CEO turnover might pick up

One company that follows trends in corporate leadership changes suggests CEO departures may soon increase.

“We have entered what is expected to be a volatile period for CEO turnover,” explains John Challenger, chief executive officer at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement company.

His comments are included in his company's latest report on departures among chief executives, which states that 101 chief executives left their positions in April 2010. That number is down slightly from March's total of 119 departures.

Compared to the first four months of last year, CEO departures are up roughly 14% in 2010. However, that appears to have less to do with a recent pickup than it does an overall slowdown in 2009. As the data shows, CEO departures were down last year relative to the few years before it.

Struggling companies may have chosen to hold on to experienced leaders in tough times, but as growth resumes, it may be time to make a change.

Challenger's comments suggest as much: “Companies are making the transition from recession to recovery, and with that usually comes a transition in leadership,” he said.

Click here to view data showing CEO departures over the past four years.