CEOs Who Should Lose Their Jobs

By: Jennifer ReingoldWed Dec 19, 2007 at 12:43 AM

It's the new era of accountability: Most of the nation's worst-performing bosses have been shown the door. But what about the guys who just won't go? Meet the Teflon CEOs. Poor results, declining stock prices, and strategic blunders just seem to slide right off them.

Sidebar: The Replacements

Since succession hasn't exactly been a priority at the companies profiled here, we decided to offer a few suggestions of our own. We worked with some top executive-search consultants to come up with the following short list of potential successors to our five CEOs who just won't let go.

Disney

Sherry Lansing

She's worked her magic as head of Paramount for years. Can the most powerful woman in Hollywood handle the mouse?

Jeff Katzenberg

His return from DreamWorks SKG would be the ultimate irony. Eisner forced the former Disney studio head -- and brains behind many of Disney's hit movies -- out in 1994.

Mel Karmazin

He's worked miracles at Viacom while waiting for something to happen to Sumner Redstone. Enough already.

Motorola

Ed Zander

He built a heck of a track record as number two at Sun Microsystems before joining an investment company earlier this year. Why not go for the gusto?

Meg Whitman

She knows the consumer market and how to build something from nothing. After what she's accomplished at eBay, she can do anything.

Carlos Ghosn

The most-renowned CEO outside the United States after his turnaround at Nissan. He knows the global markets better than anyone.

Compuware

Ed Zander, again.

The search guys love him. And he knows from companies run by founders.

Lou Gerstner

How about coming out of retirement for a little sojourn in Detroit? He's tanned, rested, and ready.

Ann Livermore

It's high time for the head of Hewlett-Packard's services arm to run her own ship.

Service Corporation International

Greg Brenneman

He knows Houston and did a great job as president of Continental Airlines. Let's see if he can work as well below ground as above ground.

Emil Brolick,

President of Taco Bell. Believe it or not, the skill sets are the same: real estate, multiple locations, individual owners. ¡Yo quiero una tumba!

David Fisher and Nate Fisher,

The brothers on Six Feet Under. They're young, motivated, and angst-ridden. Perfect!

Aon

Jeffrey Greenberg

The son of AIG CEO Herb, he ditched Dad for the top job at Marsh & McLennan and has blown away the competition.

David D'Alessandro

This gritty maverick from John Hancock could make a difference at the Chicago-centric company.

Joseph Grano Jr.

The chairman and CEO of UBS Paine Webber just might need a new challenge.

Jennifer Reingold (jreingold@fastcompany.com) is a Fast Company senior writer. Research assistance for this story was provided by Lucas Conley, Mimi Do, Andrew Moesel, and Esta Tanenbaum.