S&P 500 companies are looking outside for their next CHRO

Companies in the S&P 500 are often looking outside of their org for their next chief human resources officer, according to new data.

Global CHRO appointments hit 155 in 2025, up from 124 in 2024, according to Russell Reynolds’ Global CHRO Turnover Index. The increase sits below the five-year average and under post-pandemic highs.

Most of the growth came from the S&P 500, where elevated CEO turnover kicked off more HR leadership changes alongside it. “While workforce and global pressures can contribute to a need for leadership change, a significant driver is the turnover of CEOs,” wrote the index authors. “The CHRO is often considered the CEO’s close confidant, so changes in turnover in the top seat are likely to have a knock-on effect on the CHRO.‍”

Read more: Brené Brown’s big challenge (and advice) for every CHRO

Who’s being appointed to a CHRO position?

First-time CHRO appointments accounted for 60% of all appointments in 2025, roughly in line with 65% in 2024. Most first-time CHROs were internal promotions, continuing a pattern that has held since 2019. At S&P 500 companies, however, boards took a different approach. They were more likely to hire experienced CHROs from outside the organization than elevate internal, first-time candidates.

Recent moves reported on by HR Executive help illustrate this pattern last year. Caterpillar hired Christy Pambianchi from Intel to succeed Cheryl Johnson, who retired in January after seven years in the role. Pambianchi brings 18 years of CHRO experience, including stops at Verizon and Corning. HP appointed Carol Surface, who came from Apple and previously spent a decade as CHRO at Medtronic, to replace Kristen Ludgate. Hyatt Hotels named Kristin Oliver, whose background spans HanesBrands, Walgreens, Chico’s and Walmart.

Read more: Why strategic CHROs don’t wait for an invitation

CHRO succession plans

Average tenure for outgoing CHROs was 5.2 years in 2025, while S&P 500 outgoing CHROs averaged 6.1 years in the most recent nine-month data.

The H1 2026 data shows two ways to look at CHRO succession. “Globally, the continued strength of first-time CHRO appointments suggests organizations are willing to back leaders who know the business, but who are stepping into the top people role without a pre-existing template for how it should be done,” wrote Russel Reynolds authors.” They say this can be useful if the org is restructuring the CHRO position.

“By contrast, S&P 500 companies are more often looking externally for experienced CHROs—leaders who can bring perspectives from elsewhere, alongside a proven track record of leading at scale and, potentially, a clearer mandate for change.”

Russell Reynolds Chief Science Officer Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic will keynote on how AI is forcing HR leaders to confront outdated talent practices, including bias toward confidence and charisma over evidence-based judgment. I, Human: AI Isn’t the Problem, Your Talent Strategy Is takes place at HR Tech on Oct. 21, 2026. Sign up now.