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A wave of CEO turnover is reshaping leadership at America’s biggest public companies, ushering in the largest and least-experienced class of chief executives in years, The Wall Street Journal writes.
About one in nine CEOs across 1,500 major publicly traded firms were replaced last year—the highest rate since at least 2010—according to a new analysis.
The pace has continued into early 2026, with leadership changes at companies including Walmart, Procter & Gamble, and Lululemon Athletica. On a single day in February, Disney, PayPal, and HP all announced new CEOs.
Boards are moving faster and showing less patience as companies confront artificial intelligence, shifting trade rules, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic growth.
The result, recruiters say, is a real-time experiment in leadership—one where momentum with both investors and employees matters more than ever.
