Record Number of American CEOs Quit: Report

Ongoing economic and disruptive technological challenges are some of the main reasons why leaders have opted to quit.

Dave Calhoun, then-CEO of Boeing, speaks onstage during the delivery of the final 747 jet at the company's plant in Everett, Wash., on Jan. 31, 2023. David Ryder/Reuters

More U.S. CEOs exited their companies in 2024 than in any year in more than two decades, with economic and technological factors contributing to the trend, according to a recent report from global outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

Last year, 2,221 CEOs quit their jobs, according to the company’s Jan. 30 report. The number is 16 percent higher than the previous record, which was set in 2023 with 1,914 CEO exits. The company began tracking CEO changes in 2002.