According to data from the job introduction company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, as of November this year, US publicly traded companies announced a total of 327 CEO changes, which is the highest number since the institution began tracking this data in 2010, and represents an 8.6% increase from last year.

Among the companies announcing CEO changes are well-established firms in their respective Industries, such as Boeing, Nike, and Starbucks. The speed of these changes indicates that in an environment of strong Consumer spending and robust economic conditions, company clients, investors, hedge funds, or the Board of Directors have become increasingly impatient with sales declines or strategic missteps.

Clarke Murphy, managing director and former CEO of leadership consulting firm Russell Reynolds Associates, said, "The cost of capital and the speed of transformation are accelerating the turnover of corporate CEOs." He noted that if the market is strong, then underperforming companies are more likely to attract attention: "In years when the S&P 500 Index has had returns exceeding 20% for two consecutive years, any company that is clearly underperforming will become a focal point, and the speed of changes in the Board of Directors will also be faster than it was five or seven years ago."

Here are some significant CEO changes in US companies so far this year:

Intel

Earlier this month, Intel fired CEO Pat Gelsinger. Gelsinger had been in office for nearly four years, aiming to reverse Intel's decline and compete better with rivals. The wave of AI has propelled the development of chipmaker NVIDIA, while Intel has struggled to make headway in the AI sector, with its stock price and market share consequently collapsing. The company's successor to the CEO position has not yet been determined.

Boeing

Boeing announced in March this year that CEO David Calhoun would step down amid a broad executive shakeup. Nearly three months ago, a nearly new Boeing 737 Max 9 plane operated by Alaska Air experienced an incident in flight, where a rear cabin door, which could serve as an emergency exit, detached mid-air. This incident once again plunged Boeing into a safety crisis after years of problems in its defense and commercial aerospace business.

Calhoun himself was appointed in the last days of 2019 to succeed former CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who resigned following the crashes of the 737 Max in 2018 and 2019.

Kelly Ortberg replaced Calhoun in August of this year; Ortberg is the former CEO of Rockwell Collins, with thirty years of aerospace experience. During the strike that ended last month, Ortberg announced layoffs of thousands of workers and additional cost cuts to save cash.

Starbucks

Due to declining sales in its largest market, Starbucks recruited Brian Niccol, the star CEO of the Mexican restaurant Chipotle Mexican Grill, to replace Laxman Narasimhan. After the announcement of Niccol's appointment in August, the company's stock surged nearly 25%.

In his first 100 days in office, he announced a plan to "bring the company back to Starbucks" and refocused on what initially attracted customers to Starbucks. The early stages of this strategy include making coffee shops more appealing, streamlining the lengthy menu, and speeding up service.

Meanwhile, Chipotle appointed industry veteran Scott Boatwright as its new leader in November.

Nike

Nike appointed Elliott Hill as the new CEO in September, succeeding John Donahoe. Hill is a senior employee of Nike and joined the company as an intern in the 1980s.

Former CEO Donahoe helped increase Nike's revenue from $39.1 billion in the fiscal year 2019 to $51.4 billion in the fiscal year 2024, but growth ultimately stagnated due to his departure from wholesale partners like Foot Locker and Macy's and neglecting innovation.

Fitness equipment company Peloton.

Home fitness equipment company Peloton was once a darling during the pandemic, but the company has struggled since the trend of returning to the office began. In 2022, Peloton brought in former executives from Spotify and Netflix, Barry McCarthy, to succeed founder John Foley as CEO, but he stepped down in May after the company announced another restructuring.

In October, Peloton announced that former Ford executive and co-founder of Apple Fitness+, Peter Stern, would serve as the third CEO. Stern has experience in developing subscription services, and Wall Street hopes he can lead Peloton to profitability through cost-cutting and focusing on high-margin subscription income.

Department store Kohl's.

Tom Kingsbury, CEO of American department store Kohl's, will step down on the 15th of next month. The family-oriented specialty department store stated last month that the new CEO will be Ashley Buchanan. Kohl's has seen a decline in comparable store sales over the past 11 quarters, and its stock price has also fallen.

Weight loss company WW International.

The predecessor of the weight loss company WW International was Weight Watchers. In September, the company announced that CEO Sima Sistani would step down immediately. WW International has been struggling, with its stock price dropping more than 80% this year. During Sistani's tenure, the company attempted to reposition itself by joining a platform that connects customers with popular weight loss drugs.