“Tom, I need to talk about my next move. Off the record. What’s the job market looking like?”
That’s how many of my calls start these days.
It rarely means they want a new job tomorrow. It means they are planning the next chapter of their career.
C-suite executives do not jump ship. They architect their exits 18-24 months out.
They call headhunters like me to map the market, test their value, and understand what’s possible.
The conversation boards never hear? It’s strategic, not desperate.
CEOs ask: “What roles are opening up in the next year?” “Which companies are planning leadership changes?” “What’s my real market value if I move?”
They’re not unhappy. They’re smart. They know that in Thailand’s market, the best opportunities come to those who plan, not those who react.
Boards and headquarters imagine a recruitment pitch, but the conversations are closer to strategic reconnaissance.
Your CEO talking to headhunters is not betrayal
The CEOs who call are often the most successful leaders in the market.
They understand their timing.
They see growth curves flatten before others do.
They know their shelf life in a role.
Talking to a headhunter is not betrayal. It is career intelligence.
So, here is what boards of directors and/or the regional and head offices are missing:
Your CEO talking to headhunters is not betrayal. It’s career management.
What CEOs tell headhunters privately
The problem begins when boards treat succession planning as an Excel exercise rather than a strategic priority.
They are tracking competencies in spreadsheets while their CEO is mapping exit routes with executive search recruiters.
Most boards assume resignations happen quickly. Senior leaders rarely operate that way.
C-suites in Thailand often start planning a move 18 to 24 months before it happens. During that time, they test three things with a headhunter.
- Market value. What salary, title, and scope the market offers.
- Timing. Which competitors or regional HQs expect leadership change.
- Reputation. How the market views their performance.
The CEO and C-suites are not searching for a job. They are gathering intelligence.
The CEOs who call me are not failing. They’re succeeding and thinking ahead. They see market shifts coming. They know when their company’s growth will plateau. They understand their shelf life better than anyone.
What should worry Boards and HQs?
After more than twenty years of placing top executives in Thailand and Asia, I see the same pattern repeatedly.
Boards and headquarters should not worry because their CEOs talk to headhunters. About three out of four C-suite executives I speak with are already thinking about their next role long before they resign, while boards pretend succession planning can wait.
The data proves it. Companies with real succession plans keep CEOs longer. Those treating it as paperwork? They’re surprised when their CEO announces they’re leaving for a competitor.
Your C-suite executives are having exit conversations.
They know that in Thailand, 80% of senior moves happen through relationships built years in advance.
On relationship building, that’s why I attended 126 networking events over 11 months in 2025.
The questions are: Are you having succession conversations? Do you know who’s replacing them?”
