CEO Tenures Plummet as Boards Act Swiftly on Reputational Risks, Social Media Scrutiny

• CEO tenures are shrinking, with average terms dropping to 6.8 years in H1 2025 from 7.7 years in H1 2024, reflecting faster board actions.
• Corporate boards are increasingly quick to remove CEOs due to heightened public scrutiny and social media amplifying reputational risks.
• Pieter Elbers of IndiGo resigned following widespread flight cancellations that escalated into a major reputational crisis for the airline.
• High-profile exits like Dolf van den Brink (Heineken), Laurent Freixe (Nestle), and Chanda Kochhar (ICICI Bank) highlight diverse triggers from governance to personal conduct.
• Boards now prioritize brand reputation as a core asset, willing to act swiftly when leadership itself becomes a reputational liability, as per experts.