Climate change has emerged as the top concern for APAC CEOs, according to the findings of a global survey of CEOs by Egon Zehnder, an international leadership advisory firm.
In APAC, CEOs increasingly position themselves as proactive leaders on climate action, sustainability and personal transformation, setting them apart from their peers in Europe and North America.
The global survey polled over 470 CEOs, of whom 13% are based in the APAC region.
Other major findings for APAC are:
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When it comes to identifying the biggest opportunities to build common ground between businesses, government, and other stakeholders, APAC leaders view climate change as the second-top opportunity, ranking just behind regulation of new technologies like AI. This demonstrates APAC’s unique balance between innovation and sustainability as part of their future business strategies.
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On essential adaptive skills for the future, global CEOs prioritise “cultivating a culture of openness and curiosity” (99%), closely followed by “honing the ability to listen“ (97%). This mirrors the APAC CEO’s sentiments on the region’s growing commitment to adaptive and relational leadership. 82% view the “ability to include diverse and challenging views” as very to extremely important, compared to 56% for Europe and 62% for North America. 28% of APAC CEOs rank "investing in transforming myself " as extremely important, compared to 14% in Europe and 20% in North America.
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When asked how prepared they feel to face the increasing complexities of global business, 24% of APAC CEOs rate their preparedness at 7 out of 10, higher than their counterparts in Europe (16%) and North America (12%). This reflects the confidence APAC business leaders have in their ability to navigate future uncertainties, especially in areas like geopolitical instability, AI adoption, and talent development.
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As 95% of global CEOs expect significant, systemic shifts in the economy, geopolitics, energy, and technology over the next decade, APAC leaders are actively preparing for these challenges, with many recognising the need to balance traditional business strategies with a deeper commitment to environmental and societal issues. CEOs in APAC are also leading a shift toward future-ready leadership that prioritises openness, self-transformation, and collaboration.
The full report "The CEO Response" is available for download at this url.