December 23, 2024

Clockwise from top: former Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun (CNBC), former Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan (Getty Images), former Nike CEO John Donahoe ( Reuters), former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger (Getty Images)

TL: CNBC | TR: Getty Images | BL: Reuters | BR: Getty Images

CEOs who have retired, been ousted or poached have exited this year.

This year through November, U.S. public companies have announced 327 CEO changes, according to employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

That’s more than any other year since at least 2010, when the company first started tracking revenue. It also increased by 8.6% compared with last year.

Departures include CEOs of U.S. companies that have long dominated their industries, such as boeing company, Nike and Starbucks. The pace of change suggests the companies’ customers, investors, hedge funds or boards are increasingly impatient with sales slumps or strategic missteps in an otherwise strong economy while consumers prove their mettle willing to spend money.

During the pandemic, CEO replacements slowed down, and companies were suddenly faced with lockdowns, remote working, supply chain difficulties and shortages, and even the inability to survive outright. They later faced higher borrowing costs, inflation, labor shortages, shifting consumer preferences and other challenges.

Over the past 14 years, 2021 has the lowest number of replacements at 197.

“The cost of capital and the speed of transformation are creating faster turnover rates,” said Clarke Murphy, managing director and former CEO of leadership consultancy Russell Reynolds Associates.

In an otherwise strong market, it’s easier for underperformers to stand out, Murphy said.

“With the S&P (500) returning more than 20% for two years in a row, any company that is significantly underperforming is going to be in the spotlight, and boards may be moving faster than they were five or seven years ago.” Fei said.

Consumer-focused companies are more susceptible to changes in tastes and trends and typically have higher turnover than industries like oil and gas or utilities, which tend to have in-house, longer-tenured CEOs.

The recent surge in turnover comes despite a decline in the number of listed companies.

Here are some of the major changes among U.S. CEOs so far this year:

Intel

boeing company

Boeing’s new CEO Kelly Ortberg visited the company’s 767 and 777/777X project factory in Everett, Washington, USA on August 16, 2024.

Boeing | Marianne Lockhart | via Reuters

Calhoun was succeeded in August by Kelly Ortberg, a 30-year aerospace veteran and former CEO of Rockwell Collins , Boeing called him back from retirement in Florida to stabilize the company.

During the strike that ended last month, Ortberg announced thousands of layoffs and cost cuts elsewhere to conserve cash while Boeing worked to stabilize production.

Starbucks

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccols was interviewed by CNBC on October 31, 2024.

CNBC

Within his first 100 days on the job, he announced plans to take the company “back to Starbucks” and refocus on what drew customers to the coffee chain in the first place. Early stages of the strategy include making coffee shops more popular, cutting lengthy menus and speeding up service.

Meanwhile, Chipotle in November named insider and industry veteran Scott Boatwright to take the helm of the Mexican food chain.

Nike

Peloton

Kohl’s

Aerial view of a customer walking past a Kohl’s store on November 26, 2024 in San Rafael, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

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