73% of the 15 new CEOs of the Spanish Stock Exchange appointed in 2025 have taken on maximum executive responsibility for the first time, and furthermore, 93% were new to a listed company, according to the global consulting firm Korn Ferry, which announced this Thursday.
Korn Ferry has indicated that these figures are part of the second year with "greater rotation" since 2019, which, according to the firm, confirms a "structural trend." The study concludes that the "growing pressure" on the top executive "shortens mandates and accelerates turnover," allowing new profiles to enter general management.
The 15 changes recorded in 2025 represent a 12% turnover of the entire Spanish Stock Exchange. Furthermore, the Ibex concentrated one-third of these movements, with five new CEOs at Iberdrola, Indra, Telefónica, and Sacyr.
Regarding the new profile of the top executive, the Korn Ferry report indicates that it is mostly a middle-aged Spanish man with an extensive career in high-responsibility positions and "deep" knowledge of the business.
On the other hand, the international experience of the new CEOs "loses weight," given that only 33% of those appointed in 2025 have an international professional career, compared to 61% recorded in 2024.
SCARCE FEMALE PRESENCE
The presence of women at the helm of listed companies on the Spanish Stock Exchange continues to be very limited, with only 7% of these companies led by a female executive.
"We observe a certain fatigue in the CEO role, which accelerates turnover at the top and favors new profiles accessing the position for the first time," concluded the firm's partner in Spain, Bárbara Ramos.