In Australia, opposition leader Sussan Ley was still heading the 82-year-old centre-right Liberal Party that made her its first female leader nine months ago. The length of time chief executives stay in the job has fallen to an average of seven years, down from just over eight years in 2021. Still, impatient shareholders do not entirely explain the chief executive churnover, which has risen even at top-performing firms. As Donald Trump’s tumultuous second term began last year, chief executive exits in the US rose to the highest level recorded in more than 20 years by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, an outplacement firm that tracks chief executive hiring trends. The appeal of a fresh-eyed leader who can navigate the mushrooming uncertainties of modern business life is obvious – up to a point.

Source: The Irish Times February 16, 2026 07:32 UTC