2025全球私营企业首席执行官(CEO)展望报告

Foreword talent challenges. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has becomea central issue, as a means to improve operationalperformance, boost innovation, and manage risks. AIis also a booming sector for investment, boosted bygovernment incentives to attract AI start-ups across Private companies encompass every sector across theglobe and include family businesses, family offices, and‘Emerging Giants’ (portfolio companies of private equity entrepreneurial leaders. This optimism prevails despite anuncertain, volatile geopolitical and economic environment,notably tariffs and trade disputes, international conflicts, Private companies have long recognized the importanceof sustainable growth, driven by strong governance,ethical practices and social responsibility — with thereporting of non-financial metrics increasingly criticalto investor confidence. Talent remains a big priority, ConorMooreGlobal Head ofKPMG Private Enterprise,KPMG International and Partner, For those players with an eye on mergers and acquisitions(M&A) and divestment, interest rate uncertainty castsdoubt on credit availability. Their portfolio companies arealso coping with inflationary costs that could impact theirprofitability. For family businesses/family offices, there’s In an unpredictable world, CEOs need to be highlyinformed, and very agile in order to overcome The 2025 CEO Outlook survey highlights how theCEOs of private companies are addressing the major Executivesummary Despite continuing economic and geopolitical headwinds, CEOs of private companiesare highly optimistic over the growth prospects of their companies, their countries, andto a slightly lesser extent, the global economy. While M&A appetite remains strong, in Our survey underscores how private companies are prioritizing their approach to technology — especially AI — withleaders investing significantly and now expressing greater confidence in its ROI potential, compared to their peers in Private leaders are also embedding environmental, social and governance (ESG) into their strategy and operations.But, there are concerns over capabilities in this area, which may explain why private CEOs are less positive than their Keyfindings Tuning the workforce intoan AI world Achieving strategicadvantage through ESG 38%say the single biggest labor are prioritizingcomplianceand reportingstandards to align Economic outlook andbusiness confidence AI powered technologicalinnovation market impact on theirbusinesses is the generational 80%of private company CEOsare confident about their of private companyCEOs expect returnsfrom AI investmentsin 1–3 years,compared to 65% 34%of CEOs feel the gap betweenexisting and desired skills is thebiggest challenge in attracting believe workforceskills gaps posethe biggest barrier 30%say they expect theirorganization to pursue‘high-impact’ M&A 79%of CEOs agree theirleadership understandsAI’s disruptive potential. of CEOs plan to allocate10–20 percent of theirbudgets to AI initiatives 48%plan to explore new market or have fullyembedded expect agentic AI to have asignificant or transformational Economicoutlookandbusinessconfidence01 Private company leaders often tend tobe entrepreneurial, ‘glass half full’ types,further evidenced by a desire to explorenew market and regional opportunities,with 73 percent either actively pursuingstrategic expansion, or expecting to doso in the near term. Inorganic growth isanother priority, with an overwhelming85 percent showing an appetite forM&A. However, in comparison with in-house capabilities and possessthe drive to achieve their ambitions.Without the need to constantly reportto shareholders, private organizationscan be nimbler and bolder and divertresources to new initiatives at pace.One example is the emergence of In an age of fast-evolving technology,it’s little surprise that some of thetrends most impacting future prosperityare cybersecurity (81 percent), cost oftechnology infrastructure (79 percent),and AI workforce readiness Faced with an uncertain economic environment, includinginflation, high interest rates, trade barriers and regionalconflicts, CEOs of private companies remain optimistic. The vastmajority (80 percent) express confidence in their company’s These feelings about M&A mayreflect prevailing uncertainty, whereeconomic forecasts can quicklychange in reaction to tariffs and othergeopolitical phenomena. There may It’s a very dynamic environment,with geopolitics impacting onbusiness decisions to a greaterextent than most of us canremember. CEOs are consideringhow they can future-proof their Greg LimbGlobal Head of Family Office and Private Client, Regulatory compliance: risk management It’s tempting to view regulation and compliance as‘defensive’ items, when they actually have the potentialto be the building blocks for growth. With the paceof regulation increasing in many parts of the world,private companies must meet rising expectations of The CEOs taking part in this y