音公司的Dave Calhoun、英特尔的Pat Gelsinger和耐克的John Donahoe在内的多家蓝筹股公司的CEO都在股价下跌的情况下离职。Faced with concerns about possible turbulence in 2025, many US listed company executives have opted out. As of November 2023, 327 CEOs of US listed companies have announced their departure, surpassing the 2019 record of 312.
Although the stock market boom brought generous compensation rewards, many US listed company executives chose to quit in the face of concerns about possible turmoil in 2025.
According to data from consulting firm Challenger Gray, as of November 2023, 327 CEOs of US listed companies had announced their departure, surpassing the 2019 record of 312.
CEOs of several blue-chip companies, including Boeing's Dave Calhoun, Intel's Pat Gelsinger, and Nike's John Donahoe, left their jobs amid falling stock prices.
According to data from consulting firm Russell Reynolds, eight CEOs left their jobs in the third quarter of this year after being in office for less than three years, the highest record for short-term appointments since 2019.
According to the Financial Times, quoting CEOs' advisors, in the face of tariffs and free trade threats that may be imposed by President-elect Trump, executives are choosing to retire or consider leaving their jobs to avoid potential trouble in the future.
Rich Fields, director of effectiveness practices on the board of directors of Russell Reynolds, notes that more and more CEOs of listed companies are considering joining private companies:
“Private companies are not subject to the same disclosure rules and are generally more free to provide equity incentives.”
Additionally, Jason Baumgarten, CEO of Spencer Stuart, said that CEOs of public companies face increasing scrutiny pressure, which is a challenge. When a company underperforms, “the board is under more pressure than ever to act as soon as possible.”
The wave of executive departures is not limited to CEOs. According to a Datarails report, the average term of CFO in large US listed companies has been shortened from 3.5 years two years ago to slightly more than 3 years. From 2018 to 2023, 152 companies, including Dollar General, Expedia, and Under Armour, each replaced three CFO's.
James Stark, head of CFO practice at Egon Zehnder, pointed out that the average tenure of a CFO at Fortune 500 companies continues to decline. They often receive new job opportunities, and the pressure of quarterly earnings reports has also led to burnout. Turning to the private sector can relieve them of this pressure.
