The Korn Ferry Annual Survey of Board Leadership

The trend to separate roles remains steady, deliberate and moving in just one direction.

Though board composition is not likely to be an area marked by rapid, significant change, the slow and steady trend to separate the chairperson and CEO roles continues. By the end of 2016, 50% of S&P 500 chairpersons also held the position of CEO. This marks a decline from 2012, when 56% of chairpersons were current CEOs, and a continuation of a more than decade-long trend toward separation. The change came almost equally from increases in non-executive chairpersons and chairpersons who have some past affiliation with the company.

For more insights, please download the latest Korn Ferry Annual Survey of Board Leadership.