Arizona CEO turnover starts 2016 at brisk pace

• Four Arizona CEOs left their posts last month, with Todd Davis of Lifelock the most prominent
• January CEO departures are becoming the norm and a sign of fresh starts for more companies
• Nationally, CEO turnover also was brisk in January, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas

Four Arizona chief executive officers left their posts in January, continuing a steady rate of change that was reflected in high executive-suite turnover nationally.

The most visible local resignation last month was Todd Davis  leaving the top job at Tempe-based Lifelock.Davis, the company's founder who used to reveal his Social Security number in advertisements designed to tout the company's identity-theft remediation services, will become executive vice chairman effective March 1. He was replaced as CEO by Lifelock's president, Hilary Schneider, who becomes one of only three female CEOs at a prominent Arizona-based public corporation. Lifelock recently suffered a $65 million quarterly loss, reversing a recent trend of modest profitability.

The four Arizona departures in January compare to 22 for all of 2015 and just eight in 2014, according to a report by global outplacement-consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Nationally, CEO turnover surged to a 24-month high in January, with 131 CEOs announcing their departures during the month, according to the report. By comparison, 114 CEOs left in December and 110 in January 2015.

“A January surge in CEO exits is becoming more common," said John Challenger, CEO at Challenger, Gray & Christmas,  in a statement. "Even for companies on a fiscal calendar, January marks a time for new strategies and fresh starts."

Lifelock names Arizona woman as new CEO

The other Arizona CEO departure announcements made in January were:

• Dave Crisalli stepping down at Massage Envy, a company that oversees 1,100 franchises in 49 states where therapeutic massages and skincare services are provided. Joseph Magnacca is the company's new CEO.
• Tom Yunt leaving Wick Communications Co. in Sierra Vista to become chief operating officer at United Communications Corp. in Wisconsin. He was replaced as CEO by Francis Wick, grandson of the company's co-founder. The company oversees newspapers, websites, magazines and specialty publications in Arizona and 10 other states.
• Bill Sheldon departing his interim CEO position at Westmarc, a West Valley business and economic development group based in Peoria. He was replaced by Sintra Hoffman, a former Surprise deputy city manager and assistant division director at the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8616.