THE need for bold leadership is critical today as the challenges facing chief executive officers (CEOs) are more complex, driven by fierce competition, margin pressures and the war for talent.

       CEOs need to create sustained outcomes for multiple stakeholders whose interests are not always aligned. Strategies need to be aligned to net-zero commitments as threats, uncertainties and tensions abound.

       The PwC flagship 25th annual global CEO survey reveals the need for bold leadership that can unite the people as global citizens and problem solvers.

       It boils down to the power of trust and ability to drive change beyond the short- term. Highly trusted companies are more likely to have made net-zero commitments.

       It is tied to their CEO’s compensation to non-financial outcomes, such as employee engagement scores and gender diversity in the workforce.

       Globally, 77% of CEOs expect global economic growth to improve this year.

       Asia-Pacific CEOs rank health risk as their top priority while global CEOs list cyber as their most pressing concern.

       The survey reveals the five areas to watch out for: platformisation of consumer financial services, electric vehicle ecosystem and stored energy, the creation and expansion of the tech-enabled “metaverse,” the ongoing convergence of mobility and digital commerce, and the virtual evolution of health and wellness.

       A total of 4,446 global CEOs including 1,618 from the Asia-Pacific region were surveyed.