The average departing chief executive was fifty-nine

Across Europe's large companies the average age of a departing chief executive in 2025 was 59.1, up from 58.6 the year before. Incoming chief executives averaged 55.7, about a year and a half older than the year before. The average tenure of a departing chief executive was 7.4 years.

The figures are from CEO Transitions in Europe 2025: Behind the CEO Moment, published by Spencer Stuart in February 2026 and covering 2025. The sample is European large companies, so the ages are not a British figure on their own. Heidrick & Struggles' Route to the Top 2026 puts the average appointment age of a sitting FTSE 100 chief executive at 52.