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 →

crime against humanity, sham, above the law | Death penalty for former Banglasdesh prime minister

1. crime against humanity

crimes committed against a large number of civilians

인류에 대한 범죄, 반인륜적 범죄

Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death for crimes against humanity
축출된 방글라데시 총리 셰이크 하시나, 반인륜적 범죄로 사형 선고 받아

The Guardian

국제법에 나오는 법적인 용어로 다수의 시민을 향해 행해진 범죄를 가리킵니다. 고문, 살해, 노예화 같은 행동이 이에 해당합니다.

The dictator was found guilty of committing crimes against humanity during his 20-year rule.

그 독재자는 20년간의 통치 동안 저지른 반인륜적 범죄로 유죄 판결을 받았다.

International courts investigate crimes against humanity to hold leaders accountable.

국제 법원은 지도자들의 책임을 묻기 위해 반인륜적 범죄를 조사한다.

2. sham

something false or fraudulent

가짜, 엉터리, 허위

‘Unelected, illegal regime’s sham of a verdict’: Sheikh Hasina’s Son to NDTV
선출되지 않은 불법 정권의 엉터리 판결 – 셰이크 하시나의 아들이 NDTV 에 말하다

NDTV

헤드라인에서 셰이크 하시나의 아들은 법정이 그럴 판결을 내릴 권한이 없다고 부정하고 있죠.

sham은 그럴듯하지만 사실은 그렇지 않다는 뜻입니다. 합법적이지 않고 정직하지 않다는 의미로 sham trial, sham election, sham marriage, sham investigation 같이 사용됩니다.

The election was a sham.

그 선거는 엉터리였다.

They had a sham marriage for a visa.

그들은 비자를 받기 위해 위장 결혼을 했다.

3. above the law

too important or powerful to be affected by laws

법 위에 있는, 법이 적용되지 않는 사람

Bangladesh signals that no leader is above the law by sentencing Sheikh Hasina to death
방글라데시는 셰이크 하시나에게 사형을 선고함으로써 어떤 지도자도 법위에 있지 않음을 보여주었다

The Conversation

법의 적용(규제)을 받지 않는다는 뜻입니다. 영향력이나 세력이 너무 강해서 법에 의해 처벌을 받지 않는 사람을 가리킵니다.

The company CEO thought he’d never get caught for tax evasion, but no one’s above the law.

그 회사 CEO는 세금 탈루에 대해 걸리지 않을것이라고 생각했지만 아무도 법위에있지 않다.

The minister behaved as if he was above the law.

그 총리는 마치 그가 법위에 있는것 처럼 행동했다.

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