News events were so dramatic this year that they frequently overshadowed tales of corporate intrigue and C-suite coups. But they happened just the same, setting up a new generation of leaders to make their mark in the new year—and creating a pool of departing executives to find their next gig.
Some were marquee appointments, such as Airbnb’s hiring of Apple designer Jony Ive. One was a boomerang, as long-time Facebook exec Chris Cox returned to the company. Promotions and ousters at Netflix and WarnerMedia reflected strategic plays by their empire-building chief executives. And then there were the whirlwind moves—such as Disney streaming executive Kevin Mayer’s jump to TikTok, which got ensnared just a few months later in a global clash of titans.
