Singapore amongst most stable APAC market for CFOs

Only two CFO departures were recorded in H1.

Singapore remained one of the more stable markets in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region for chief financial officer (CFO) appointments in the first half of 2025, according to Russell Reynolds Associates. This comes even as global CFO hiring hit a seven-year high.

The report recorded two CFO departures in Singapore during this period. APAC turnover overall stood at 6.2%, below the global rate of 9%.

Within the region, 57% of new CFOs were promoted internally, underscoring the strength of corporate succession planning. Singapore, tracked through companies on the Straits Times Index (STI), reflects this broader trend of relative stability.

However, gender diversity remains a concern. The index found that only one woman has been appointed CFO in Singapore in the past eight quarters, highlighting a persistent leadership gap.

By contrast, women accounted for 22% of CFO appointments across APAC and globally in the first half of 2025.

The study also observed that outgoing APAC CFOs served an average of 4.7 years, shorter than the global average of 6.2 years.

Meanwhile, 70% of new APAC CFOs were first-time appointees, a higher proportion than in other regions, which leaned toward hiring seasoned external candidates.