????大衛?默多克推進農產品供應商Dole Food實施私有化完全是一項長期策略。這位首席執行官斥資120億美元全面收購這家公司的股份是為了在不受股市壓力影響的情況下扭轉它的經營狀況。

????這筆錢對任何人來說都是一大筆資金，而且要用于一項無限期計劃——更不用說執行者是一位今年4月份已經90歲的管理者。但對默多克來說，年齡并不可怕。作為Dole Food首席執行官，他對自己的飲食和健康有非常高的要求。默多克還說過，他認為自己能活到125歲。

????今天，公司高層在自己的位置上工作到80多歲已經不是什么大事。默多克則正在為90歲的管理者們開路。他是今年《財富》美國500強中年紀最大的CEO，緊隨其后的是四位80多歲的管理者，其中包括汽車零售商Sonic Automotive首席執行官毆?伯頓?史密斯（86歲）、股神沃倫?巴菲特（82歲）、媒體大亨魯珀特?默多克（82歲）和博彩公司Las Vegas Sands的謝爾頓?阿德爾森（80歲）。

????和默多克同在90歲CEO俱樂部的還有糖果公司Tootsie Roll Industries的梅爾文?戈登。Tootsie Roll Industries以口風嚴密著稱，戈登年逾八旬的妻子埃倫?戈登則是該公司的首席運營官兼總裁。

????沒有任何跡象表明默多克等人有退休的打算，從他們的個性中也看不出一丁點兒要退卻的意思。高管研究公司Korn/Ferry International北美業務總裁鮑勃?達蒙說，默多克他們的表現和CEO平均任期不斷縮短的趨勢正好相反。現在，CEO的任職時間約為五年，少于2008年的七年。原因是股東不再那么有耐心，給公司負責人提高業績的時間也更短。

????與此同時，經驗豐富的管理者更受歡迎，他們能應付挑戰和復雜的商業周期。達蒙說，董事會因此都希望CEO經受過風雨，擁有類似的經歷和可以依賴的經驗。他指出：“這些都是年紀較大的CEO所擁有的特征。”達蒙還認為，身體健康水平讓這些高齡CEO能更好地履行自己的職責。

????公司治理研究機構BHJ Partners合伙人保羅?霍奇森說，對于CEO已到耄耋之年的公司來說，最大的挑戰是制定繼任計劃。董事會需要有后備人選，他們并不習慣于這樣做，因為這些公司的CEO在任時間很長。對于由創始人擔任CEO的公司來說，它們還沒有尋找過新的領導者。霍奇森指出：“一部分原因是他們已經在CEO職位上待了這么長時間。這些公司并不認為自己需要另一個CEO，所以為什么要費神去找呢。”

????霍奇森說，對默多克等人來說，這就像他們的最后巡演，“不必為了讓他們留下來而給他們發獎金。”（財富中文網）

????譯者：Charlie

????David Murdock's push to take Dole Food private was all about long-term strategy. The CEO is buying out his company for $1.2 billion in order to implement a turnaround away from the pressures of the public market.

????That's a big chunk of cash -- to say nothing of an open-ended project -- for anyone, let alone an executive who turned 90 in April. But to Murdock, age wasn't a deterrent. The Dole (DOLE) CEO, who is obsessive about his diet and health, has said he has his 125th birthday in his sights.

????It's now a non-event when executives decide to hunker down in the corner office into their 80s. But Murdock is paving the way for nonagenarians. He is the oldest CEO in this year's Fortune 500, followed by four in their 80s: O. Burton Smith of Sonic Automotive (86), Warren Buffett (82), Rupert Murdoch (82), and Sheldon Adelson of Las Vegas Sands (80).

????Murdock is joined in the nonagenarian CEO club by Melvin Gordon of the notoriously close-mouthed Tootsie Roll Industries, whose COO and president is his octogenarian wife, Ellen Gordon.

????Murdock and other members of his cohort have signaled neither plans to retire, nor are they retiring personalities. They're bucking the trend of a declining average tenure for CEOs, says Bob Damon, president of North America for executive search firm Korn/Ferry International. Today CEOs stay in the job around five years, down from seven in 2008, as shareholders become impatient and give leadership a shorter time horizon to move the needle.

????Meanwhile demand has increased for seasoned leaders who can navigate a challenging and complex business cycle. As a result, Damon says boards want CEOs with "dents in their helmets" that have been through similar scenarios and can rely on their experience. "That all points to CEOs who have more years under their belt," he says. Trends around health and wellness are enhancing their ability to perform on the job, he adds.

????The biggest challenge for companies with CEOs in their 80s or 90s is succession planning, says Paul Hodgson of governance and research firm BHJ Partners. Board members need to have someone waiting in the wings, which is not something they're used to because of their chief executives long tenures. In the case of companies with founder-CEOs, they've also never gone through the exercise of finding a new leader. "Part of it is they've been there so long," he says, "they don't think they'll ever have another CEO so why bother looking for one."

????For the likes of Murdock, this is likely the final gig. "There's no reason for any retention bonuses," Hodgson says.