Forbes announces list of 50 executives to lead US’s top companies

Forbes has announced its CEO Next list 2022, spotlighting 50 CxOs and executives who are using innovation, technology, creativity and culture to reimagine and reinvent their roles and their companies. 

The Forbes CEO Next list showcases the leaders on the cusp of changing the course and the face of American business.

Of all the talent wars being fought across corporate America, few are as tough as the battle to find a great CEO and with the accelerating pace of change and increased demands on leaders, the metrics for success have become more complicated, reads the concerned Forbes report published on Thursday (8 September).  

According to Forbes, the next generation of contenders to lead America's largest companies have lived and led through booms and busts, financial meltdowns and periods of prosperity, transformative innovation and a pandemic that has shifted the way we work and live. 

The American business magazine surveyed top recruiters, executive coaches, consultants and its own newsroom to create this year's list of 50 leaders who look poised to step into large-company CEO jobs. 

As per its findings, some are clear contenders within their own company – a common path in a year when fewer than 19% of new CEO hires have been external candidates, according to Crist Kolder Associates, versus more than 30% in 2019. 

Whereas, others are entrepreneurs who are disrupting from within, or are in C-suite roles that have not typically been a stepping stone to the CEO job.

What unites the executives on this list is that their accomplishments and talent are being noticed by those who have built their careers and reputations on finding and working with the CEOs of tomorrow. 

For the past two years, many boards and chief executives have been focused on steering their companies through a global pandemic and rising inflation, lowering turnover in the corner office. But as those storms begin to calm, the succession rate is picking up again – making way for another generation. 

Click here to see the list of 50 contenders many experts feel are well positioned to navigate the rough waters ahead.