Though the average tenure of an S&P 500 CEO is 9.2 years, there are many examples of so-called “forever CEOs.” These are leaders who have sat at the top for decades, like Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett, who has been CEO for 54 years, or JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon, who has been CEO for nearly 20 years.
Determining when to step down and move on to a new role can be just as challenging for C-suite executives as for employees. Earlier this month, Ford Foundation president Darren Walker spoke to Fortune about his decision to leave his role at the end of 2025 and shared parting wisdom on the skills needed to run and scale a company.
