CFO turnover surged in 2025, with rising promotions to CEO roles reflecting the evolving leadership expectations in uncertain times. American CFO turnover reached a seven-year high in 2025, according to the executive search boutique Crist Kolder Associates. Russell Reynolds Associates, another executive search firm, also saw the same trend in its CFO turnover index. In 2025, there were 316 incoming CFOs globally, 10% more than the year before. The primary reason for these changes is retirement: