Chief operating officers are emerging as the most common path to the CEO role, with four distinct career tracks serving as proving grounds.

Recent promotions: Dow Inc., Best Buy, and Asbury Automotive Group all elevated chief operating officers to the top job in 2026. Companies are seeking to unify sprawling processes and sharpen execution, especially in the age of AI.

Four proving grounds identified by executive search firms (Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates, True Search): divisional presidents and general managers who operate miniature enterprises; supply chain strategists with deep understanding of operational backbone; finance leaders who connect capital allocation with execution; and CIOs, CTOs, and engineering leaders in software and digital-first companies where cloud infrastructure, data management, cybersecurity, and AI drive performance.

Examples at the executive level: Nike COO Venkatesh Alagirisamy, MGM Resorts COO Ayesha Molino, and Chipotle COO Jason Kidd are reshaping operations for an era defined by speed, technology, scale, and rising customer expectations. The Fortune COO Summit this week will feature these executives discussing the evolution of the COO role.