How Senior Leaders Use Counteroffers Strategically

Episode notes

In this episode of Executive Careers with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the strategic use of counteroffers by senior leaders. Lucas shares a specific case: a chief marketing officer at a mid-cap fintech who received a $200,000 higher offer from a competitor, then used it to negotiate a promotion to chief revenue officer with a board seat at her current company. They discuss the risks—a 2024 study by the Corporate Leadership Council found that 54% of executives who accept counteroffers leave within 18 months—and when a counteroffer makes sense. Luna pushes back on the conventional wisdom that counteroffers are always a bad idea, and they break down the four conditions that must be met for a senior leader to accept one safely: genuine strategic value, a new role scope, a cultural fix, and a written commitment. The episode also touches on how to handle the conversation with a recruiter after accepting a counteroffer, and when to walk away entirely. Plus, a brief moment about how listener support through Buy Me a Coffee keeps the show ad-free.