Zero COO Exits in Singapore Defy Global Trends, Signal Strong Executive Stability

While global C-suites see churn, Singapore emerges as a pillar of leadership consistency in Q1 2025

Recent reports and stats on executive trends suggests that Singapore had recorded zero Chief Operating Officer (COO) departures in Q1 2025, continuing its steady record of C-suite stability, according to the latest Global COO Turnover Index by Russell Reynolds Associates.

This isn’t a one-off. Since 2019, Singapore’s COO turnover has stayed remarkably low, hovering between zero to two exits per quarter. The latest figures place Singapore alongside Hong Kong and Japan, both of which also saw no COO departures in the first quarter of 2025.

Globally, however, the picture is far less stable. COO exits fell from 35 in Q1 2024 to 24 in Q1 2025, yet the global turnover rate still sits at 1.3%, while Asia remains at 0%. The industrial sector alone contributed to half of all global COO exits, highlighting regional differences in leadership dynamics.

The report also noted that this trend of executive retention extends beyond COOs. Singapore and broader Asia reported among the lowest global turnover rates for Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs).

Interestingly, while COOs have the shortest average tenure among C-suite roles at just 3.8 years, they remain critical to leadership pipelines—22% of CEO hires in 2024 came from COO positions. Internal promotion dominates, with 81% of new COOs globally coming from within, a number that hit 100% in healthcare and tech sectors.