Leadership stability takes priority in Asia-Pacific as CHRO and COO turnover declines

Leadership transitions across Asia-Pacific are taking on a more measured and strategic tone, as organisations place a premium on continuity, internal talent, and first-time executives stepping into critical C-suite roles.

New analysis from Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA) highlights a clear regional pattern in 2025: organisations are increasingly promoting from within and backing emerging leaders to fill CHRO and COO positions. This shift comes amid ongoing economic uncertainty and accelerating enterprise transformation agendas.

According to RRA’s CHRO Turnover Index, 37 CHRO appointments were recorded across Asia-Pacific in 2025—slightly up from the previous year but still below the seven-year average of 43. COO appointments totalled 27, marking a 21% year-on-year decline and falling just under the historical average of 29. This stands in contrast to global trends, where COO appointments surged to a record 146, reflecting heightened leadership churn outside the region.

Australia led in the region in both CHRO and COO appointments, followed by India, Japan, and Hong Kong. Singapore reported zero CHRO turnover for the second consecutive year, underscoring a broader trend of leadership stability in key markets.

Michelle Chan Crouse, Managing Director at RRA, said, “Leadership transitions often prompt CEOs to reassess their CHRO partnership. As the role expands to support enterprise transformation and culture, alignment and trust at the top become increasingly critical. In many cases, movement in the CHRO role reflects a CEO’s desire to strengthen the partnership with someone who brings deeper familiarity with enterprise and cultural transformation.”

The data also reveals a preference for first-time appointments. In the Asia-Pacific region, 65% of newly appointed CHROs and 85% of COOs were stepping into the role for the first time. In markets such as Hong Kong and Japan, all CHRO appointments were first-time leaders, while every COO appointment in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore went to first-time incumbents.

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This trend is closely linked to the rise of internal hiring. Two-thirds of COO roles and just over half of CHRO positions were filled by internal candidates, signalling greater confidence in leadership pipelines. Organisations appear to be prioritising executives with deep institutional knowledge who can deliver impact quickly, particularly as transformation efforts—often driven by AI adoption—require speed and cohesion.

At the same time, overall turnover remains low. COO exits in Asia-Pacific dropped sharply to just 10 in 2025, down from 35 the previous year. Globally, exits also declined significantly. The average tenure of outgoing COOs rose to 4.1 years, reflecting a growing preference among CEOs to retain experienced leaders amid volatility.

“To address these trends, CEOs should initiate success planning 3-5 years in advance for both roles, identifying ready-now and ready-soon successors while addressing development gaps,” said Euan Kenworthy, Country Lead, Singapore, RRA. “Role mandates must be clearly defined with explicit priorities, and internal candidates with deep industry and organisational context should be prioritised first to ensure alignment, continuity, and transformation impact.”