The Advisors' Blog

Russell Reynolds recently reported on updated Q1 2026 data from its Global CHRO Turnover Index, generally finding that CHRO succession is becoming “more deliberate.” Specifically, “Organizations are making slightly fewer moves overall, but when they do make a change, they are widening the search, weighing experience carefully, and holding leaders in role for longer.” Here are the key takeaways:

Experienced CHRO hires gained traction in major markets
First-time CHROs remained the majority of global appointments, rising to 60% from 54% in Q1 2025. But in the S&P 500, 60% of incoming CHROs had already held a public company CHRO role, up from 39% a year earlier. In the FTSE 100, that figure reached 75%, up from 50% in Q1 2025.

Organizations widened the aperture on succession
Globally, 56% of incoming CHROs were external hires, up from 46% in Q1 2025 and above the seven-year average of 52%. The shift was especially pronounced in the S&P 500, where 67% of CHRO appointments were external, up from 30% a year earlier.

CHRO tenure continued to edge higher
Average outgoing CHRO tenure rose to 5.4 years globally, up from 5.2 years in Q1 2025 and above the seven-year average of 4.7 years—the highest level in the period tracked.

On the rise in tenure, the summary says this may be attributed to boards’ preference for continuity in people leadership, especially given the volatile operating environment and the expansive remit of the CHRO.

– Meredith Ervine