Spencer Stuart’s 2005 Route to the Top survey, published in Chief Executive magazine, allows us to compare the career paths of today’s CEOs with those of the past and to observe the changing profile of today’s leader. Interviews with prominent CEOs show the trends in action and give some insight into the career paths that are increasingly leading to the top rungs of the corporate ladder — and how these paths are changing.
One of the interesting findings this year is that more and more S&P 500 CEOs are acquiring valuable experience by rotating among functions, locations and even changing companies. Over the past five years, the percentage of those running the largest 100 companies in the US who have been in one function throughout their careers has dropped from 25% to 9%.
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