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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Burberry's former CEO Angela Ahrendts in London.

When a chief executive officer of a global company either leaves or is pushed out, it not only causes ripples inside the firm but also grabs headlines around the world.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest departures of CEOs in 2013.

Source: Forbes

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Ron Johnson in New York.

Ron Johnson

Age: 54 years

Company: JC Penney

Date of departure: April 2013

Period in job: 17 months

Ron Johnson, who was senior vice-president of retail operations at Apple Inc before becoming CEO of JC Penney, was told to leave the company after losses rose and stock price plunged.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Aubrey McClendon in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Aubrey McClendon

Age: 54 years

Company: Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Date of departure: April 2013

Period in job: 31 years

Aubrey McClendon, who co-founded Chesapeake Energy Corporation at 23, agreed to retire after differences emerged with board members.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Mark Pincus in San Francisco, California.

Mark Pincus

Age: 47 years

Company: Zynga

Date of departure: July 2013

Period in job: 6 years

Mark Pincus, who co-founded Zynga 2007, quit the manufacturer of online games Farmville and Words With Friends after a fall in company's stock.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Thorsten Heins in Beverly Hills, California.

Thorsten Heins

Age: 55 years

Company: BlackBerry

Date of departure: November 2013

Period in job: 22 months

Thorsten Heins, who is a German businessman, was sacked in November with a $22 million payment.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Steve Ballmer with his wife Connie in Washington, DC.

Steve Ballmer

Age: 57 years

Company: Microsoft

Date of departure: August 2013

Period in job: 13 years

Steve Ballmer, who spent 33 years at Microsoft, decided to leave the company after failing to stop the company's slide.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Andrew Mason with his wife Jenny Gillespie in New York City.

Andrew Mason

Age: 33 years

Company: Groupon

Date of departure: February 2013

Period in job: 5 years

Andrew Mason, who co-founded Groupon in 2008, was fired from the daily deal website when the business began struggling.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Christine Day in New York.

Christine Day

Age: 49 years

Company: Lululemon

Date of departure: May 2013

Period in job: 5 years

Christine Day, who is a graduate of Harvard Business Schools Advanced Management Program, stepped down after five years that saw big growth, increasing competition and recall of products.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Michael T Duke in New York.

Michael T Duke

Age: 64 years

Company: Walmart

Date of departure: November 2013

Period in job: 4 years

Michael T Duke, who was ranked as one of the world’s most powerful people in 2013, left the company after sales fell and protests by workers rose.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Robert McDonald in Singapore.

Robert McDonald

Age: 60 years

Company: Procter & Gamble

Date of departure: May 2013

Period in job: 4 years

Robert McDonald, who joined Procter & Gamble in 1980, left the company after he was blamed for inefficiency, high expenses and falling stock price.

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Best of 2013: 10 biggest departures of CEOs this year

December 16, 2013 09:47 IST
Angela Ahrendts in London.

Angela Ahrendts

Age: 53 years

Company: Burberry

Date of departure: October 2013

Period in job: 7 years

Angela Ahrendts, who joined Burberry in January 2006 and became CEO six months later, left the company to join Apple.