"Leaders who have global exposure tend to develop sharper instincts for adapting in different contexts, taking in information effectively, and making business decisions based on these different inputs. They've already had to respond to complexity in real time-and that kind of experience becomes increasingly valuable as global conditions continue to evolve and shift."
"One in five Fortune 500 companies appointed CEOs with cross-border experience in 2025. More than a third of external candidates named to the top job last year worked internationally, demonstrating the growing recognition that international experience serves as a valuable proxy for managing uncertainty and change."
International experience has become a valuable indicator for evaluating CEO candidates' potential to handle uncertainty and change. Research from Heidrick & Struggles shows that one in five Fortune 500 companies appointed CEOs with cross-border experience in 2025, with over a third of external CEO appointments involving internationally experienced candidates. Leaders with global exposure develop sharper instincts for adapting across different contexts, processing information effectively, and making informed business decisions. Working internationally forces leaders out of their comfort zones and provides real-time experience managing complexity. Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin exemplifies this, having spent 23 years in Europe before leading the Seattle-based company, crediting her global experience with shaping her leadership approach.
#ceo-selection #international-experience #leadership-agility #global-business #executive-recruitment
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]