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Member News | Forvis Mazars Mid-Year Insights: C-Suite Barometer 2026
Six months on from our initial research, our latest mid-year insights reveal C-suite executives around the world are building more resilience into their strategies through flexibility, as diversification shifts from a choice to a critical condition for growth.
Rather than doubling down on single bets, leaders are diversifying capital, the areas they invest in, how and where they operate, and how they manage risk. As confidence in navigating the rising trends impacting businesses weakens and investment becomes more cautious, strategies built on concentration are rapidly losing favour.
This season’s big shifts show:
- Economic pressures now outweigh AI as the top trend impacting businesses, with energy costs/shortages and supply chain challenges rising significantly.
- Boosts to investment are being redirected, with supply chain resilience the only area seeing an uptick.
- Expansion plans and trade relationships are being remapped, with Greater China, Latin America and Asia-Pacific coming out on top.
- AI enters its return era – from intent to impact, with most organizations now seeing tangible returns (typically up to 10%, with some exceeding 20%).
Taking the pulse of more than 1,000 C‑suite executives across 18 countries, the implication is clear: the question is no longer whether to diversify, but how to do so with intent to build the scale of flexibility and resilience needed against the current backdrop - across markets, supply chains, capital and technology.
Discover more here.
Disclaimer:
This article is an external contribution and was not produced by the French South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FSACCI). The views, opinions, and statements expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of FSACCI.
