"The surge in retail CEO turnover shows how much harder the job has become and how few leaders are ready for what it now demands. Running a retailer today means doing far more than picking products and forecasting demand. Now, top executives are also expected to master e-commerce alongside brick-and-mortar stores, navigate major geopolitical events like trade wars and pandemics, and steer long-term transformations around cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence - all while maintaining profitability in an industry that famously operates on razor-thin margins."
"More than 1,500 chief executives have left their posts so far this year through August, up 4% from last year and the highest on record over that period since business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas began tracking CEO churn in 2002."
""Overall CEO exits are up, but retail really stands out," said Andrew Challenger, workplace and labor expert for Challenger, Gray & Christmas."
More than 1,500 chief executives have left their posts through August, a 4% increase from last year and the highest on record since tracking began in 2002. Retail companies reported 41 CEO exits year-to-date, a 116% increase from 19 during the same period in 2024, making retail the top industry for CEO turnover. Financial and entertainment firms also saw increases, while other industries experienced single-digit changes. Retail CEOs face expanded responsibilities including mastering e-commerce and brick-and-mortar, navigating trade wars and pandemics, and leading AI-driven transformations while protecting profitability in an industry with razor-thin margins.
Read at Digiday
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