CEO离职量上升为哪般
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对于很多CEO而言，过去几年如同坐上了过山车般的经济刚刚平稳下来。但他们中的很多人并不准备迎接下一次挑战，而是已经开始考虑退路了。 高管薪酬公司Equilar最近发布的数据显示，2009年至2011年，标准普尔1500指数的成份股公司中有361名CEO离职。Equilar研究总监阿伦•博伊德表示，去年这些公司有144名CEO离职，高于2009年的129名和2010年的110名。 Equilar的研究显示，随着2009年和2010年惨淡的美国经济形势于去年开始趋稳，CEO离职（包括退休、辞职和升职，或担任新职务）出现上升势头。 “这就像是烧开了的茶壶，”高管猎头公司光辉国际（KornFerry International）的合伙人彼得•赛斯说。“在困难时期会进行更多的反省，董事会也希望证明自己对公司管理者监督有方。” 随着去年经济形势有所好转，董事会在对于公司稳定性（有时甚至是公司存亡）的担忧上松了一口气，开始为公司寻找新的前景和新的领导人。 “经济衰退刚刚袭来时，董事会很难归咎在任CEO，因为他们经历的情况基本上是普遍现象，”高管猎头网站TheLadders的人才招募经理大卫•加斯宾解释说。 随后，很多“公司发现自己的复苏没有赶上市场的步伐，”加斯宾说。一旦出现这种情况，“就很容易将责任（无论正确与否）扣在CEO头上。” 全球新职介绍咨询公司Challenger, Gray & Christmas的首席执行官约翰•查林格称，该公司监测的高管离职情况显示“随着经济转入新方向，变化很多，许多公司在寻找拥有不同技能的CEO。” 但他同时也指出，今年以来，许多公司开始控制离职。咨询公司Challenger的数据显示，今年前九个月的离职数量为891名，低于上年同期，这一变化趋势看来与普遍就业市场的状况一致。 查林格说：“市场波澜不兴，没有太多招聘，也没有大规模的裁员。” 查林格同意当前“商业环境总体而言更加稳定，特别是那些CEO可能经常见诸报端的知名公司。”他补充说：“股东和董事会看到形势好转时，更换高管的情况会显著减少。” 根据Challenger的数据，一个值得注意的例外是医疗行业，这个行业今年前九个月CEO离职数量大增23%。他说：“医疗行业的大环境变化加剧了CEO离职，业内公司都试图搞明白前景变化。” |
For many CEOs, the economic roller coaster of the past few years has reached a lull. And instead of opting for another go on this particular amusement park ride, many have been eyeing the exits. According to a recently published report by executive compensation firm Equilar, 361 CEOs at S&P 1500 companies left their offices between 2009 and 2011. Last year, 144 of these CEOs left their companies, according to Aaron Boyd, research director for Equilar, up from 129 and 110 in 2009 and 2010, respectively. CEO departures -- which include retirements, resignations, promotions, or taking on a new position – have stepped up as the economic climate, which had been battered in 2009 and 2010, began to steady last year in the U.S., according to Equilar's study. "It's kind of like a tea kettle that boils," says Peter Thies, a partner in KornFerry International, the executive search firm. "When times are tough, more introspection goes on and boards want to show good fiduciary oversight." As the economy smoothed out somewhat last year, company boards took a breather from worrying about corporate stability -- and sometimes survival -- and began looking ahead to position their company with a new vision, along with new leaders. "When the recession first hit, it was hard for boards of directors to place blame for company shortcomings on an incumbent CEO because what they were experiencing was largely universal," explains David Gaspin, manager of talent acquisition for TheLadders, an executive search site. Later, many "companies weren't seeing their own recoveries tracking with the market," says Gaspin, and when that happens "it becomes much easier to lay blame (right or wrong) at the feet of a CEO." John Challenger, chief executive of the global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, says executive departures that his company tracks show "a spate of change as the economy heads in new directions, and companies seek new CEOs with different skills." He also points out that this year, so far, companies are putting the brakes on departures. The number of exits, AT 891, has been fewer this year than the same nine-month period in 2011, according to Challenger statistics, a development that the company says appears to mirror the larger labor market. "It's a static market, where there are not a lot of hires and not a lot of layoffs," Challenger says. Currently, there is a "more stable business landscape in general -- especially among higher profile companies whose CEOs are likely to make headlines," Gaspin agrees. "When better conditions are visible to shareholders and boards," he adds, "turnover among top executives drops sharply." The notable exception is the health care industry, which saw a 23% uptick in CEOs changing jobs during the first nine months of this year, according to figures supplied by Challenger. "The numbers have been exacerbated by the changing landscape for health care, and companies trying to see how it will shake out," he says. |
