MILANO (ITALPRESS) – More than half of the CEO and board members of Italian companies listed (57%) consider economic instability the biggest risk for 2026. This adds the uncertainty deriving from fiscal and regulatory policies, which makes strategic planning even more difficult in an unstable political context. This is what emerges from the “CEO & Board Confidence Monitor” of Heidrick & Struggles, which involved nearly 2,000 listed companies worldwide, of which 47 are Italian.
The leaders of Italian companies report increasing difficulties in long-term planning, with an economic landscape that makes it difficult to formulate certain forecasts. Moreover, the confidence in the continuity of leadership is decreasing: only 36% of Italian CEOs see confidently the change generated by succession within corporate leadership, a substantially lower figure than other regions such as Asia-Pacific (45%) and South America (41%). Globally, the average is 41%, but in Europe the apprehension for change is even more marked, with only 39% of CEOs who declare confident about leadership continuity.
Cybersecurity also continues to be seen as a crucial node. Italian CEOs seem less confident in the management of cyber threats than other risks, with only 38% recognizing it as a challenge for the next year, against 51% globally. In addition, despite artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a strategic opportunity, it is only 36% of Italian CEOs. The reason why we also see a certain slowness in adopting in Italy with respect to other regions, such as Asia-Pacific (APAC), where trust in this type of technology is greater.
“We entered the era of Geo-economics where economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility test Italian companies – said Sara Gay, partner of Heidrick & Struggles. It is essential that organizations invest in long-term resilience, strengthening the Board’s expertise on these issues, focusing on succession at the top and adoption of technologies such as AI, to remain competitive in the future.”.
– photo press office Heidrick & Struggles –
(ITALPRESS).
