CEOs in APAC more confident in their ability to navigate market disruption
Leaders across Asia Pacific are showing greater confidence in their ability to tackle the complex challenges ahead, according to the latest global CEO survey from Egon Zehnder.
The global study – which surveyed 1,235 CEOs, including 132 leaders from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region – found that more than nine in ten CEOs believe they must navigate unprecedented levels of geopolitical upheaval and disruption.
At the same time, the proportion of CEOs who feel prepared for the increasing complexity of their business landscape has risen significantly compared with last year. “CEOs are responding to relentless geopolitical upheaval with new levels of adaptability,” said Michael Ensser, Chair of Egon Zehnder.
“CEOs have shown an extraordinary ability to learn and adapt amid uncertainty and global instability. Leadership today means forging new paths with strategic foresight, pragmatism and collective intelligence. Many leaders have recently invested in honing these skills – and that investment is now paying off,” he added.
In the Asia-Pacific region, a similar trend has emerged. The percentage of leaders who feel moderately unprepared has dropped markedly, from 24% in 2024 to 17% this year
“Faced with global headwinds, APAC leaders are not waiting for the world to stabilise; they are actively building a more resilient future from within the region,” said Ang Wan May, Singapore Managing Partner at Egon Zehnder. “Their response is built on a clear strategy: strengthen regional alliances, invest in technology and AI, and ground it all in a deep personal commitment to adaptability for themselves and their teams.”
This confidence is built on a more human-centric leadership style, noted Egon Zehnder’s report. 66% of APAC-based CEOs “strongly agree” they need to cultivate adaptability in themselves and their teams, significantly higher than the global average of 55%. This mindset is reflected in the skills they are prioritising, with APAC leaders placing a higher importance on honing their ability to listen and ensuring the inclusion of diverse and challenging views.
Investing with a regional focus
Like their global peers, Asia-Pacific leaders identify innovation (53%) as their top investment priority. However, their action plan is distinctly regional.
When asked where they see the most promise for new business partnerships, APAC leaders are turning to their neighbours. They overwhelmingly identify their own APAC region (51%) and India (50%) as the key hubs for investment and trade. This contrasts with US-based CEOs who prioritise their own country (59%) for new investments.
For European CEOs, Europe also ranks first (48%), while India (41%) is slightly ahead of the US (38%) and Southeast Asia (38%).
To power their regional vision, APAC leaders are allocating resources to new strategic alliances and partnerships (46%) and investing in AI (45%).
Rolling up their sleeves
Reflecting on the report’s findings, Ensser stated: “Last year, CEOs foresaw a world of constant and groundbreaking change. This year, they signal a clear intent to step forward and into it. And they are approaching the many critical challenges they expect by prioritizing the ongoing transformation of CEO leadership with renewed curiosity, purpose, and strategic impact.”
“The resolve of these leaders is stunning: They are rolling up their sleeves to transform their organizations – and in many ways the world itself – all in an environment of massive unpredictability.”
