CEO characteristics and firm performance: evidence from a Southeast Asian country

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate how chief executive officer (CEO) characteristics, including age, education, nationality and particularly gender, influence firm performance in a developing Southeast Asian Country (Indonesia). Design/methodology/approach The study uses balanced firm-level panel data for 203 nonfinancial companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2010 to 2020. Return on assets, return on equity and Tobin’s Q were used to measure firm performance. The data were analyzed using panel data regression analysis, including a fixed effects model with clustered standard errors. Findings The results indicate that female CEOs, education and nationality enhance firm performance, while CEO age can either improve or reduce firm performance. Numerous robustness checks were performed; the results were consistent with those in the main analysis. Research limitations/implications Individual characteristics should be considered when appointing CEOs. Some CEO characteristics enhance firm performance. Female CEOs bring new perspectives, while older CEOs’ longer experience adds a competitive advantage. More educated CEOs have a better ability to deal with challenging intellectual activities, and CEOs from foreign countries better understand international market regulations. However, some characteristics may reduce firm performance, for example, older CEOs are more conservative and unable to adapt to changing business environments. Originality/value This study contributes to corporate governance studies by synthesizing CEO characteristics and investigating their relationship with firm performance. Moreover, it emphasizes that developing countries such as Indonesia have different economic, legal, social and cultural environments than developed countries, especially Western countries.