Why is Turnover Rising for Global HR Leaders?

The Russell Reynolds Global CHRO Turnover Index has found that turnover in the Chief Human Resources role has risen to 25% in 2025. 

Alongside this, 60% of new CHRO appointments in 2025 were people stepping into the executive role for the first time. 

Russell Reynolds suggests that this increase in turnover and the rise of new appointments may be linked to CEO turnover and the fast rate of evolution in the CHRO role – and advises boards and CEOs to proactively develop an organisational structure that better positions the CHRO role in the wider strategy.

The CEO-CHRO partnership

According to AlixPartners’ Disruption Index, CHROs are facing similarly high levels of disruption as the CEO – 60% of CHROs say they are facing disruption in their role, compared to just 37% of Chief Financial Officers. 

A strong relationship between the CEO and the CHRO is crucial for business success, finds Russell Reynolds. 

The research suggests that incoming CEOs often reassess the CHRO role to ensure there is chemistry and trust. 

As the CHRO position often heads up significant change within a company – particularly as an incoming CEO introduces significant business transformation – CEOs are increasingly prioritising building a strong relationship with their HR leaders. 

Research from Spencer Stuart finds that CEO turnover mirrors CHRO turnover, with 168 CEO departures and appointments in the S&P 1500 in 2025, which the report suggests may be due to high performance pressure and an ageing CEO population.

James Citrin, Chair of the Global CEO practice at Spencer Stuart, told the Wall Street Journal: “We’re in a new environment, and someone who’s going to replay the playbooks of the past is not necessarily right. 

“If the CEO doesn’t get momentum both internally with operating performance and also with investors, then boards are more impatient even than they were.”

Companies across a range of industries have announced CEO departures and appointments, including Walmart, Virgin Atlantic and Heineken. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has also shared that he is looking to retire potentially as early as 2026, according to the Financial Times. 

Evolution of the CHRO role

The CHRO role has seen rapid change and growth in recent years, says Russell Reynolds, with the view of HR shifting from an administrative function to a strategic partner. 

Russell Reynolds suggests that CHROs will need to be “enterprise-level thinkers” to thrive in this environment, particularly as AI makes significant changes to the shape of organisations and the skills required to succeed. 

Leading HR professionals are fundamentally transforming the way their roles and their businesses operate – such as Donna Morris, Chief People Officer of Walmart. 

Since her appointment in 2020, Donna has played an integral role in modernising the company’s workforce by focusing on digital transformation and encouraging leaders to see HR as more central to their strategies. 

In an interview with Forbes, she shared that she would “love for all of our people to think like a Chief People Officer because then they’d be focused on creating the environment that allows us to attract, engage, develop and retain the best associates or employees.”