<div id="readability-page-1"><div>A historic wave of leadership change is sweeping corporate America. Across 1,500 of the largest publicly traded companies, roughly one in nine CEOs was replaced last year—the highest churn since the post-financial-crisis years., according to the Wall Street Journal.The turnover has ushered in the largest cohort of new chief executives in more than a decade, and they’re arriving younger and, in many cases, with thinner résumés than their predecessors.The shake-up hasn’t slowed in 2026. Companies including Walmart, Procter &amp; Gamble and Lululemon Athletica installed new leaders early in the year. On a single February day, Disney, PayPal and HP each announced CEO changes. Grocery chain Kroger also tapped a new chief. Altogether, firms representing trillions in market value have either replaced or appointed top executives in just a few months.<img height="408" width="500" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-02-17%20at%2010.04.20.jpg/query-aXRvaz1CUVZTSTUzeg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-02-17%20at%2010.04.20.jpg/query-aXRvaz1CUVZTSTUzeg"/>Boards appear to be responding to a business climate that feels fundamentally altered. Artificial intelligence is reshaping operations, global trade norms are fragmenting and geopolitical tensions are harder to ignore. As executive recruiter James Citrin put it, “We’re in a new environment, and someone who’s going to replay the playbooks of the past is not necessarily right.” He added that if a new chief fails to build momentum quickly with both employees and investors, directors are even less patient than before.<img height="388" width="500" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-02-17%20at%2010.04.26.jpg/query-aXRvaz15Y3loeVVIdA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-02-17%20at%2010.04.26.jpg/query-aXRvaz15Y3loeVVIdA"/>Some transitions were carefully choreographed. Warren Buffett handed leadership of Berkshire Hathaway to Greg Abel at the start of the year, completing a succession plan he had previewed years earlier. Others were abrupt. CarMax pushed out its CEO amid weak sales. At Codexis, the chief executive was replaced suddenly and the workforce reduced at the same time. Interim appointments, including at HP, signaled that not every board had a seamless plan in place.<img height="398" width="500" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-02-17%20at%2010.04.32.jpg/query-aXRvaz10YlNJeHlTQg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-02-17%20at%2010.04.32.jpg/query-aXRvaz10YlNJeHlTQg"/>The WSJ writes that retail illustrates how demanding the moment has become. Michael Fiddelke, newly installed at Target, found himself addressing sensitive political issues within days of stepping in, admitting to employees, “This isn’t the first message I imagined I’d send.” Industry executives say the job now requires reinvention rather than simple growth management, as pandemic aftershocks and cautious consumers create persistent headwinds.The demographic profile of incoming leaders has shifted as well. New CEOs averaged about 54 years old—roughly two years younger than the prior class—and more than 80% were first-time public-company chiefs. Many have never served on a corporate board. Paul Shoukry, promoted at Raymond James at age 42, is emblematic of the trend. Supporters argue that leaders forged in volatile conditions may be better suited to navigate what one board director called dramatic and permanent change.Not all diversity trends moved forward. Women accounted for just 9% of new CEO appointments last year, down from the year before, and they remain underrepresented across the broader market. As boards accelerate succession and bet on fresh profiles, the leadership reset underway is reshaping not only who runs America’s largest corporations—but what experience they bring to the job.</div>Loading recommendations...</div>

沃尔玛

迪士尼

在美国企业界，正在发生重大领导层变动，去年约有九分之一的首席执行官被更换，创下金融危机以来的最高更替率。新任首席执行官普遍年轻，经验往往较少。沃尔玛和迪士尼等公司近期进行了人事调整，反映出对受人工智能和地缘政治紧张局势影响的快速变化商业环境的回应。新任首席执行官的平均年龄为 54 岁，其中超过 80% 是首次担任上市公司领导。然而，性别多样性仍然是一个问题，去年女性仅占新任命的 9%

Boards Are Replacing CEOs At The Fastest Pace In Over A Decade

- 在美国，企业领导层变动显著，1500 家上市公司中约每九位 CEO 中就有一位更换。  
- 2026 年继续出现高管更替，零售巨头沃尔玛和宝洁等公司进行了新任命。  
- 新上任 CEO 平均年龄 54 岁，多为首次担任公共公司首席，但女性 CEO 比例下降至 9%。

董事会正在以超过十年来最快的速度更换首席执行官