Overview
- The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Goldman Sachs directors have discussed elevating President and COO John Waldron to CEO as early as late 2027 or 2028.
- Under the reported plan, current CEO David Solomon would step into an executive‑chair role for one to two years after the handoff, a change the board has not yet formally approved.
- Waldron has long been viewed as the heir apparent: he joined Goldman in 2000, became president and COO in 2018, was added to the board and received an $80 million retention award in January 2025.
- Governance experts and analysts say the transition raises clear risks because an executive chair needs sharply defined duties and senior executives passed over could be lured away by rivals.
- The discussion comes as Goldman posts strong revenue and stock gains and as Waldron leads OneGS 3.0, the firmwide AI and productivity program that would shape his operational agenda as CEO.