H1 2025 Equilar CEO Tracker

September 08, 2025

Joyce Chen

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Key Findings:

1. In H1 2025, there were 29 CEO departures with a median lifetime pay of $94.7M

2. Three appointed CEOs in 2025 so far are women, compared to eight in 2024

3. 25% of CEOs appointed in 2025 so far are external hires, compared to 31.6% in 2024

In H1 2025, the Equilar CEO Tracker recorded 29 CEO departures at Equilar 500 companies, with successors named for 28 of those roles. The departing executives earned an average lifetime pay of $140.9 million, with a median of $94.7 million. Rodney C. Sacks (Monster Beverage Corporation) topped the list at $760.9 million over nearly 35 years of service, while J. Ashley Buchanan (Kohl’s Corporation) had the lowest total at $3.9 million after just under four months in the role.

Four female CEOs stepped down in H1 2025—Barbara Rentler (Ross Stores, Inc.), Lynn Jones Good (Duke Energy Corporation), Lori J. Ryerkerk (Celanese Corporation) and Gina R. Boswell (Bath & Body Works, Inc.)—with a combined median lifetime pay of $113.5 million. In the same period, three women were appointed CEO: Susan D. Morris (Albertsons Companies, Inc.), DeAnna D. Strable-Soethout (Principal Financial Group, Inc.) and Kecia L. Steelman (Ulta Beauty, Inc.).The prevalence of women appointed as CEOs in the Equilar 500 is currently at 10.7%.

Overall, external appointments increased from 29.2% in 2023 to 31.6% in 2024. So far in 2025, one in four new CEOs have been hired from outside the company.

The median appointment age was 54, while the median departure age was 64. Median tenure was 6.3 years.

Departures

Successors

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