SINGAPORE / ASIA PACIFIC, 22 OCTOBER – Egon Zehnder, the world’s premier leadership advisory firm, released the results of its latest global CEO survey, The CEO Response, surveying 843 CEOs, including 70 leaders from the Asia-Pacific (APAC), and finds artificial intelligence (AI) at the top of the chief executive agenda worldwide.
CEOs in APAC anticipate more geopolitical disruption this year compared to CEOs elsewhere, yet report their highest level of preparedness in the past three years, at a point where confidence is dwindling worldwide.
Key Findings For APAC:
- AI is the top critical challenge for chief executives worldwide:
– 94% in Asia-Pacific rate it critical or existentially critical, compared to 91% globally. Only 6% in the region consider it less critical, the lowest percentage recorded. Geopolitical instability follows at 89% in both APAC and globally. Economical uncertainty is level with it globally at 89%, and slightly behind in the region at 85%. - The APAC region expects turbulence to increase:
– 73% expect geopolitical disruption to increase over the next 12 months, versus 62% globally, and 85% rate economic uncertainty as critical or existentially critical. - APAC CEOs frame AI within a broader innovation agenda:
– APAC CEOs cite innovation as an implemented major change, at 54% against 48% globally, and investing in AI at 43% against 50%. Globally, the order is reversed. Both rank at the top in each group and complement each other, as AI is also part of the innovation agenda. - APAC leaders lean heavily on business relationships:
– Informal CEO networks are named among the most important alliances by 72% in the region, against 47% globally, roughly one and a half times the global rate. Public-private partnerships are also valued at 41% against 32%, and 56% say business alliances have grown more important over the past year, against 45% globally. - APAC leaders see inner leadership capabilities and outset skills and knowledge capabilities as inseparable for success:
– 96% in APAC say their success will depend on strengthening both inner capabilities (self-awareness, resilience, curiosity, learning agility and emotional range), and outer capabilities (business acumen, enterprise judgement and functional enterprise). The global figure is 85%, and 65% in the region say the two must be fully integrated, against 47% globally, and only 3% point to outer capability alone against 9% globally.
AI Tops CEO Agendas Worldwide
Chief executives consider AI the most critical challenge to their organisations, both worldwide and in Asia-Pacific, having overtaken geopolitical instability globally and economic uncertainty in the region. The consensus in the region is near universal, with only 6% rating it less critical, the smallest proportion ever recorded.
Global CEO of Egon Zehnder Francesco Buquicchio, says “CEOs can invest in AI much faster than they can change how an organisation works. That gap matters. Leaders need to be clear about where the technology will make a difference, who has the skills to put it to use and what they must keep investing in for the long term.”
“The organisations creating the Chief AI roles in Singapore are the data-driven ones, the companies already further along,” said Ang Wan May, Singapore Managing Partner of Egon Zehnder. “Where boards once asked for a technology leader to deliver a platform, they now want someone who will lead the AI strategy and deployment across the business. We would expect these roles to evolve as AI becomes embedded, much as the digital transformation roles of a decade ago were eventually absorbed into the business.”
APAC Preparedness Hits Three-Year High Against Global Trend
The proportion of APAC chief executives rating their organisation’s readiness to adapt at the speed required at seven or above on a 10-point scale (where 10 is well prepared), has risen from 31% in 2024 to 62% in 2025 and 78% this year. 47% now rate themselves at 8 or above, compared with 26% globally. In contrast, the global measure eased from 64% in 2025 to 58% in 2026.
Ang says, “Expecting more disruption and feeling ready for it are not contradictory here. Leaders in this region have spent the past three years working through supply chain shocks, conflict and a shifting trade map, and have continued to grow through it. The mental preparedness for disruptions and increased responsiveness of leaders and organisations to it is what the data is likely to be picking up. Preparedness in APAC has risen in each of the last three years.”
How APAC Leaders are Facing the Turbulence
APAC leaders cite innovation most often as a major change being made, with AI investment close behind. Globally, AI investment comes first. New strategic alliances and partnerships are ranked third, at 37% against 30% globally. APAC integrates AI into its broader innovation agenda, rather than funding it as a standalone program.
They also lean much heavier on relationships. Informal CEO networks are named among the foremost alliances by close to three to four leaders in the region, against fewer than half globally. Public-private partnerships are highly valued here as well, at 41% and 32% globally, and more than half say business alliances have grown more important over the past year.
