U.S. Industries With the Most CEO Turnover

What we’re showing

This graphic shows the number of CEO departures by industry in the U.S., from January to November 2024. Data comes from Challenger, Gray & Christmas’ monthly CEO Turnover Report.

Note: This data does not reflect the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was killed on Dec. 4, 2024.

Key takeaway

Industries with the most CEO turnover in 2024 are Government & Non-profits, Health Care, and Tech. 

Top Reasons for CEOs Leaving

Uninterestingly, the top reason for CEO departures so far in 2024 is “stepped down”, which was cited 551 times. Note that this is different from “retirement”, which accounted for 445 departures.

CEOs often "step down" for a variety of reasons, including:

• Personal reasons
• Ensuring a strong succession pipeline
• Pressure from board members

Less frequent, yet significant reasons for CEO's leaving included: 

• Allegations of professional misconduct: 7
• Terminated (fired): 5
• Allegations of sexual misconduct: 3