Singapore reports zero CHRO departures in Q1

Asia’s CHRO turnover rates remained flat year-on-year.

Singapore reported zero Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) departures in Q1 2025, according to Russell Reynolds Associates’ Global CHRO Turnover Index.

Hong Kong and India also reported no changes in CHRO positions during the same period, whilst Japan recorded just one CHRO departure and Australia had six departures.

Asia’s CHRO turnover rates remained flat year-on-year (YoY). Globally, 54 CHROs departed their roles in Q1 2025, a 15% increase from 47 in Q1 2024 and 32% above the six-year Q1 average of 41.

Moreover, the average tenure for outgoing CHROs globally declined to 4.1 years in Q1 2025, down from 4.5 years in Q1 2024 and well below the six-year average of 6.1 years.

Nearly one in five (19%) CHROs worldwide exited their roles within two years, highlighting a global trend toward shorter leadership durations amidst rising role complexity.

In both Q1 2025 and Q1 2024, external candidates accounted for the majority of new CHRO appointments in Asia, comprising 75% of hires in markets where turnover occurred.

This stands in contrast to the global trend, where internal promotions have become prevalent: globally, 58% of CHRO appointments in Q1 2025 were internal, up from 50% a year earlier.

Concurrently, there was a notable increase in women CHRO appointments in Q1 2025, accounting for 85% of appointments globally, a trend similarly matched in Asia. This marks a rise from 74% in Q1 2024.

The tech industry is experiencing one of its highest turnover quarters since 2018, with approximately 6.2% of Tech companies reporting CHRO departures in Q1 2025.

This is higher than the global average of 2.6% and underscores the particular pressures faced by these industries amid rapid innovation and operational complexity.