CEO Succession Planning
Route to the Top Series
The annual Route to the Top series is a long-standing study of trends in CEO succession practices, priorities, and demographic profiles in markets around the world.
Heidrick & Struggles’ research series on the changing profile of CEOs and the evolution of CEO succession, tracking who reaches the top, how they get there, and how companies can ensure they have the leadership capabilities they need for the future.
Route to the Top 2026
Heidrick & Struggles’ 2026 Route to the Top reports highlight how companies are evolving their approach to CEO leadership and succession to meet changing business needs. Across markets, the findings show how aligning boards, CEOs, and leadership teams around strategy, priorities, and future leadership needs can strengthen decision-making and organizational performance.
Route to the Top US 2026: Closing the CEO capability gap
Route to the Top Europe 2026: Companies are seeking experienced CEOs—but that isn’t enough
Route to the Top Saudi Arabia 2026: Great boards build options, not successors
Route to the Top United Arab Emirates 2026: Creating a deep bench, not a single successor, positions organizations best for the future
Route to the Top Australia 2026: The case for optionality
Board Monitor Singapore 2026
2026 CEO & Board Confidence Monitor: Explore the data
Explore the results of our third annual global survey of CEOs and board members by market, industry, ownership structure, and company size.
2026 CEO & Board Confidence Monitor
The results of our third annual global survey of CEOs and board members indicate that leaders are becoming more adept at operating through sustained disruption.
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