In This New Age of Disruption, Top Areas of Concern Include:

Geopolitical tensions: 66% of CEOs say they worry about the impact of the 2024 US presidential election on their company, and 68% of CEOs report that US-China tensions are causing them to adjust their strategy.
Tech Innovation: New technologies, in particular Generative AI, are the biggest disruptive opportunity over the next year identified by 68% of executives, but at the same time 63% of CEOs say their company can't keep up with rate of technological change.
Climate change and the transition to clean energy: Most business leaders feel pressure to take a stance on environmental issues from government and regulators (68%), their investors and board (64%), their customers (58%), and their employees and team members (57%). 37% of business leaders say their company has been impacted by environmental concerns.
Macroeconomic environment: 41% of executives surveyed report instability in interest rates and the inflationary environment to be a threat, and one-third still see the potential for recession on the horizon.

What's Keeping CEOS Up At Night:

Nearly 60% of CEOs surveyed worry about losing their job.
Approximately 30% of CEOs say they are more anxious in their role than a year ago—and only 15% say they are less anxious.
Almost two out of three CEOs report a high level of disruption for their company over the past year (65%).
Nearly all CEOs (91%) anticipate needing to overhaul their business models in the next year due to disruptive forces.
Nearly 80% of CEOs report feeling pressure to take a stance on environmental and social issues from employees, customers, and investors/boards, as well as from regulators.
Nearly one in three CEOs identify AI as the most important digital issue to address in 2024—more so than any other technology.

But Those In The Driver's Seat Are Taking Action Just 8% of the companies we surveyed say they lead their industry in growth and profit. Here's what these business leaders say differentiates them from the rest:

They are more disrupted overall and much more likely to drive disruption (74%) than react to it (20%).
63% expect their business models will change significantly in the next year, and 18% expect to see a total business model change in the next year (over 4x the average).
They are much more likely to be investing more in technology and data: over half say they are fully exploiting the advantages data gives them in sales, customer experience, operations, and supply chain.
95% say their workforces fully understand and support their company's digital tech objectives.

Large Gaps Remain In Generative AI Adoption

Executives in our survey identified new technologies as the largest disruptive opportunity for their companies, specifically highlighting AI as the most important digital advancement to address in the next 12 months.
30% of business leaders say AI is the most important technology for their company to address in the next 12 months. However, additional survey findings found that they are not yet taking full advantage of this opportunity.
While 59% of executives are currently investing in generative AI, only 28% report that it is fully embedded across their organizations and workflows.
Many also note that they are still grappling with concerns around AI, including lack of human touch, ethical considerations, legal and regulatory compliance, and a lack of accuracy and reliability.

The 2024 AlixPartners Disruption Index Report is available here.

Buckle Up CEOs: A New Age of Long-Term Disruptions Is On The Horizon

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