The Financial Times CEO Performance Ranking evaluates corporate leadership using nine adjustable measures, each normalised to a 0-100 scale. The ranking employs a weighted average to calculate final scores, with stock market performance carrying the greatest influence. Long-term tenure returns and annual returns together account for 40 percent of the final score, while financial metrics contribute a further 15 percent. Remaining factors include employee reviews from Glassdoor, executive pay relative to US peers, ESG performance, and gender diversity in senior leadership. The methodology utilises the FT's Macro Mood Index, employing large language models to assess news sentiment. Readers can customise weightings to create personalised rankings. Sectors are classified using Bloomberg's industry system, grouping companies into 225 categories based on primary revenue sources. CEOs must have served at least one year, with investment trusts excluded. This snapshot, taken at the beginning of September 2026, captures CEO age, tenure, and pay at a specific point in time. Market capitalisation fluctuations and relative US pay shifts affect overall scores. The index reflects achieved outcomes during tenure, though company performance depends on factors beyond management control. Examples include takeover interest boosting market returns for Segro, Intertek, and Beazley, which may not reflect individual CEO performance. Future aims include calculating the proportion of years each CEO outperformed the market.

Women in leadership measures gender diversity among the company's senior leadership roles.