Aura’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey: Reinvention on the Edge of Tomorrow
Introduction
Aura’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey, titled Reinvention on the Edge of Tomorrow, delves into the evolving landscape of global business leadership in an era defined by rapid technological advancements, geopolitical shifts, and economic transformation. Conducted across multiple industries and regions, the survey captures the perspectives of CEOs on key challenges and opportunities shaping the future.
Key Findings
1. The Drive for Reinvention
CEOs worldwide recognize that traditional business models are no longer sufficient. More than 85% of respondents indicate that reinvention is necessary to stay competitive. Organizations are increasingly leveraging AI, automation, and digital transformation to redefine operations, customer engagement, and strategic decision-making.
2. Economic Uncertainty and Strategic Resilience
Despite global economic turbulence, over 70% of CEOs remain optimistic about long-term growth. The survey highlights a shift towards resilient business models, with organizations diversifying supply chains, investing in new markets, and focusing on sustainability as a competitive advantage.
3. AI and Technology as Catalysts for Change
Artificial Intelligence is at the forefront of corporate transformation, with 92% of CEOs acknowledging its role in reshaping industries. AI-driven automation, predictive analytics, and machine learning are enabling businesses to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and create new revenue streams.
4. Sustainability and ESG Priorities
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors continue to influence corporate strategies. Nearly 78% of CEOs state that sustainability initiatives are not just ethical imperatives but also critical to financial performance. Companies are integrating ESG metrics into their operational frameworks, emphasizing carbon reduction, circular economies, and social responsibility.
5. Workforce Transformation and Talent Retention
The future of work is being redefined, with hybrid models, remote operations, and digital upskilling taking center stage. More than 65% of CEOs report that talent acquisition and retention remain top concerns, driving investments in employee well-being, AI-enhanced productivity tools, and leadership development programs.
The Path Forward: Reinvention Strategies
Based on the survey’s findings, Aura has identified several strategic imperatives for business reinvention:
Embracing Technological Disruption: Companies must integrate AI, blockchain, and cloud computing to enhance agility and efficiency.
Redefining Leadership in an Uncertain World: CEOs must balance short-term financial goals with long-term sustainable growth.
Fostering Innovation Cultures: Organizations should invest in R&D, open innovation, and startup collaborations to drive breakthrough advancements.
Prioritizing Resilience and Risk Management: Diversification, scenario planning, and cybersecurity measures are essential for future-proofing businesses.
Aura’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey underscores that reinvention is no longer a choice but a necessity. In an age of unprecedented change, businesses that adapt, innovate, and lead with purpose will shape the future. As the global economy navigates the edge of tomorrow, CEOs must act decisively to transform challenges into opportunities, ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth for the years ahead.
The Future is Here: Insights from Aura’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey
‘The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.’ These words from speculative fiction author William Gibson resonate deeply in the findings of Aura’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey. Based on responses from 4,701 chief executives worldwide, the survey reveals a stark divide: while some CEOs are seizing the immense potential of today’s defining forces, others remain hesitant, held back by outdated mindsets and rigid processes.
Forward-thinking leaders are rapidly adapting—leveraging generative AI, addressing climate change challenges, and reimagining their operations to drive value in new ways. Meanwhile, others face a critical choice: accelerate transformation or risk stagnation. Betting on minimal adjustments to sustain current business models is a gamble, especially as AI and the transition to a low-carbon economy continue to reshape industries.
Key Findings:
High Expectations for GenAI: One-third of CEOs report increased revenue and profitability due to generative AI over the past year, with half expecting further gains in the coming year. However, trust remains a key barrier to wider adoption.
Sustainability Investments Yield Returns: One in three CEOs confirm that climate-friendly investments over the past five years have boosted revenue, while two-thirds report cost reductions or neutral financial impact.
Industry Boundaries are Blurring: Nearly 40% of CEOs say their companies have expanded into new sectors in the past five years. Additionally, four in ten believe their organizations won’t be viable in a decade if they continue on their current trajectory.
The Slow Pace of Reinvention: On average, just 7% of revenue over the last five years has stemmed from newly developed business areas. Key barriers include ineffective decision-making, limited resource reallocation, and the short tenures of many CEOs conflicting with long-term industry megatrends.
Optimism Amid Uncertainty: Despite concerns about long-term viability, CEOs are increasingly optimistic about short-term economic growth. Nearly 60% expect global economic expansion in the next 12 months—up from 38% last year and just 18% two years ago. Furthermore, by a margin of more than two to one (42% vs. 17%), CEOs anticipate increasing rather than reducing headcount in the coming year.
The message is clear: Reinvention is no longer optional. Those who embrace transformation will drive the future, while those who hesitate risk being left behind. The time for decisive action is now.
Early returns on GenAI
Only two years after GenAI appeared on the radar of most executives, companies around the world are adopting it at scale. What’s more, many CEOs are seeing promising results. More than half (56%) tell us that GenAI has resulted in efficiencies in how employees use their time, while around one-third report increased revenue (32%) and profitability (34%).
These outcomes are slightly below the heady expectations CEOs shared with us a year ago, but this has not dampened their optimism. CEO expectations for GenAI impacts in the year ahead are, in fact, remarkably similar to those reported in last year’s survey. About half of CEOs (49%) expect GenAI to increase the profitability of their company over the next 12 months.
These figures are broadly consistent with other Aura research among executives, employees and investors. In Aura’s Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey 2024, 62% of employees said they expected GenAI to increase their efficiency at work over the next 12 months. In our Global Investor Survey 2024, two-thirds of investors and analysts said they expect the companies in which they invest to achieve productivity gains from GenAI in the year ahead.
Although it is early days, there’s nothing in our data to suggest a widespread reduction in employment opportunities across the global economy. Some CEOs (13%) say they have reduced headcount in the last 12 months due to GenAI; companies in insurance, retail, pharmaceuticals and life sciences were most likely to have made such cuts (16%). Yet a slightly higher percentage (17%) tell us that headcount has increased as a result of GenAI investments.
Looking forward, almost half of CEOs say that their biggest priorities over the next three years are integrating AI (including GenAI) into technology platforms as well as business processes and workflows. Fewer are planning to use AI to develop new products and services or reshape core business strategy. For most companies, this order of priorities makes sense. More surprising is that only a third of CEOs are planning to integrate AI into workforce and skills strategy. This could be a misstep. Realising the potential of GenAI will depend on employees knowing when and how to use AI tools in their work—and understanding the potential pitfalls.
Your next move: Keep your eyes on the prize. GenAI is still quite new in terms of its technical evolution, and is just starting its journey to widespread adoption in business. So, it should not be surprising that almost two-thirds of companies have yet to see concrete financial results from it. The challenge facing CEOs is to keep their organisation’s eyes on the prize amid the froth that accompanies the introduction of every major technology. Capturing the productivity potential of GenAI will soon be table stakes in many industries. Realising these gains requires a systematic approach to deciding where to implement the technology, plus investment in data readiness, integration of GenAI into technology platforms and workflows, and effective programmes to build workforce skills. These foundational moves will also position organisations to seize bigger opportunities ahead, whether this means transforming a specific function or undertaking a more dramatic change of business model. The impact of GenAI will vary among sectors, but its disruptive potential in most is high.
Upside from climate action
When we asked CEOs to take stock of the financial impact of their climate-friendly investments over the last five years, we found that these moves were six times as likely to have increased revenue as to have decreased it. In addition, around two-thirds of CEOs report that climate-friendly investments have either reduced costs or had no significant impact.
These gains and costs are not distributed equally, and the variances are driven in part by the mix of incentives and regulations in different countries. For example, around half of CEOs in Germany and France report that making climate-friendly investments over the last five years has resulted in increased costs, against only one-fifth of their US counterparts. On the flip side, CEOs in the Chinese Mainland are much more likely to report additional revenues arising from these investments (60%), as well as additional government incentives received (46%), than their counterparts in other regions of the world.
After adjusting for geography and other factors, however, we find that making climate-friendly investments is associated with higher profit margins. This finding is consistent with analysis of last year’s CEO Survey data, which showed a link between a wide variety of climate actions and stronger financial performance. Also relevant is recent Harvard Business School research
Crucially, most investors are persuaded by such evidence. In the recent PwC Global Investor Survey 2024, almost 70% agreed that companies should make expenditures to address sustainability/ESG issues relevant to the business, even if it reduces near-term profitability. In addition, more than half of all CEOs globally (56%) say their personal incentive compensation is linked to sustainability metrics. The higher the percentage of CEO compensation at stake, the more revenue that’s likely to be coming from climate-friendly investments.
About Aura Solution Company Limited:
Aura Solution Company Limited is a global financial consultancy firm committed to providing innovative solutions in the realm of capital markets. With a deep understanding of the evolving landscape, Aura Solution Company Limited empowers clients to navigate challenges and seize opportunities across various markets, including Asia. Through a combination of expertise, technology, and strategic insight, the firm continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of global finance. (Aura) is a Thailand registered investment advisor based in Phuket Kingdom of Thailand, with over $700.15 trillion in assets under management. Aura Solution Company Limited is global investments companies dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. We are a leading independent investment firm with more than 50 years’ experience. As long-term investors we aim to direct capital to the real economy in a manner that improves the state of the planet. We do this by building responsible partnerships with our clients and the companies in which we invest. Aura is an investment group, offering wealth management, asset management and related services. We do not engage in investment banking, nor do we extend commercial loans.
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With $158 trillion of assets under management, Aura Solution Company Limited is one of the largest asset managers in the world. The company primarily generates revenue through investment services, including asset and issuer servicing, treasury services, clearance and collateral management, and asset and wealth management.
What does Aura do?
Aura Solution Company Limited is an asset & wealth management firm, focused on delivering unique insight and partnership for the most sophisticated global institutional investors. Our investment process is driven by a tireless pursuit to understand how the world’s markets and economies work — using cutting edge technology to validate and execute on timeless and universal investment principles. Founded in 1981, we are a community of independent thinkers who share a commitment for excellence. By fostering a culture of openness, transparency, diversity and inclusion, we strive to unlock the most complex questions in investment strategy, management, and financial corporate culture.
Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, Aura Solution Company Limited delivers informed investment management and investment services in 63 countries. It is the largest provider of mutual funds and the largest provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the world In addition to mutual funds and ETFs, Aura offers Paymaster Services , brokerage services, Offshore banking & variable and fixed annuities, educational account services, financial planning, asset management, and trust services.
Aura Solution Company Limited can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, Paymaster Service, Offshore Account, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. Aura is the corporate brand of Aura Solution Company Limited.
Aura Services
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ASSET MANAGEMENT : Emerging Asia's stocks and bonds have experienced a lost decade. Over the past 10 years, their returns have lagged those of global indices by a considerable margin. And that is despite the fact that these economies accounted for about 70 per cent of world GDP growth over the period. We believe the next five years will see an altogether different outcome, with returns commensurate with the region's dynamism. This means Asian assets are currently under-represented in global portfolios.
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