C3 AI Shares Slide On CEO Switch

C3 AI (NYSE:AI) shares tanked after the company announced a big leadership shake-up. Stephen Ehikian will take over as Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2025, while founder Thomas Siebel shifts into the Executive Chairman role.

Ehikian isn't new to high-stakes leadership. He served as Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration under President Trump and earlier built two startupsRelateIQ and Airkit.aithat were both snapped up by Salesforce. That mix of public sector experience and startup exits now comes to C3 AI at a time when the company is under pressure to prove its long-term growth story.

For investors, the sharp stock drop shows just how much uncertainty comes with a handover at the top. The market is clearly waiting to see whether Ehikian can steady the ship and carve out an edge against bigger AI players. All eyes will turn to C3 AI's next earnings update for the first signs of his impact.