CEO turnover just hit its highest level in more than a decade
CEO turnover just hit its highest level in more than a decade.
That’s not trivia. It’s a warning signal.
In 2025, CEO succession across the S&P 500 climbed to roughly 13%. Boards aren’t waiting anymore. They’re making changes sooner — and with far less patience than they had even a few years ago.
This isn’t internal housekeeping. It’s a shift in how risk shows up for investors.
The real question isn’t simply who is leaving.
It’s what kind of leader is stepping in.
Too many portfolios still treat CEOs as interchangeable. In reality, leadership changes reshape execution far faster than balance sheets do.
Here’s what the data — and experience — keep showing:
➤ Frequent CEO changes disrupt capital decisions and stall execution at exactly the wrong time
➤ One-third to half of new CEOs are coming from outside, increasing transition risk and early missteps
➤ Boards are acting faster on strategy failures and ethics issues, shortening downside timelines for investors
This reinforces something I’ve seen repeatedly:
If you’re not actively tracking leadership fit, you’re almost certainly understating the real risk embedded in your public equity exposure.
At Eagle Talon, we don’t treat CEO changes as headlines.
We treat them as turning points that reshape execution, culture, capital allocation, and how markets interpret results — often well before the numbers reflect it.
So here’s the question I’d leave you with:
In your portfolio, do you know which CEOs are simply keeping the seat warm — and which ones can actually create value when conditions change?
🔗Source: CEO Departures Are Rising, Even at Strong-Performing Companies
