SBF 120: CEO before 50, it’s possible

New, it is now possible to be number one in a large group before the age of 50. The average age of access to a first position of CEO has just fallen to 49 years, tells us a study obtained exclusively from the firm Russell Reynolds Associates, commented by three of its headhunters and managing directors.

This year, among the fourteen new CEO appointments to the SBF 120, the youngest, Beñat Ortega at Gecina, is 41, and the oldest, Bernard Gault at Elior, 64. And only two managing directors – Rodolphe Belmer at Atos (leaving for TF1) and Laurent Guillot at Orpea – have already held a similar position. However, if we consider all the new number ones, both beginners and experienced, the average age is 54 in the CAC 40 and 56 in the circle of the SBF 120.

Many more external recruitments

Among this group of fourteen, only four – Sophie Bellon at Sodexo, Bernard Gault at Elior, Christel Heydemann (Orange) and Christophe Périllat (Valeo) – were already members of the board of directors of the company they lead.

“43% come from external recruitment, which contrasts sharply with the 13% for the years 2020-2021”, notes Paul Jaeger, who points to a greater internationalization of this circle at 19% this year, against 15 % in 2020. “This diversity is also explained by the entry, in the SBF 120, of companies such as Solutions 30, Valneva, Quadient or even ALD”, tempers the headhunter.

Another source of diversity showing slight progress: women. They are 15 CEOs in the SBF 120 (12.5%), compared to 12 in 2021 and only 9 in 2020, advances the Russell Reynolds study. The CAC 40 includes three: Catherine MacGregor (Engie) was joined this year by Christel Heydemann (Orange) and Estelle Brachlianoff (Veolia). For their part, Sophie Bellon (Sodexo) and Eva Berneke (Eutelsat) joined the circle of women CEOs of the SBF 120 this year. Note: only four women – Sophie Bellon, Marie Cheval, at Carmila, Christel Bories ( Eramet) and Stéphane Pallez (Française des Jeux) – are also presidents of the board of directors at the SBF 120.

External recruitment increases this major concern: the succession plan. Still too many companies do not, wrongly, start thinking about the subject for fear of opening up rivalries or discouraging the CEO in place. These plans, which are most useful, can turn into emergency plans when the time comes.

Accelerate

The unexpected effects of the Covid, after two years of freezing situations, seem to have significantly activated the departure of leaders even before the end of their mandate. “This concerns 29% of them, previously it only affected 6 or 8% in 2018-2019 and 6% in 2017-2018”, underlines Marc Sanglé-Ferrière. “For their replacement, the emphasis is on skills and potential, much more than on experiences similar to those of their predecessors,” observes Florence Ferraton.

Such CEO may thus no longer be adapted to the new needs of an organization. The idea is most often to accelerate the implementation of the strategy, taking into account multiple criteria, in particular geopolitics, digital transformation and adaptation to new customer uses.