New York (CNN Business) McDonald's. Juul. WeWork. Under Armour. Nike. Those companies, and plenty more, saw their chief executives walk out the door just in the past few months, part of a record-breaking trend.

The number of CEOs who left their jobs in October alone was 172, a new high, according to a report from career tracking firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. That is up 14% compared to September and 15% more than the 149 CEO departures in October 2018.

Nike CEO Mark Parker, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook and WeWork CEO Adam Neumann have all left their companies.

In total, 1,332 CEOs have left their position this year so far — the highest year-to-date total since the company began tracking the trend in 2002. Challenger monitors these changes at public and private companies, as well as government agencies and non-profits that have been in business for at least two years and have more than 10 employees.

"October was marked by a number of high-profile CEO exits, with many being held accountable for various missteps, whether in their professional handling of the company or in their personal lives," said Andrew Challenger, VP of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. in a statement.

McDonald's MCD The trend in October continued into November whenousted CEO Steve Easterbook after he admitted to having a consensual relationship with an employee. Challenger noted that 10 CEOs left their positions because of allegations of professional misconduct this year.

Read More