12018ViewsfromtheC-Suite:RisingtotheChallengeRisingtotheChallenge2018ViewsfromtheC-SuiteAnAnnualSurveyofGlobalBusinessExecutivesExecutivesassumeabroaderleadershiproleamidgeopoliticaltensions,technologicaldisruption,andeconomicuncertainty.WhenweintroducedViewsfromtheC-Suitethreeyearsago,weaimedtocapturetheaggregateknowledgeofglobalexecutivesaboutthebroadarrayofissuestheyfaceeveryday.Technology—boththepositivesandnegatives—andgeopoliticshaveconsistentlybeenfrontofmindinrecentyears.However,thisannualviewfromtheC-suiteisrevealingnotonlyintermsoftheopportunitiesandchallengesthatexecutivessee,butalsothosetheydonotsee.Forexample,wenoticedadisconnectinexecutives’outlooklastyear.Theywereveryconcernedaboutgeopoliticalinstability,butatthesametime,theywerebullishaboutthemacroeconomicoutlook.Atthetime,wedisagreedwiththissanguineassessmentthatgeopoliticaltensionswouldnotaffecttheglobaleconomy.Andthiscontradictionappearstohavebeenreconciledinthisyear’sresults.ThereisgrowingdoubtamongtheglobalC-suitethatstrongmacroeconomicperformancecancoexistwithrockygeopolitics.Infact,executivesnowpointtoaweakeningglobaleconomyasoneofthemostprofoundchallengesintheexternalenvironmentinwhichtheyoperate.AndmostarebearishabouttheeconomicoutlookinNorthAmerica,currentstrongUSeconomicperformancenotwithstanding.Theresultsthisyeararelessclearwhenitcomestothefuturecourseofglobalization.Althoughalmosttwo-thirdsofexecutivesbelieveglobalizationwilldeclineoverthenext12months,fewerthanoneinfourpointtodiminishingglobalizationasatopexternalchallenge.Whetherthatisbecausetheyhaveastrategytoadjusttodecliningglobalizationorsimplydonotbelieveitwillaffecttheirbusinessremainstobeseen.Cybersecurityrisksareatthetopofthelistforthethirdyearinarowwhenitcomestoconcernsregardingexecutives’businessoperations.Giventhecontinuedprominenceofthistopicinoursurvey,wededicateasectionofthisyear’sreporttowhatexecutivesarethinking—andwhattheyaredoing—aboutcybersecurityrisks.Whileanover-whelmingmajorityofcompanieshaveexperienced...
