The CO-CEO trend is gaining momentum. Netflix, Salesforce and M&S are among the high-profile businesses that have tackled these top positions, with varying degrees of success. Now, he joins RENSTS, with CEO Daniel Ek being replaced CEOOS CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström in January. Oracle made similar moves as Clay Magouyr and Mike Sicilia Safra Catz initiativewho shared the role of Mark Hurd ten years ago.
Is sharing the CEO responsibility better than going it alone? A study by AAPL of 107 Co-COOO companies between 1996 and 2020 found that these businesses produced Rates of return are 9.5 percentwith nearly 60 percent more than their peers. But with a smaller following, the shared leadership style is still in its relative proportions. So why are we seeing the rise of Co-COOs now, and what does this look like for the future of business?
Why now?
Economic, technological and geopolitical megatrends affect business goals and growth, forcing companies to find faster cycles of change. Because of this, the demands placed on leaders have increased. Given the uncertainty and pace of today’s business environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find all the skills and knowledge necessary to fulfill the role of an effective CEO. Believing that one person can ‘capture’ the full spectrum of strategic, operational, cultural and cultural responsibilities is increasingly absurd, and dangerous as well.
With increasing pressure, a large volume of work and endless to-do lists, many people at the top are disillusioned with organizational life and are looking for other jobs that are less tiring. DDI’s Global Leadership Status Shines a Light on 2025 Shets Flight by the CEO’s Impact, revealing that 71 percent of leaders Report more stressand 40 percent are considering leaving their role due to stress and burnout. Perhaps that is not surprising In PWC’s 2025 Global CEO survey, when CEOs were asked how they expected to stay in their current role, they answered overwhelmingly five years or less. As CEOs have shorter and shorter tenures, businesses face high disruption and high turnover.
Companies are looking for leaders who can integrate large fields of work; connect to all jobs and industries; and pairing big picture thinking with deep background knowledge. In theory, the CO-CEO model – a system of distributed leadership – is one way to achieve this. But what does this look like in practice?
When the CO-CEO model works, and when it doesn’t
In order to find such “holiday dus” to be successful, compatibility is undeniable. First and foremost, Co-coos must be able to adapt, share common values, communicate regularly, resolve conflicts effectively, and present externals – even if not shown externally – even if not shown externally – even if not shown externally – even if not shown externally – even if not shown externally – even if not shown externally – even if not shown externally – however, there may be disagreements. Without that unity, companies risk decision-making, delayed approvals and internal groups playing the two leaders against each other.
When it comes to strategy and disability, the CO-COO model works best when each leader brings complementary skills to the table. Take Netflix for example. ted sarandos expertise is in marketing and content rooms, while greg pecers expertise is in technology and operations. Combining their technical and commercial skills allows the company to excel 300 million members.
But the model can shrink under pressure. Medicine water he left the CO-CO-COCE of the building In 2020 just six months later, it reveals the need for “unsolicited” leadership during the partnership, a reminder that strong relationships can put them under crisis conditions.
The future of shared leadership
There is no denying that a good balance must strike through the CO-CEO approach to success. But it opens the door for businesses to seek what leadership at the top looks like – not in the CEO’s office but throughout the C-Suite.
Globally, there is a growing number of independent C-Suite executives starting to work with organizations in “Fractional” Basis. Instead of being employed full-time, these experienced leaders work with organizations on an ad hoc basis, assisting full-time C-Level C-Level employees by providing joined-up and integrated support to fill their strengths and C-Suite technology gaps as needed.
This approach to the C-Suite can strengthen succession planning and ensure leadership continuity. With the combined CEO-CEO and Fractional Courship method, the company can change the CEO manager at the same time based on the renewal of strategic and cultural needs, rather than having a complete change in leadership. This ensures that companies are not left scrambling to fill a vacant CEO position in the face of disruptive change.
The practice of collective leadership It is not limited to a particular field. It is particularly notable in sectors that face rapid change, such as technology, software as a service (SAAS) and Healthcare, where companies are quickly adapting to AI-driven disruption. In these fields, the ability to hire specialized talent at the C-Suite level without long-term commitment provides a significant competitive edge.
Finally, the CO-CEO model has the potential to significantly improve the work environment and, therefore, organizational performance. As pressure mounts on Solo CEOs, organizations expect Superhumans who simply don’t exist. If cooperation is provided in trust, compliance and decision-making, sharing the burden between two senior executives means that those at the top have more responsibility, less pressure and a shared responsibility to drive their businesses forward.
Sarah Daw is the group CEO of CFO Institute and The Liberty teamAnd the author of Strategy and leadership as a service – how the access economy meets the C-Suiteexamining the practice of diverse leadership.
