Effective succession plans at all levels are one of the most important elements in ensuring stability for companies. And they are also one of the main challenges that await CEOs, like the cyber threats to protect themselves from, the technological evolution to invest in, especially if there is evident economic uncertainty in the future. The latest CEO & Board Confidence Monitor by head hunter Heidrick & Struggles (which involved 2,000 companies globally, of which 47 were Italian) revealed a strong impression of economic instability. Sara Gay, partner at Heidrick & Struggles, underlines how this issue combined with «geopolitical volatility puts Italian companies to the test. Resilience therefore becomes fundamental to face future challenges, focusing on solid leadership successions and the adoption of technologies such as AI. To remain competitive, Italian companies will have to rethink their development strategies, optimize organizational models and prepare for future challenges, investing in advanced technologies and leadership management.”
If we only take the Italian data, the majority, 57%, of the managers interviewed talk about it, for which it is considered the greatest risk for 2026. Added to economic instability is fiscal and regulatory uncertainty which makes long-term planning even more difficult and complicates the strategic management of companies.
If the implementation of strategic plans is based on leadership and its continuity, according to what emerges from the Heidrick & Struggles survey, it is precisely here that another of the critical themes lies, namely continuity and succession. Just over a third of Italian executives, 36%, have confidence in internal succession processes, almost 10 points less than 45% in Asia-Pacific. And 5 less than the 41% in South America. The fear that a change at the top could compromise corporate stability for Italian CEOs is a source of particular concern.
On the technological front, the area in which there is more to do is cybersecurity, which continues to be seen as a crucial issue. Italian CEOs seem less confident in managing cyber threats compared to other risks: only 38% recognize it as a challenge for next year, compared to 51% globally. Furthermore, although artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a strategic opportunity, it is only so for 36% of Italian CEOs. This is why there is also a certain slowness in its adoption in Italy compared to other regions, such as Asia-Pacific (APAC), where trust in this type of technology is greater.
