Political division, disruptive technologies, and institutional distrust are making it increasingly difficult for chief executives to focus on their traditional core mission: growing sales and profits.
Even in the best of times, CEOs carry a heavy burden of concerns. This year, however, their list of worries is particularly daunting.
During the second year of President Trump's second term, business leaders must navigate an ever-shifting and unpredictable landscape of tariffs and trade restrictions. They also face the delicate decision of when, and if, to publicly comment on government policies affecting employees, customers, and investors across numerous areas, including trade and immigration enforcement.
Artificial intelligence is another dominant topic in boardrooms, forcing executives to balance its risks and opportunities. While announcing significant investments in AI, leaders must reassure employees that the technology won't eliminate all jobs, while simultaneously acknowledging that certain roles will indeed be displaced. All this is set against an economic backdrop sending decidedly mixed signals, as executives continue their push to expand revenue and profits.
Recently, during the annual gathering of global elites at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, several CEOs shared their primary concerns in interviews. They discussed the issues that consume most of their time and the problems that might keep them awake at night.
The following interview excerpts have been edited and condensed.
Where Will Growth Come From? Growth is never easy. The economic situation is acceptable, with global growth around 3%. That's not bad, but almost no company is satisfied with 3% growth; everyone wants to significantly exceed that level. So the question now is, how do you find growth, especially in markets where consumers are under more pressure? — Rich Lesser, Global Chair, Boston Consulting Group
I have to think about what will happen in three, four, five years, while also considering tomorrow. Management teams often focus more on the immediate. Part of my job is to help them, and the company, have the confidence to invest in things that will take a longer cycle to bear fruit. — Jeremy Allaire, CEO, Circle
When uncertainty is high, we need to focus on economic growth, and the way to achieve growth is to responsibly scale the business. Almost every problem today, fundamentally, is a growth problem. — Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture
As CEOs, our job is to look at country-level geopolitics, business, the impact and risks of AI, job displacement, employee training, and bring it all together to form a coherent strategy for sustained business growth. That's the value we provide for our compensation. — Bipul Sinha, CEO, cybersecurity firm Rubrik
Navigating Politics and Rebuilding Trust Do you know one of the biggest mistakes a CEO can make? Letting the position overshadow the person. We must be authentic and sincere to create a culture where sincerity is real. People trust a company because they trust its employees. — Wencio Maceio, CEO, Ingka Group
This administration, in particular, places a strong emphasis on direct communication with business leaders. The President enjoys interacting with CEOs, so they must play a stronger role in Washington, maintaining political relationships and engaging in the political process more than ever before. — Stephen Ubl, CEO, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
When disruptive inflection points like AI emerge, governments need help. Their role is to regulate and provide proper incentives, but they don't truly understand the technology. So we must educate not only policymakers but also the officials below them, so they are better informed and prepared when crafting policies or incentive programs. A significant part of my job is spending time with government officials.
— Antonio Neri, CEO,
The Promise and Peril of AI I've heard some say we will soon know if overall corporate investments in AI will yield a positive return. I don't think that question will be answered by 2026, but by the end of the year, we should be closer to an answer. Our focus is on how to better deploy these tools, drive adoption among employees, and then find ways to achieve growth from AI-powered tools. — John Doyle, CEO, Marsh
Everyone is figuring out how AI can positively impact their business, and we are no different. I believe it will certainly bring massive incremental value and change, but ours is first and foremost a people business. What I think about most is preserving and developing the team culture. So I'm more focused on people than on any specific technology. — Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing F1 Team
We tell founders, 'You will use AI, you will increase productivity, but the trade-off is job cuts.' We help companies extract more efficiency from their existing workforce. But as AI scales, you eventually reach a point where 'you don't need as many people.' If that's going to happen, don't just push the problem onto society; businesses must also be part of the solution. — Hemant Taneja, CEO, General Catalyst