The average age at hire for new CEOs rose to 53.5 in 2026 from 53.2 in 2025, according to the mid-year “Volatility Report” from executive search firm Crist Kolder Associates.
The firm tracks C-suite turnover among 665 Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies, 9.7% of which operate in healthcare. The report contains data through July 31.
New CFOs, by contrast, are the youngest they have been in a decade, at 48.2, down from 51.9 in 2025, according to the report. That widens the age-at-hire gap between new CEOs and CFOs to more than five years. The average age of sitting executives held steady, at 57.7 for CEOs and 52.4 for CFOs.
Healthcare CFOs have the shortest average tenure of any sector at 3.7 years, against an overall average of 4.5 years. Healthcare CEOs are the most likely to hold an MD or PhD, at 13.8%, and healthcare companies have the highest chief AI officer adoption rate at 18.5%.
The sector accounted for 9.6% of CEO turnover and 15.3% of CFO turnover, and had the fewest COO changes of any industry at 3.8%.
Across all industries, CEO turnover is running near its decade average, with 44 changes and a projected full-year rate of 11.1% against a historical average of 11.2%. CFO turnover is on pace for its highest rate since the pandemic at a projected 18.3%, with 72 changes, according to the report.
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