Alan Mulally, Mike Jeffries Among Top CEO Departures of 2014

A slew of chief executives stepped down from the helms of major companies last year, but some made more waves than others. When Alan Mulally stepped down from Ford in July 2014 after eight years with the company, it sparked a significant turn in a company which was brought back to profitability under his leadership. Robert Benmosche is also credited with leading a turnaround at insurance giant American International Group after the financial crisis and the company's subsequent government bailout. Under him, AIG fully repaid $182 billion in government aid. Benmosche stepped down in September, after doctors told him he didn't have long to live after his cancer progressed. He's been succeeded by Peter Hancock, former head of AIG's property-casualty unit.