As we collect responses to the annual Forbes Research 2026 CxO Growth Survey — our most comprehensive look at C-suite leaders’ priorities — we're revisiting our 2025 findings to spotlight the most significant shifts in executive strategy.

In early 2025, our data painted a nuanced picture of a C-suite welcoming the unknown, with technology becoming the central engine of long-term strategic transformation.

The Forbes CxO Growth Survey, now entering its sixth year, gleans insights from global C-suite leaders — chief executive officers, chief marketing officers, chief information officers (or the equivalent top tech executives), chief financial officers and chief human resources officers — on how they are planning for growth and setting their companies up for success. Its core purpose is to identify what these executives are prioritizing, the biggest challenges they face and the opportunities they see moving forward in the current economic landscape.



The findings are derived from a survey of more than 1,000 leaders from organizations with over $1 billion in annual revenue across North America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Asia-Pacific; and Latin America.

Here are three critical trends surfaced by our previous data that we’ll be watching closely in the new year.


1. The Technology Transformation Engine: Driving Growth, Collaboration And Investment

Propelled by artificial intelligence, technology emerged as the primary business enabler, surging to become the top growth opportunity (39%) cited by executives, up from 29% in 2024. This shift signaled a move away from short-term cost-cutting to a focus on long-term digital maturity.


What We Saw In 2025:

  • The C-suite bet big on technology in 2025, with 93% of CxOs saying they anticipated increasing their investment in both AI and cybersecurity solutions over the next two years.
  • This is not just talk; the majority anticipated a significant increase in spending on AI (56%) and cybersecurity (64%).
  • The rise of AI agents transformed operations this year, with 69% of CxOs saying they were optimizing workflows and enabling teams to focus on strategic priorities.
  • This tech focus fundamentally reshaped internal dynamics: the CIO (42%) was the top executive C-suite leader said they want to collaborate with more.


What We're Looking Out For In 2026:

  • As tech spend soars, will the C-suite's desire for collaboration with the CIO translate into full integration of IT strategy across the business, or will scaling up innovation (a top challenge for 61% of CIOs this year) remain a persistent hurdle?
  • We’ll be watching to see if the accelerated investment in AI leads to a deceleration in other key areas, or if organizations can effectively sustain and optimize their spending across Internet of Things, advanced workflow solutions and cybersecurity in 2026.


2. The Resilient-Yet-Wary Executive: Tariffs Add To The Uncertainty

Confidence among CxOs was high in 2025. Ninety percent expressed confidence that their organization will be in a much stronger position in the next three years. Even more striking, 80% of CxOs said their organization is well prepared to navigate a significant economic downturn, a jump from 62% in 2024. However, this optimism is heavily qualified by geopolitical risks.


What We Saw In 2025:

  • Inflation (58%) remained the top external challenge, followed by geopolitical instability (47%) and surging cybersecurity threats (47%, up 17% from 2024).
  • When we drilled down into trade, we saw a split: Only 18% of all CxOs cited potential tariffs as a top-five external challenge.
  • However, the threat of trade wars was a much larger concern for C-suite leaders responsible for growth and the bottom line: Forty-three percent of CEOs cited trade wars as a major external challenge to growth, and 15% of CFOs saw it as a factor posing risks to their organization's bottom line.
  • The difference in sentiment was also regional. North American CEOs expressed more confidence, with 24% saying potential tariffs could challenge their growth, compared with 47% in APAC, 45% in EMEA and 40% in LATAM.


What We're Looking Out For In 2026:

  • As trade policy continues to evolve, who in the C-suite will be feeling pressure most acutely?
  • Will US companies be able to pass on any applicable tariffs to customers continue to hold, or will we see a shift in the regional confidence levels?



3. The New Talent Equation: Well-being And Upskilling Over Headcount


What We Saw In 2025:

  • A major finding: Eighty-four percent of CxOs said their primary obligation is to ensure the physical, mental and financial well-being of their employees, up from 69% in 2024. This priority topped serving shareholders.
  • Upskilling the existing workforce (48%) was a top growth factor for CxOs, and 49% of CHROs said they were focused on promoting retraining in data analysis and AI skills.
  • The skills required for the next generation of C-suite leaders are evolving, with an expectation that they will be highly capable of interpreting data (82%) and managing a hybrid workforce (85%).


What We're Looking Out For In 2026:

  • Will the emphasis on employee well-being and meaningful work continue to rise, or will economic pressures force a return to cost-focused workforce strategies?
  • As AI transforms job roles, we'll track whether upskilling initiatives are keeping pace with technological adoption. Is the workforce truly becoming more data-savvy to manage a tech-driven enterprise?


Forbes Research began fielding our next CxO Growth Survey in November 2025 to measure how quickly these trends are accelerating. Stay tuned for the results in early Q1.