Millennials are moving into the C-suite—but are they ready?

For years, millennials have watched the C-suite from just on the other side of the glass wall—managing divisions, leading teams, and driving innovation while patiently waiting their turn. That turn is now arriving. With baby boomers rapidly aging out of leadership, a long-stalled generational shift is gaining momentum. The question is no longer if millennials will lead, but whether they will be ready when the moment comes.

Born between 1981 and 1996, millennials are now between 29 and 44 years old. Many have spent 15 to 20 years climbing the corporate ladder, only to find the final rung out of reach. Executive bottlenecks—created by boomer longevity, flat org charts, and limited enterprise-level roles—have kept many qualified candidates in a holding pattern. Ironically, the very lack of t