The Hot Seat — English Brew
English Brew  ·  Season 1  ·  Episode 4
Business English · Intermediate–Upper Intermediate

The Hot Seat:
Why 1 in 9 CEOs
Lost Their Job Last Year

A record number of top executives are clearing out their corner offices. We use the story to master five business English expressions you'll actually need.

Hosts Luna & Mimyo
Level B2 – C1
Source Morning Brew, Feb 17 2026
Duration ~10 min

A Record Wave of CEO Departures

The corner office has always been a symbol of power and stability. But according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of 1,500 major public companies, that stability is cracking. In 2025, roughly one in nine CEOs was replaced — the highest rate of leadership turnover since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

And 2026 is already picking up where last year left off. Companies with a combined market value of $2.2 trillion have already swapped out their top leaders just weeks into the new year, including household names like Walmart, Disney, Lululemon, and PayPal.

1 in 9 CEOs replaced among top companies in 2025
$2.2T Combined value of companies with new CEOs in early 2026
54 Average age of incoming CEOs — younger than before
80% Of new CEOs last year were first-timers

So why now? Companies have cited what Morning Brew called "a potpourri of reasons" — artificial intelligence disrupting entire industries, trade tariffs reshuffling global supply chains, and a general climate of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The solution many boards have landed on: bring in someone younger, fresher, and willing to take risks the old guard wouldn't.

"They're turning to younger and greener execs to fix their problems — more than 80% of last year's new CEOs were first-timers."

It's a bold bet. Handing the wheel of a trillion-dollar company to someone who has never run one before is either visionary or reckless, depending on who you ask. Either way, the trend is reshaping what leadership looks like at the top of the business world.


Maya & Alex at the Office Coffee Station

In this episode, we eavesdrop on Maya and Alex — two colleagues processing the news over their morning coffee — and pull out the vocabulary that makes the conversation sound natural and real.

☕ Scene — Tuesday morning · Office kitchen
Maya Alex, did you see the news? Apparently one in nine CEOs got replaced last year. The turnover at the top is absolutely insane right now.
Alex I heard. The whole c-suite feels like a revolving door these days — here today, gone tomorrow.
Maya And apparently they're replacing them with younger, greener executives. Like, people with way less experience running a massive company.
Alex I mean, companies want fresh blood. The old guard tried a potpourri of strategies and nothing stuck, so why not take a chance?
Maya I guess. But our CEO has been here fifteen years. You don't think he's about to put in his two weeks, do you?
Alex After that last earnings call? I wouldn't be shocked. The board looked like they'd rather be anywhere else.
Maya Great. So I should probably update my resume... just in case the turnover reaches our floor.
Alex Always a good idea. In this climate, no corner office is safe.

5 Expressions Worth Owning

These five expressions appear naturally in business news, office conversations, and job interviews. Learn them here — use them everywhere.

01 · Turnover

The rate at which people leave a group or organization and are replaced by others. High turnover = many people leaving. Low turnover = people staying long-term. Used in business, HR, and even casual conversation.

Business "The hospitality sector has historically struggled with high employee turnover."

Casual "Our friend group has crazy turnover — someone new shows up every month."

02 · C-Suite

The collective term for a company's most senior executives — those whose titles begin with "Chief": CEO (Executive), CFO (Financial), COO (Operating), CMO (Marketing), and so on. The "suite" suggests they occupy the same executive floor.

Business "The company announced a major c-suite restructuring ahead of its IPO."

Casual "She went from intern to c-suite in ten years — total boss move."

03 · Greener

Less experienced. When someone is described as "green," it means they are new to something and still learning — like a young plant that hasn't fully grown yet. "Greener" is the comparative form: even less experienced than someone else.

Business "We cannot afford greener hires at this stage — the role requires at least eight years of experience."

Casual "He was so green on his first day, he accidentally emailed the entire company."

04 · Potpourri

A random, varied mixture of things. Originally a French word referring to a decorative bowl of dried flowers and herbs used to scent a room. In English, it evolved into an idiom for any eclectic mix. Morning Brew even named it their Word of the Day the same edition we featured it!

Business "The board cited a potpourri of concerns, from regulatory pressure to falling consumer confidence."

Casual "Dinner tonight was a potpourri of whatever was left in the fridge."

05 · Put in your two weeks

To formally resign from a job by giving two weeks' notice before your final day. In the US, it is standard practice to give an employer this advance warning so they can begin finding a replacement. "Putting in your two weeks" is the polite, professional way to quit.

Business "After twelve years at the firm, she put in her two weeks and accepted a senior role abroad."

Casual "I heard Jake finally put in his two weeks. Said his manager was impossible."


Test Your Business Knowledge

We know CEO stands for Chief Executive Officer.
What does CFO stand for?

  • A Chief Financial Officer
  • B Chief Federal Officer
  • C Chief Facilities Organizer

The CFO oversees all financial operations — budgeting, reporting, forecasting. If the company is bleeding money, the CFO is the one sweating the hardest.


English in the Real World

The reason we chose this story isn't just because it's current — it's because the language around it is everywhere. Whether you're reading a business article, sitting in a team meeting, listening to a podcast, or interviewing for a job, you will encounter these words. Turnover appears in almost every HR discussion. C-suite shows up in financial news daily. Putting in your two weeks is something any English speaker working in an international environment needs to understand.

The goal of English Brew is never to teach you textbook English. It's to close the gap between the English you studied and the English people actually use — in offices, in coffee shops, in headlines, and in conversations that matter.

"No corner office is safe." — Alex, in this episode. And maybe a useful reminder for all of us to keep learning.

Ready to hear it all come together? Listen to the full episode.

Listen Now →

Historic jewels stolen from Louvre

일요일 아침 파리에 있는 루브르 박물관에 도둑이 침입하여 8개의 아주 진귀한 보석류를 훔쳐갔습니다.

절도범들은 모나리자 그림이 소장되어 있는 이 유명한 박물관에 전동 공구를 이용해 침입한뒤, 프랑스 왕실의 왕관과 목걸이를 포함한 보석물을 챙겨 스쿠터를 타고 달아났습니다. 이 모든 행위는 단 7분만에 벌어졌습니다.

1. Priceless

extremely valuable

아주 귀중한

In just 7 brazen minutes, thieves grab ‘priceless’ jewels from Louvre

단 7분만에 대담한 도둑들이 루브르에서 값을 매길수 없는 보석을 훔쳤다
New York Times

일반적으로 -less라는 접미사가 ‘~이 없다’는것을 의미하게 때문에 가격이 없다는 뜻으로 오해하기 쉽지만 priceless 는 price의 반대말이 아니라 price 를 넘어섰다는 뜻입니다.

너무 귀해서 가격을 매길수가 없다는 말이죠. 아주 귀하거나 감정적으로 상당한 의미가 있는 물건을 가리킬때 사용하는 단어입니다. 간혹 너무 웃기거나 기가 막혀서 잊을수 없다는 뜻으로도 사용합니다.

brazen 은 뻔뻔하다는 뜻으로 잘못을 하고도 부끄러워하지 않는 것을 가리키는 형용사입니다. 일상적으로 자주 사용되는 단어는 아니지만 뉴스같은 곳에서 종종 들을수 있죠.

He was brazen enough to take credit for someone else’s work.

그는 남의 공을 가로챌만큼 뻔뻔했다.

His house is filled with priceless artworks. It’s amazing.

그의 집은 가격을 매길수 없을만큼 귀한 예술작품으로 가득차있다. 대단하다.

That old photo of my grandparents is priceless to me.

그 오래된 조부모님의 사진은 나에게 너무 소중하다.

Her reaction when she saw the surprise party was priceless !

그녀가 깜짝파티를 봤을때의 반응은 정말 웃겼다. (잊을수 없다)


2. burglary

breaking into a property to steal something

건물에 침입해서 물건을 훔치는 행위

Louvre heist : thieves steal crown jewels in daylight burglary.

루브르 절도 사건: 도둑들이 대낮에 왕관보석을 훔치다.
The Times

이 단어의 핵심은 침입한다는데 있습니다. 절도행위에 반드시 폭력이 동반된다는 의미는 들어있지 않습니다.

daylight burglary 는 대낮에 벌어진 절도라는 뜻으로 아주 대담하고 충격적이라는 의미를 전달하고 있습니다. 참고로 터무니 없이 비싸다는 뜻으로 ‘daylight robbery ’라는 표현도 사용합니다.

There have been lots of burglaries in my neighborhood recently. I think I’m going to get an alarm installed.

최근에 우리 동네에 많은 절도사건이 있었어요. 경보기를 설치하려고 해요.

The family installed cameras after a burglary last month.

가족은 지난달 절도 사건 이후 카메라를 설치했다.


3. race against time

a situation where there is only a limited amount of time to do something

시간과의 싸움

Race against time’ as police try to recover ‘priceless’ jewels from Louvre – as authorities reveal details of daring raid

Sky News

제한된 시간안에 서둘러서 해야 하는 상황을 말합니다.

The town only has a few hours to prepare for the big storm. It’s a race against time.

마을이 큰 태풍을 대비할 시간이 몇시간밖에 남지않았다. 시간이 촉박하다.

After a flood, rescuers are in a race against time to save people.

홍수가 난 후, 구조대원들은 사람들을 구하기 위해 시간과 싸웁니다.

Doctors are in a race against time to save the patient’s life.

의사들은 환자의 생명을 구하기 위해 시간과 싸우고 있다.


BBC Learning English

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