Executive search firm CristKolder recently published its 2025 C-Suite Volatility Report, which focuses on C-Suite changes & demographics among Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies. Here are some of the highlights:

– 78 CEO positions in this cohort of companies turned over last year, with the consumer sector leading the way at 24.4%, while the energy sector experienced the most stability with a turnover rate of just 9.0%.

– 120 CFO positions turned over, with nearly 20% of companies experiencing a change in CFOs last year.  The services sector led the way with a 20.8% turnover rate, while the financial sector experienced only 7.5% CFO turnover.

– Only 16.5% of new CEOs and 12% of new CFOs were recruited externally last year. That’s much lower than the historical averages of 23% and 39%, respectively.

– The percentage of female CEOs and CFOs continues to trend upward, with female CEOs increasing to 9.1% and CFOs to 16.5%. The number of companies with female CEOs has nearly doubled in the past decade.

– CEOs and CFOs are also becoming more ethnically and racially diverse, with 14.6% of CEOs and 14.9% of CFOs being from diverse backgrounds.

The report is full of other interesting demographic tidbits, including the fact that more CEOs and CFOs come from public universities than private ones. That gives me an excuse to point out that two institutions to which I’ve paid considerable amounts in tuition topped the CEO leader board among public universities. The University of Virginia (where I went to law school) & Miami University (OH) (our youngest son’s alma mater) both accounted for 9 CEOs. They shared the top spot with Meredith’s alma mater, The University of Michigan.

– John Jenkins