Cowen Partners in Agenda: Why Boards Are Giving CEOs Room to Prove Themselves
After a few brutal years of CEO churn, boards are finally exhaling, and Agenda, the Financial Times governance publication, turned to Shawn Cole, President and Co-Founder of Cowen Partners Executive Search, to explain what’s really behind the shift.
In the article “Boards Give CEOs a Chance to Make Their Mark This Year,” written by Lindsay Frost, the data tells the headline story: forced CEO exits at Russell 3000 companies fell to 32.7% in the first half of 2026, down from nearly 40% last year. Shawn’s contribution reframes why.
Much of the turnover companies weathered recently, he explains, was a delayed reaction to the same economic and cultural disruption that started during the pandemic, and what we’re seeing now is the normalization period on the other side of it.
He also captures how the profile of the wanted CEO has changed. The growth-at-all-costs leader who thrived in a low-rate era has, in many cases, given way to the savvy operator who can protect margins, allocate capital carefully, and still find durable growth. That’s the kind of executive boards are now giving room to perform.
But Shawn’s sharpest point is a caution against reading the calmer numbers as a lowering of the bar. As he puts it, the pressure may be normalizing, but the standard has not. Boards are still holding CEOs accountable for adapting to a fundamentally different environment, which makes disciplined evaluation and succession planning more important than ever, not less.
Read the full article in Agenda.
About Agenda
Agenda is a boardroom resource with dedicated journalists that deliver independent, original analysis on the U.S. corporate board space. From articles to webcasts, we give busy board members the tools to surmount crises, gain inside perspectives on how other boards are strategizing, and continually add value to their meetings.
About Shawn Cole, President & Cofounder
Shawn is a trusted leader in executive search, known for his ability to drive success through strategic leadership.
With over 20 years of experience founding and leading successful companies, he has been frequently quoted in Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal.
Shawn’s deep business acumen and forward-thinking approach make him a key partner for organizations looking to build high-impact leadership teams.
Shawn is President and Co-Founder of Cowen Partners Executive Search, a nationally recognized retained executive search firm.
Clients across the globe trust Cowen Partners to deliver the executive leadership they need to solve their most complex business challenges.
Cowen Partners: A Leading C-Suite Executive Search Firm in All 50 States
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