Categories: Agenda

CFO Exits Pick Up Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

Three large U.S. companies this week said goodbye to their chief financial officers, continuing a surge in CFO departures following months of relative stability.

The Wall Street Journal reports that so far this year, 83 CFOs at Fortune 500 companies have left their posts, compared with 84 last year at the same time. But it took several recent departures —  including Dhivya Suryadevara of General Motors Co., Kelly Kramer of Cisco Systems and John F. North III of Avis Budget Group — to draw even with 2019 as the early days of the coronavirus pandemic seemed to bring about a slowdown in CFO turnover.

According to the Journal, 2019 saw a total of 129 Fortune 500 CFOs leave their roles, thanks to a robust stock market, which made equity packages more appealing. The recent spike seems to be driven not by money, but by a more demanding workload amid the pandemic. With more frequent board meetings, investor calls and town hall sessions as a result of the coronavirus crisis — not to mention the stress of raising money, cutting costs and renegotiating loans — CFOs are starting to contemplate their futures.

admin

Recent Posts

How ESG Metrics Are Taking Over Annual Incentive Plans

Compensation committees at S&P 500 companies are increasingly tying annual bonuses to measures beyond financial…

2 weeks ago

Visual Investigation: Pay Gaps Widen as Workforce Scrutiny Grows

The pay gap between CEOs and their employees has widened over the past half decade,…

1 month ago

In a Bumper Year for CEO Pay, One Chief’s $161 Million Award Swells to $1.3 Billion

Chip maker Broadcom gave Hock Tan, its chief executive, a $161 million stock award, instantly…

1 month ago

Are Companies Really Reincorporating in Nevada?

Elon's Musk's $56 billion pay package's upheaval, a hedge fund sanctioned for failing to preserve…

2 months ago

Are Check Marks ‘Cheap Talk’ in Board Skills Matrices?

Disclosures about directors' skills and expertise are increasingly coming under the microscope as investors ramp…

3 months ago

Boards Looking for ‘Soft Skills’ in New Crop of CEOs

On Jan. 1, several of the nation's biggest companies — including Morgan Stanley, Kraft Heinz,…

4 months ago