Equilar CEO Tracker: Q2 2021 Update

August 4, 2021

Owen Gilles & Mason Mu

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Key Findings:

1. 29 announced CEO departures through Q2 2021 versus 70 in all of 2020

2. No appointed CEOs in 2021 so far are women versus 15% in all of 2020

3. 23% of appointed CEOs in 2021 so far are external hires versus 23% in all of 2020

Equilar 500 companies have announced 29 CEO departures through the second quarter of 2021. This compares to a total of 70 announced CEO departures in all of 2020. 19 of the 29 CEOs departed by the end of the second quarter with eight others expected to leave later this year.

The average CEO lifetime pay for all 29 departing CEOs is $102.5 million, with a median of $64.3 million. Michael W. Lamach (Trane Technologies plc), whose  tenure surpassed 11 years, earned the highest total CEO lifetime pay at $279.6 million. George E. Sherman (Gamestop Corp.), with a tenure of more than two  years, had the lowest CEO pay at $4 million.

Through the second quarter of 2021, two female CEOs announced their departures: Margaret Keane (Synchrony Financial) and Mary Dillon (Ulta Beauty, Inc.). No women were appointed CEO through the second quarter of 2021. Overall, women appointed as CEOs in the Equilar 500 increased from 12% in 2019 to 15% in 2020. 

Overall, external appointments decreased from 33% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. For all announced appointments through Q2 2020, 23% of CEOs appointed have been external hires.

Departures

Successors

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