In 2007, median CEO pay was $15.7 millioin for the 50 largest of Standard & Poor's 500 companies. (Forbes.com, April 22, 2008).
Research firm Ipsos MediaCT released the findings of a study in May 2008 conducted among America's C-level executives. The study revealed that these elite executives use digital media. Among the findings:
The Economist (May 31, 2008) reported on the findings of a study conducted by the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid that found that finance chiefs are now the most likely to become CEO. CFO Magazine found in 2005 that one-fifth of CEOs in the US were former CFOs, almost double the share of a decade earlier. Another factor in reaching the top is company tenure - "lifers" get to the top in 22 years in the US and 24 years in Europe. "Hoppers" (work for four or more companies) take 26 years on average. The average time it takes to reach the top fell from 28 years in 1980 to 24 years in 2001.
Weber Shandwick's All-Star Executives at Five-Star Events study of C-level executives speaking at top-tier conferences finds that they are speaking at a broad array of events and their appearances are on the rise. More than four out of 10 "All-Star" CEOs (those whose companies appear on Fortune's top 50 World's Most Admired Companies list) have spoken at "Five-Star" (top-tier) events between 2005 and 2007. All-Star CEO speakers increased dramatically at these events fromm 2005 to 2007 (+35%).
Chief Executive magazine spotlighted fascinating statistics executive recruiter Spencer Stuart about the profile of CEOs from in their eighth annual Route to the Top survey (2004):
According to a Private Company Index survey by Entrex, private-company CEOs have more fun than public company CEOs. Where public-company CEOs are stressed out by demanding directors, shareholders and investor regulations, private-company CEOs find their roles "more rewarding, more fun, and more creative." New York Times, March 11, 2007.
Comparing the demographics of corporate CEOs to Capitol Hill leaders yields some interesting results, as highlighted in Who's in the Corner Office?. While corporate leaders are more differentiated from each other based on education and economic backgrounds, Capitol Hill leaders are more diverse based on gender and racial lines. When looking at the path from Ivy League colleges and universities, in 2005 just about one in ten CEOs had an Ivy League education compared to 16% of Senators.
A Business Roundtable survey explores CEO responsiveness and found among 44 companies, 39 CEOs actually use their own time to answer emails from employees.
The Burson Marsteller Most Valuable Conferences study interviewed senior corporate communications officers and found that their CEO receives about 175 speaking engagement requests per year.
Booz Allen Hamilton, in their CEO Succession 2005 Study, found that in 2005, the chief executive succession rate was set another record – more than one in seven of the world’s largest 2,500 companies experienced a change in executive leadership. In comparison to a decade ago, this figure was just one in eleven.
According to a Spencer Stuart study, almost half of all Fortune 500 CEOs-46%-serve only on their company's board. Another 26% serve on one other board, 19% serve on two others, and only 9% serve on three or more outside boards.
A survey of 208 Fortune 1000 CEOs highlighted in the book, Leaderships Secrets of the World's Most Successful CEOs, reveals that:
A global survey published in the January 2002 Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor reveals that over three-quarters of people say their level of admiration is stronger for companies where the chief executive openly supports corporate social responsibility.
As published in the Wharton Leadership Digest, stock prices appear to have a direct relationship based on analysts and investors views of a newly appointed CEO. If they see the new CEO as having the right management qualities, prices rise. If the views are much more negative, prices fall as a result.
The requirement of an Ivy League education as entry for the CEO spot is becoming a far less common practice. Just look at Brenda Barnes (Sara Lee), Robert Iger (Disney) and David Edmonson (RadioShack). A USA Today article reveals findings from a Spencer Stuart study that shows the number of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies who hold Ivy League degrees has declined from 16 percent in 1998 to 11 percent in 2004. The article also cites a study conducted by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania that shows the proportion of CEOs who had undergrad degrees from public institutions climbed from 32 percent in 1980 to nearly half (48 percent) in 2001.
What’s contributing to this trend? One factor is that non-Ivy institutions (both public and private alike) are becoming stronger academically which in turn offers more appealing alternatives for recruiters.
From the recruiters’ perspective, the story still presents a strong pro-Ivy picture. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, half of the top 10 schools named as the best for CEO material are Ivy League schools: