January 6, 2020
One in two CEOs steps down under high pressure
- In-depth analysis of 799 CEO departures in the U.S. from the past 36 months
- Around 2.1% of CEOs left with a specific reference to misconduct allegations
- Female CEOs have been found to be more likely to be pushed out than male CEOs
- CEOs of energy and consumer discretionary companies are feeling the heat
December 18, 2019
The most remarkable CEO changes in 2019
McDonald’s Corp., Molson Coors Brewing Co. and Kraft Heinz Co. are among the companies that have announced the most remarkable leadership changes in 2019. Consumer goods companies were particularly often affected by obviously forced CEO changes. Numerous CEO departures were driven by changing consumer habits, technical upheavals and scandals. Activist shareholders had a hand in many involuntary management changes. These are the results of a recent study by the research firm exechange, which has analyzed 298 CEO departures from companies on the Russell 3000 index over the past 12 months.
Push-out Score™: The number you need to know
Who took the initiative? What triggered the move? Bad executive-firm match? Reluctant or happy to leave? Forced or voluntary departure? Performance-induced change? How intense was the pressure? Who turned their back on whom? More than one reason for the change? And why now? When a top manager leaves, many questions arise. exechange gets closer to the answer. Why did the top manager leave?
- Reported reasons for departures are often not reliable.
- Firms are not required to reveal the true reason for a departure.
- An announced retirement may simply be a euphemism for a firing.
***
You’re never too old to be fired
By David F. Larcker and Brian Tayan
Managerial ambiguity harms M&A success and corporate performance
By Desiree-Jessica Pely
Having an attractive partner is good for male but not for female CEOs
By Harry Garretsen and Janka Stoker
Industry cycles play a role in corporate stumbles
By Jo Whitehead
Thomas Cook illustrates the three main reasons for corporate stumbles
By Jo Whitehead
The younger CEOs are, the sooner they go public
By Dirk Schiereck
The role of gender
By Chris Groening
Lessons from the departure of the BMW boss
By Jo Whitehead
Are boards proactive or reactive to industry shifts?
By David F. Larcker and Brian Tayan
The shelf life of Mark Zuckerberg
By Harry Garretsen and Janka Stoker
CEO pay — The rewards of power
By Harry Garretsen and Janka Stoker
Kingfisher: A case study of the effects of CEO bias
By Jo Whitehead
The Push-out Score and its relationship with stock performance
By Dirk Schiereck
PG&E: Another CEO goes down with the ship
By David F. Larcker and Brian Tayan
Companies seeking growth need to look hard at their top team
By Jo Whitehead
Female CEOs more likely to be fired
By Janka Stoker and Harry Garretsen
