High turnover in the C-suite and the changing needs of business are leading to more “temps” in the top job.
Interim leadership is on the rise in the U.S. Nearly a quarter of new CEOs named in the first two months of 2025 were hired on an interim basis, versus 8% in the same period last year, according to a recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
“Their expertise can be crucial to navigating complex changes that require seasoned leadership—even temporary solutions can be transformative for an organization,”
The surge in interim leadership coincides with significant tumult in the C-suite. The Challenger report shows that 247 U.S. companies named new CEOs in February, the second-highest total for any month since the firm started tracking CEO changes in 2002. “A lot of times when a company brings in an interim CEO it’s when they’ve been caught off guard by the CEO’s departure,” says Andy Challenger, senior vice president of the outplacement firm. “It’s not part of a structured succession plan.” An interim CEO can buy a board time to conduct a thoughtful search for the right executive, especially if it feels the company needs skills that the existing leadership team lacks.
Read the complete Fast Company article BYÂ Stephanie Mehta: https://www.fastcompany.com/91308670/modern-ceo-april-7-interim-ceo
