Top bosses across corporate America are heading for the exits, joining the ranks of the Great Resignation, new research reveals.
Data from executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows that during the final quarter of 2021, the number of CEOs who left their roles spiked 16% from the previous year. In October alone, the number of CEOs who quit was 142, the second highest level ever recorded.
“We talk about employees having experienced ‘Covid clarity.’ That happened with us, as well, over the last two years,” Society for Human Resource Management CEO Johnny C. Taylor, told NBC News. “You’re under intense pressure and you just say, ‘Do I need this?’ There is no more work-life balance, especially for CEOs.”
Like employees of all stripes, burnout, craving more work-life balance and family time, taking a step back to reflect on life and the collective stressors brought on by the pandemic are all causing the stream of CEO departures.
John is Global Practice Leader for Power, Renewable Energy and Cleantech and US Regional Vice President for TRANSEARCH International. With a career that began in 1989, John has worked with over 250 public and private companies. He has led numerous C-suite, Vice President and director level searches across North America for public and privately held companies. He has also worked closely with private equity firms, supporting them with critical portfolio company needs. He has also provided executive coaching and leadership assessment services. John holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics from the University of Chicago. He speaks Japanese and conversational German.