{"id":266614,"date":"2025-11-25T09:02:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T10:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/?p=266614"},"modified":"2025-11-25T15:12:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T15:12:18","slug":"sas-ceos-are-deeply-experienced-but-lag-on-global-exposure-report-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/builder\/sas-ceos-are-deeply-experienced-but-lag-on-global-exposure-report-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"SA\u2019s CEOs are deeply experienced \u2013 but lag on global exposure, report shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post<\/a> was originally published on this site<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s top CEOs stand out for their depth of experience and <\/span>strong institutional knowledge \u2013 but they trail far behind their global peers in international <\/span>mobility and cross-sector experience. That\u2019s according to Route to the Top 2025, a report <\/span>from global leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles, which analysed the profiles of <\/span>1 232 CEOs of major companies across 27 markets, including the JSE Top 40.<\/span><\/p>\n

The data shows that 95% of South Africa\u2019s CEOs have held a C-suite role before taking the <\/span>top job, compared with 77% globally. Nearly half (48%) have previously served as a CEO, <\/span>versus 42% worldwide. South Africa also has a higher share of CEOs with prior functional <\/span>leadership experience: 23% have been CFOs (compared with 21% globally) and 28% have <\/span>served as COOs (versus 22% globally).<\/span><\/p>\n

This depth of experience is further reinforced by internal succession patterns, as 65% of <\/span>South Africa\u2019s CEOs were promoted from within their organisations, and 5% are founders, <\/span>while only 30% joined the company less than a year before being appointed CEO.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Allen Shardelow, a partner at Heidrick & Struggles South Africa, the report <\/span>demonstrates that local CEOs are exceptionally seasoned leaders by international <\/span>standards.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe figures reflect a leadership pipeline that has traditionally favoured longevity, as boards <\/span>clearly value leaders who fully understand the organisation\u2019s culture, operations, and <\/span>economic context. South Africa\u2019s CEOs have steered companies through multiple economic <\/span>cycles and typically know their organisations inside out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

An extended runway to CEO<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s CEOs also take notably longer to rise to the top than their peers elsewhere. <\/span>On average, it takes 11 years from the time they join an organisation to being appointed <\/span>CEO. Globally, that figure is nine years, pointing to South African companies\u2019 reliance on <\/span>long internal development cycles.<\/span><\/p>\n

He notes this model has advantages, but also limitations. \u201cA long runway creates leaders <\/span>who are deeply embedded in the business. But it can also mean fewer opportunities for <\/span>external assignments or regional exposure, which are increasingly essential to prepare <\/span>leaders for modern, complex environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCompetitive advantage increasingly depends on adaptability and greater cross-border <\/span>fluency. That\u2019s where the capability gaps are emerging.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Global exposure remains a major disadvantage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where South Africa falls furthest behind is global experience. Only 23% of local CEOs have <\/span>worked in another geography \u2013 the third-lowest share among all 27 markets benchmarked.<\/span><\/p>\n

In comparison, emerging market peers show much higher mobility: 53% in Mexico, 41% in <\/span>Kenya, 32% in Colombia, and 29% in Brazil. Globally, an average of 37% of CEOs have <\/span>worked abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, just 20% of local CEOs have worked in a different industry before taking on their <\/span>current role, compared to 30% internationally. This gap risks becoming a strategic liability, <\/span>limiting innovation, he warns.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLeaders who have operated across markets develop a keener sense of risk, and a greater <\/span>ability to identify and seize opportunities in unfamiliar environments. They\u2019re often better able <\/span>to navigate uncertainty and make faster, better decisions. Without that exposure, decision-<\/span>making becomes narrower and less agile, which is a disadvantage for companies with <\/span>continental or international growth ambitions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLikewise, leading in different environments brings valuable cross-pollination of ideas. <\/span>Executives who\u2019ve worked across sectors develop sharper commercial instincts and avoid <\/span>legacy thinking, bringing new perspectives on customers and operations. These qualities are <\/span>becoming even more important as industries converge and disruption accelerates.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Equipping South Africa\u2019s CEOs for the future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shardelow says addressing the capability gap begins with a fundamental shift in how boards <\/span>think about leadership readiness, and how they build and assess their CEO pipelines. \u201cThe <\/span>next generation of leaders will need a broader frame of reference grounded in meaningful <\/span>experience outside their established comfort zones.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He believes boards need to move from passive succession management to deliberate <\/span>capability-building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe organisations that succeed over the next decade will be those that actively cultivate <\/span>diverse experiences and create stretch opportunities. That\u2019s what equips future CEOs to <\/span>drive innovation and compete on a global stage, especially as African markets evolve rapidly <\/span>and global competition intensifies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have exceptional leaders in the country. The opportunity now is to prepare them for a <\/span>world that demands breadth of experience and readiness for whatever lies beyond our <\/span>borders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

BUSINESS REPORT<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Africa\u2019s top CEOs stand out for their depth of experience and\u00a0strong institutional knowledge \u2013 but they trail far behind their global peers in international\u00a0mobility and cross-sector experience. That\u2019s according to Route to the Top 2025, a report\u00a0from global leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles, which analysed the profiles of 1 232 CEOs of major companies across 27 markets, including the JSE Top 40.The data shows that 95% of South Africa\u2019s CEOs have held a C-suite role before taking the\u00a0top job, compared with 77% globally. Nearly half (48%) have previously served as a CEO,\u00a0versus 42% worldwide. South Africa also has a higher share of CEOs with prior functional\u00a0leadership experience: 23% have been CFOs (compared with 21% globally) and 28% have\u00a0served as COOs (versus 22% globally).This depth of experience is further reinforced by internal succession patterns, as 65% of\u00a0South Africa\u2019s CEOs were promoted from within their organisations, and 5% are founders,\u00a0while only 30% joined the company less than a year before being appointed CEO.According to Allen Shardelow, a partner at Heidrick & Struggles South Africa, the report demonstrates that local CEOs are exceptionally seasoned leaders by international\u00a0standards.\u201cThe figures reflect a leadership pipeline that has traditionally favoured longevity, as boards\u00a0clearly value leaders who fully understand the organisation\u2019s culture, operations, and\u00a0economic context. South Africa\u2019s CEOs have steered companies through multiple economic\u00a0cycles and typically know their organisations inside out.\u201dAn extended runway to CEOSouth Africa\u2019s CEOs also take notably longer to rise to the top than their peers elsewhere.\u00a0On average, it takes 11 years from the time they join an organisation to being appointed\u00a0CEO. Globally, that figure is nine years, pointing to South African companies\u2019 reliance on\u00a0long internal development cycles.He notes this model has advantages, but also limitations. \u201cA long runway creates leaders\u00a0who are deeply embedded in the business. But it can also mean fewer opportunities for\u00a0external assignments or regional exposure, which are increasingly essential to prepare\u00a0leaders for modern, complex environments.\u201cCompetitive advantage increasingly depends on adaptability and greater cross-border\u00a0fluency. That\u2019s where the capability gaps are emerging.\u201dGlobal exposure remains a major disadvantageWhere South Africa falls furthest behind is global experience. Only 23% of local CEOs have\u00a0worked in another geography \u2013 the third-lowest share among all 27 markets benchmarked.In comparison, emerging market peers show much higher mobility: 53% in Mexico, 41% in\u00a0Kenya, 32% in Colombia, and 29% in Brazil. Globally, an average of 37% of CEOs have\u00a0worked abroad.Similarly, just 20% of local CEOs have worked in a different industry before taking on their\u00a0current role, compared to 30% internationally. This gap risks becoming a strategic liability,\u00a0limiting innovation, he warns.\u201cLeaders who have operated across markets develop a keener sense of risk, and a greater\u00a0ability to identify and seize opportunities in unfamiliar environments. They\u2019re often better able\u00a0to navigate uncertainty and make faster, better decisions. Without that exposure, decision-making becomes narrower and less agile, which is a disadvantage for companies with\u00a0continental or international growth ambitions.\u201cLikewise, leading in different environments brings valuable cross-pollination of ideas.\u00a0Executives who\u2019ve worked across sectors develop sharper commercial instincts and avoid\u00a0legacy thinking, bringing new perspectives on customers and operations. These qualities are\u00a0becoming even more important as industries converge and disruption accelerates.\u201dEquipping South Africa\u2019s CEOs for the futureShardelow says addressing the capability gap begins with a fundamental shift in how boards\u00a0think about leadership readiness, and how they build and assess their CEO pipelines. \u201cThe\u00a0next generation of leaders will need a broader frame of reference grounded in meaningful\u00a0experience outside their established comfort zones.\u201dHe believes boards need to move from passive succession management to deliberate\u00a0capability-building.\u201cThe organisations that succeed over the next decade will be those that actively cultivate\u00a0diverse experiences and create stretch opportunities. That\u2019s what equips future CEOs to\u00a0drive innovation and compete on a global stage, especially as African markets evolve rapidly\u00a0and global competition intensifies.\u201cWe have exceptional leaders in the country. The opportunity now is to prepare them for a\u00a0world that demands breadth of experience and readiness for whatever lies beyond our\u00a0borders.\u201dBUSINESS REPORT<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":266616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-266614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-builder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266614"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266617,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266614\/revisions\/266617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}