"Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I'm Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning."
"With apologies to T.S. Eliot, some CEOs are finding that February, not April, may be the cruelest month. In recent weeks, Workday, PayPal, and The Washington Post parted ways with their chief executives, suggesting that high CEO turnover, which reached record levels in recent years, may continue in 2026."
"Russell Reynolds Associates, the global leadership advisory firm, found that 234 CEOs of globally listed companies departed their roles last year, up 16% from 2024 and 21% above the eight-year average. Last year marked the second consecutive record-breaking year for CEO exits, according to the firm's Global CEO Turnover Index Report. The Russell Reynolds report attributes the high turnover in part to pressure from activist investors who want faster results. (Its research shows that 32 CEOs resigned within one year of an activist campaign in 2025, compared to 27 in 2024.) The data also suggests that boards are willing to pull the trigger earlier when performance stalls."
High CEO turnover continued, with 234 CEOs of globally listed companies departing last year, a 16% increase from 2024 and 21% above the eight-year average. The year represented a second consecutive record for CEO exits. Activist investor pressure contributed to exits, with 32 CEOs resigning within one year of an activist campaign in 2025 versus 27 in 2024. Boards have become more willing to replace leaders when performance stalls. Recent high-profile departures included CEOs at Workday, PayPal, and The Washington Post. Some observers expect turnover to level off, but macro pressures remain.
Read at Fast Company
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