Swiss edition of the «24th Annual CEO Survey» out now!
111 Swiss CEOs gave answers on how they are dealing with the effects of COVID-19. But also about the opportunities and risks associated with the accelerated digital transformation.
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From CEO to CEO
For 23 years, we’ve been analysing what concerns CEOs around the world, what they think about, what they do and how they see the future, and formulating our conclusions in the “Annual CEO Survey” by PwC Global. In this study, we’ve compiled and commented exclusively on the responses of the CEOs from Switzerland. The study focuses on the themes of growth, cyber space, upskilling and climate change.
Key Findings
Growth
Optimism at home, concern for the rest of the world
82% of the Swiss CEOs are somewhat or very confident about revenue growth over the next twelve months. This optimistic assessment far exceeds global confidence, which can be attributed to various factors including the context of the Swiss economy.
Well-prepared for a crisis
With 36% of Swiss CEOs over-regulation is the biggest threat to growth of their company, followed by global trade conflicts (33%) and cyber risks (26%). But 66% of the survey participants consider themselves to be prepared for a crisis and 50% want to expand their workforce over the next 12 months.
How confident are you about your organisation's prospects for revenue growth over the next 12 months?
Sustainable growth should not be an end in itself for companies. At PwC we see it as an essential contribution of value to society, as healthy prosperity can only be maintained and developed in a prospering market economy.
Cyberspace
Digital security creates analogue trust
50% of the Swiss CEO's think that cyber security and secure digital privacy in the private sphere contribute towards building trust.
Regulation is a hurdle
85% of the surveyed CEOs consider the rising complexity of cyber risks and 66% the legal regulations governing cyber security and data protection as central issues for their cyber strategy.
How concerned are you regarding the economic environment?
Cybersecurity is an ongoing process. Because the dangers from cyberspace require comprehensive security thinking and measures that include communication channels, applications, and information in equal measure. Accordingly, cybersecurity is not just an IT task today, but a key issue in strategic risk management.
Upskilling
Brainware before Hardware
22% of the decision-makers in Switzerland see the definition of future roles and required core skills as the most challenging personnel-related task, while 69% are moderately or extremely concerned about the availability of these competences.
Nonetheless, most of the study participants have already started developing an upskilling programme (37%) or are slowly making progress in this area (36%).
Please rank the three greatest challenges your organisation currently faces in it's upskilling efforts.
The further development of digital skills is just as important as technological progress itself. It’s simpler and cheaper in the long term to grow the required skills internally than it is to buy them. Because most times what’s needed is not available or affordable.
Climate change
Facts mixed with questions
51% of the CEOs surveyed in Switzerland are moderately or extremely concerned about climate change and environmental damage.
Clearly, the stakeholder groups’ expectations of company climate protection strategy are considered reasonable (74%) – but not lead to significant new product and service opportunities for their organisations (50%).
Sustainability is a highly complex requirement that goes way beyond the climate discussion, because it concerns the entire value creation circle and all the processes that shape market performance, including finance. The view of decision-makers should be just as comprehensive when they define their approach to climate change and assess how sustainable their line of business and their assets are.
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