CEO hopefuls have a new rival for the top job: their own board directors
Appointing board directors as CEOs was once a “break glass in case of emergency” strategy reserved for scandal, illness, or sudden resignation. While it remains a minority path compared with traditional internal promotions, it is no longer an anomaly.
New data from Spencer Stuart highlights the shift. Of the 168 new S&P 1500 chief executives appointed in 2025, the highest annual total since 2010, 19 were drawn from their own company boards, the most since 2020. Spencer Stuart classifies directors as outsiders because they lack day-to-day operating responsibility. Even so, more boards are turning to them.
The increase comes amid elevated churn. CEO departures in the S&P 500 reached roughly 13% in 2025, according to governance trackers, leaving boards to manage performance pressure and succession gaps simultaneously. Internal candidates, such as chief operating officers and division heads, still account for the majority of appointments. But in moments of strategic reset, boards sometimes look beyond executives associated with the existing plan. Meanwhile, several high-profile external hires have reinforced the risks of expensive searches that promise reinvention but deliver disruption.
The insider-outsider advantage
Against that backdrop, directors offer what board advisers describe as an insider-outsider balance. They understand the company’s strategy, capital allocation framework, and risk profile. Yet they are not embedded in a single operating silo. That distance can make it easier to reset priorities without discarding the broader plan.
Recent moves show how the model is playing out across sectors. At Constellation Brands, Nicholas Fink was named chief executive in February 2026 after serving on the board since 2021. Match Group elevated director Spencer Rascoff to chief executive in 2025 to accelerate product and artificial intelligence initiatives.
Other examples reinforce the pattern. Bed Bath & Beyond appointed Marcus Lemonis, its executive chairman, as permanent chief executive in January 2026 following the company’s emergence from bankruptcy. Science Applications International Corp. named James Regan permanent chief executive in February 2026, after he had served on the board since 2023.
These appointments do not signal a collapse in succession planning. Internal promotions remain the dominant route to the corner office. Instead, boards are broadening the pipeline and building optionality into leadership plans amid elevated executive churn.
The shift also reflects who now occupies board seats. A growing share of directors are active or recently retired chief executives with significant operating experience. That evolution has created a viable bench within the boardroom itself. Directors can be evaluated over years of strategy sessions and crisis deliberations before they are ever tapped to run the company. Governance advisers describe the approach as succession by design.
What it means for C-suite contenders
For aspiring chief executives, the competitive landscape has changed.
The bar for readiness is higher. Internal candidates are no longer competing only against peers down the hall. They may also be measured against directors who have already run public companies and have established credibility with investors. In volatile periods, that experience can appear lower risk.
Timelines are also compressing. If boards are informally cultivating potential successors in their own ranks, internal candidates must signal enterprise-level leadership earlier. Waiting for a formal succession process may be too late. Executives who want the top job need visibility in board discussions, exposure to enterprise risk, and a clearly articulated long-term strategy.
There is an opportunity in the shift as well. Boards that elevate directors are often looking for leaders who combine operational depth with governance sophistication. C-suite executives who engage proactively with directors, serve on external boards, and broaden their scope beyond a single function can strengthen their case. The more an executive already operates like a chief executive, the harder it becomes for a board to look elsewhere.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com