Corporate Boards Replace CEOs Amid Strategic Shifts

The Wall Street Journal reports that roughly one in nine CEOs were replaced last year across about 1,500 largest U.S. public companies, the highest churn since the post-2008 years. The wave continued into early 2026 with new leaders at Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Lululemon, Disney, PayPal, HP and Kroger; incoming chiefs average about 54 years old and over 80% are first-time public-company CEOs. Boards cite AI, shifting trade norms and geopolitical strain as drivers.