May 6, 2025

Public company C-suite executives can find it challenging to identify their next executive role because the market size limits the number of available positions at public companies at that level. As of 2025, there are 4,300 publicly listed companies in the U.S., indicating fierce competition for top positions. Additionally, the average age of a sitting CEO is 59. Executives in this demographic may potentially face age bias, as the executive leadership team and board might harbor concerns that the candidate will plan to retire in the next five to ten years, leading to what they might consider a premature search for a successor and a limited ROI on their original investment in the candidate.