Corporate C-Suites Are Shrinking—These Roles Are Being Cut

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ForumCrafterWisp

Corporate Executives Are Cutting Back: Why C-Suites Are Shrinking Amidst Flattening Organizations

In an effort to increase agility and streamline operations, companies across various industries are downsizing their corporate suites. The trend is evident in the largest companies globally, including those listed on Fortune's 500 list. According to data from The Official Board, the average number of senior executives (excluding CEOs) decreased by 9% between 2022 and 2025.

The decision to reduce the size of C-suite roles has been driven by a combination of factors, including the desire for greater agility, cost-cutting measures, and an emphasis on strategic focus. While some companies have chosen to eliminate certain senior positions altogether, others are reorganizing their structures to create more intermediary roles that oversee multiple functional groups.

For instance, American Express has appointed Denise Pickett as president of Enterprise Shared Services, overseeing various functions such as real estate, supply management, and security. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has appointed Carolina Dybeck Happe as COO, who manages multiple groups including the Digital IT team and Microsoft Business Operations.

The trend is also reflected in the decreasing number of C-suite executives with specialist roles, such as chief marketing officers (CMOs). A 13% decline in the number of Global Fortune 500 companies with CMOs has been observed between 2022 and 2025. Companies like UPS and Johnson & Johnson have eliminated this role in recent years.

In contrast, some CEOs, including those at Nvidia and Meta, believe that a larger C-suite is necessary to keep information fluid and empower employees across the organization. CEO Andy Jassy of Amazon has stated that his direct reports should outnumber anyone in the organization, allowing for greater management transparency.

The shrinking C-suite trend highlights the evolving nature of corporate leadership in today's fast-paced market. As CEOs face increasingly complex challenges, they must balance strategic focus with operational demands. With fewer senior executives to manage, CEOs can devote more time to setting and executing strategy, rather than managing by delegation.

According to a study by Deloitte, the number of skills required from C-suite executives has increased significantly over the past few years. The average number of requisite skills listed in CFO postings has risen by 19%, while COOs and CHROs require an additional 25% more skills.

Ultimately, the shrinking C-suite trend reflects a desire for greater agility, efficiency, and strategic focus in corporate leadership. As companies navigate an increasingly competitive landscape, CEOs must be willing to adapt their management structures and priorities to drive success.
 
OMG, remember when our bosses had actual teams of people underneath them? Nowadays they're all like one person in charge of everything 🤯📉 Like, what happened to the old days where you had a marketing team, finance team, and IT team all separate? Now it's just one person doing all that stuff... and getting more responsibilities too 📈😬. I mean, I get it, with everyone being so busy these days, but can't we just have some more people to help out instead of trying to do everything ourselves? It's like they're trying to be superheroes or something 💪👊. And don't even get me started on the skills required now... 19% more skills from CFOs?! That's like a whole other degree 📚💼. I'm just saying, maybe we should go back to having actual teams of people who know what they're doing 😂.
 
omg did u no? corporations r cuttin back on c-suite positions lol like whats the point of havin all those execs in one place, right? i mean i get it, companys need 2 b more agile & efficient, but cant they just get a virtual assistant 4 that? 🤷‍♀️📊 american express is one of them thats reorganizin their structure to make it more "streamlined" or watever. its not like ceos r gettin paid 2 sit around twiddlin there thumbs 😴 anyway, its good 2 see companys bein more open 2 change & adaptin 2 the market
 
I don't know about this, it feels like they're trying to get back to the old days when companies were smaller and more agile, you know? Like my dad's company back in the day, we didn't have all these fancy C-suite roles, just a bunch of guys who were good at their jobs and figured things out. Now it seems like everyone's a CEO or something, and it's just a lot to handle.

I mean, I'm glad they're cutting back on some of those unnecessary roles, but at the same time, I don't want them to get rid of the people who actually know what they're doing. It's all about finding that balance, you know? Like my friend's brother-in-law used to do at his old company, he was like a "bridge" between departments or something. Anyway, I just think it's interesting how things have changed over the years...
 
can't even imagine how hard it must be to work with all those layers of management 😩💼 ugh! i feel like c-suite jobs are just a fancy way of saying "person who makes important decisions" 🤷‍♀️ and honestly, the whole thing sounds super confusing. but at the same time, i get why companies would wanna cut back on all that bureaucracy 🚫💸 they gotta stay agile and focused in today's fast-paced market 💥
 
idk what's going on with big corps anymore 🤯 its like they're cutting back on all the 'important' people who supposedly make decisions 🤑 but i guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles when you wanna be agile and stuff 💸 and btw why do they need so many roles anyway? can't one person just oversee everything? 🤔
 
🤔💡 Companies r really downsizin their top teams 2 b more agile & efficient 🔄💼. It's all about balancin strategy with ops, right? 💪 CEO's gotta focus on big picz, not just micromanagin' 👥 CMOs ar gettin eliminated, but new roles like Enterprise Shared Services r emergin 🚀. More skills required from top execs too 👩‍💼! It's a brave new world 4 corporate leadership 🌐
 
I remember when CEOs had tons of assistants like, 20+ people just to help them with paperwork and stuff. Nowadays, it's all about streamlining operations and having fewer people to manage. I think it's kinda cool that companies are cutting back on C-suite roles and trying to be more agile. It's like the old days when companies were smaller and everyone had a role, but now they're getting bigger and needing more specialized people.

I'm not sure about this trend though...my dad was in corporate for like 20 years and he always said that having too many people reporting directly to you is a recipe for disaster. I mean, what if one of them screws up? You gotta have someone to catch their mistakes, right?

I've seen some companies do it the other way around - having lots of CEOs and not enough C-level folks. But then again, that's just a matter of personal preference. My friend's cousin is actually happy with having multiple CEOs - he says it keeps things fresh and innovative.

Anyway, I'm all for companies trying to adapt to the changing market and be more efficient. As long as they're still paying their employees decently and treating them right, I think it's all good 😊
 
im loving this trend of c-suites shrinking its like they're getting back to basics you know? less middle managers means more time for ceos to focus on strategy and innovation 🤩 i think its awesome that companies are prioritizing agility and cost-cutting measures over just having a lot of people in the org. plus with the rise of remote work, it makes sense that ceos would want to streamline operations and make it easier for employees to do their jobs without all the bureaucratic red tape 💻
 
I don’t usually comment but I think it’s kinda interesting that companies are cutting back on the C-suite... like, less people in charge can actually help with decision making being more fluid 🤔? I mean, having a smaller team means you gotta be able to delegate tasks better and trust your employees to get stuff done without micromanaging. But at the same time, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows... with fewer senior execs, there's gonna be less expertise in specific areas, like marketing or operations. That could lead to some major mistakes if not managed properly 🚨?
 
omg u gotta think about dis lol... c-suites r literally shrinking & i'm low-key hyped about it 🤩! i mean, we all know how toxic those executive suites can get sometimes 😒. less people in charge means less drama, right? plus, think of all the $$$ saved on fancy office spaces & perks 🤑. now, if only they could apply this logic to their HR departments too... 💪
 
I'm loving this latest trend of corporations downsizing their C-suites 🤯! It's all about being more agile and efficient, right? With the number of senior executives decreasing by 9% between 2022 and 2025, it's clear that companies are trying to streamline their operations and focus on what really matters - setting a solid strategy 📈.

But at the same time, I'm kinda curious about this 'direct reports should outnumber anyone in the organization' thing 💼. Like, isn't that just gonna be a nightmare for CEOs? Having too many people reporting directly to them can be super stressful and take away from their ability to focus on strategy 🤯.

Also, it's interesting to see companies like UPS and Johnson & Johnson ditching the CMO role altogether ⚠️. I guess that says something about how marketing is just not as important in today's fast-paced market 📊.

All in all, though, this whole shrinking C-suite trend seems like a good thing for companies... and their employees 🙏. It's all about finding the right balance between strategy and operational demands 💡.
 
I think its pretty interesting that corps are cutting back on C-suites 🤔...the idea of having more direct reports under the CEO is actually a good one, allowing for better transparency & decision making 👥. But at the same time, with fewer execs overseeing operations, there's gotta be some checks in place to prevent things from falling apart 💪. The fact that companies are reorganizing their structures to create more intermediary roles that oversee multiple functions is also a smart move 📈...its all about being agile & adaptable in today's fast-paced market 🚀
 
I don't know about these big corp downsizing but I think it's kinda cool that they're trying to streamline things. It sounds like they wanna be more agile and stuff 🤔. But at the same time, I wonder if it's gonna hurt some people who are in those roles...like Denise Pickett, she's been promoted to a new role, but what about all the other people who might not get that lucky? 😐
 
idk why ppl think c-suites are essential 🤔... like, who needs all those extra layers of management? companies r already cuttin back on so many things already. this shrinkage is just another step in the right direction 📉. less bureaucracy = more room 4 innovation & experimentation. CEOs should focus on makin strategic decisions rather than micromanagin everythin 💼🔩
 
😐 I mean, it's kinda cool that corporate suites are shrinking, right? Like, companies are finally starting to realize that all those extra execs aren't really adding value 💸. But at the same time, I'm like, what about all the talented people who get pushed out because of restructuring 🤕? It's like, they're just being used as a pawn in this game of corporate chess 🎲.

And can we talk about how weird it is that some CEOs still think more heads = more info 💡? Like, hello, I can barely keep up with my email notifications without an entire team of people to help me 📧. And don't even get me started on the whole "manager transparency" thing 👀... it just sounds like corporate jargon for "I have no idea what's going on but let me put on a suit and pretend I do 😂".

But hey, if shrinking C-suites means companies can focus more on strategy and less on bureaucracy 📊, then I'm all for it 🤞. Just hope we don't lose too many of the people who actually make things happen 💻.
 
So I think this whole C-Suite thing is actually kinda cool 😎, you know? Like, companies are finally realizing that sometimes less can be more when it comes to leadership. It's like they're saying, "You know what, we don't need all these extra layers of management getting in the way of our actual work." And yeah, I get it, with the world moving so fast, CEOs gotta stay on top of things and make smart decisions ASAP.

But at the same time, I feel like some companies are overdoing it on the downsizing thing. Like, what's wrong with having a few extra people to help drive strategy or innovation? You can't just eliminate whole departments and expect everything to magically work out 🤯. It's all about finding that sweet spot where you've got enough talent and expertise without breaking the bank.

And let's be real, this trend is also partly driven by economic realities – companies gotta cut costs wherever they can 💸. But what I'm hoping is that instead of just cutting heads (literally), we'll see more innovation and experimentation around reorganizing corporate structures to make them more efficient and effective. That's where the real magic happens 🧙‍♂️.
 
I'm low-key loving this trend 🤩! I mean, who doesn't love a good restructuring, right? But seriously, it's about time C-suite execs got real about what's important - strategy, innovation, and making moves 🚀. With fewer middle managers, CEOs can actually connect with their teams on a more personal level and make decisions that matter 🤝.

I also love how companies are focusing on skills over titles 💼. It's all about being adaptable, tech-savvy, and data-driven these days 🔢. I'm excited to see what other innovative structures emerge as a result of this shift - who knows, maybe we'll even see more hybrid roles that blur the lines between orgs 🤯?
 
this is insane lol what's next gonna be a 1-person c-suite at some point anyone can get into the game of big business just by being good at video games or making memes online

and have you seen those numbers on skills required from c-suite execs? 19% more for CFO alone that's like having to be a master of everything aka impossible
 
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