Several notable executives have stepped down or announced that they’re stepping down in 2020. In fact, January 2020 set a record for the most CEO departures in the US in one month — 219 in all.
Here are all the most notable executive departures of 2020 so far.
Groupon’s CEO, Rich Williams, and COO, Steve Krenzer, are stepping down from those roles while remaining with the company. North America President Aaron Cooper was named interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent hire.
Howard Willard, the CEO of Altria Group, one of the world’s largest producers of tobacco products, tested positive for the coronavirus and was taking a temporary medical leave of absence as of March 20.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates announced his decision to step down from the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway in a LinkedIn post on March 13, to focus more on philanthropic ventures. Gates hasn’t worked full-time at Microsoft since 2008.
Disney said on January 31 that Hulu CEO Randy Freer would be departing, with no direct replacement and company leaders reporting to Disney’s Kevin Mayer. In late February, Hulu’s Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Campbell was promoted to president of Hulu.
Adam Bierman, CEO, and co-founder of the cannabis company MedMen, stepped down on February 1, after a steep decline in its share price over the last year. It also laid off 40% of its corporate workforce at the end of 2019.
Tidjane Thiam, CEO of Credit Suisse, resigned on February 6 after the company got caught stalking a former employee through a private investigator.
Les Wexner, CEO of L Brands, a retail company that includes Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, stepped down on February 20 after almost 60 years. He was the longest-tenured CEO of any Fortune 500 company at the time.
Tyler Haney, founder and CEO of the clothing brand Outdoor Voices, stepped down on February 21, following a tough year. The clothing brand reportedly lost around $2 million a month in 2019. Haney left the company altogether several days later.
Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, stepped down on February 25. He had held the role since 2005 and renewed his contract in 2017.
Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich resigned on February 28 following years of decreasing demand for motorcycles.
Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM, is departing in April after eight years of leading the company through a difficult transition period.
Although it was announced in 2019, T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere is scheduled to step down in May 2020. During his 7-year run, T-Mobile’s share price increased from $12 to nearly $80.
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner is stepping down in June after 11 years of running the company.
Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga is set to step down in early 2021 after more than a decade running the company.
