Study
How many new CFOs are in the seat for the first time?
Computed October 23, 2026 from the verified record · Download this table (CSV)
67%
of incoming CFOs: first-time status not established by the filing
Of 336 verified moves that name an incoming CFO, the record establishes whether the person had held a CFO seat before in 111 (33%). 111 had held a CFO seat before and 0 were established as a first-time CFO. For 225 (67%) it is not established: the filing does not say.
The counts
| Group | Base | First-time CFO | Held a CFO seat before | Not established | First-time share of established | Share not established |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment | 74 | 0 | 34 | 40 | 0% | 54.1% |
| Transition | 168 | 0 | 68 | 100 | 0% | 59.5% |
| Interim | 94 | 0 | 9 | 85 | 0% | 90.4% |
| All incoming CFOs | 336 | 0 | 111 | 225 | 0% | 67% |
| Roster seats (10-K signers) | 483 | 0 | 0 | 483 | not established | 100% |
Download the first table as CSV · Free to use with attribution to CFO Tribune and a link to https://cfotribune.com.
How this is computed
- The base is every verified appointment, transition or interim move that names an incoming CFO, and separately every roster seat.
- The record's first_time_cfo field is false only where the filing has a sentence showing the person held a CFO seat before; an assistant or deputy CFO role does not count. It is true only where the filing says the role is the person's first CFO seat.
- Everything else is not established and is shown as such. The first-time share is computed over the established cases only.
- Only verified records count: drafts never build. A share whose base is zero is shown as not established, never as 0%.
What the record cannot tell you
- Not established does not mean first time. Filings often give one or two prior roles, and a CFO seat held earlier in a career may go unmentioned.
- Because the record asks for evidence before it says false, and filings rarely state that a seat is someone's first, the established cases lean toward people with prior CFO seats.
- The record holds the filings CFO Tribune has read and verified, not every filing made. Each figure describes that record only.
Related studies
What job did new CFOs hold before they were appointed?37.5% of appointees with a stated prior role came from a CFO seat elsewhere
Do companies promote their next CFO from inside or hire from outside?49.5% of established cases were internal promotions