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A new study from leading global communications consultancy Weber Shandwick finds tension between leading executives’ rosy views on the economy and growth prospects, and their concerns over market volatility. 

54 percent of executives described the 2025 business climate as “growing,” and 51 percent said it was “prosperous”. 78 percent characterised themselves as “optimistic” on their business prospects for 2025, with 8 in 10 reporting expectations of moderate to high growth. And 83 percent said the results of the U.S. election factored at least "somewhat" into their optimism rating.

Still, over two-thirds pointed to market volatility as a leading concern. Less than a quarter say that they are “very prepared” to navigate potential market disruptions, including revised tax laws (25 percent), employee activism (23 percent), mis-and disinformation (22 percent), public criticism from elected officials (16 percent), and global armed conflicts (10 percent). 

Just 17 percent of executives felt that their communications and public affairs functions were well-equipped to navigate the current environment. Larger companies with 50,000 or more employees and those operating in 20+ countries reported greater decreases in confidence than others.

“The tension executives feel as we enter the new year is unsurprising, given the state of markets and the current political climate,” said Pam Jenkins, global chief public affairs officer at Weber Shandwick. “While current stock market performance is cause for significant optimism from many executives, the potential for uncontrolled disruptions – whether from tariffs, employee activism, geopolitical instability or political critique – is also significant.”

“In an increasingly volatile world, the data shows that CEOs expect more from their communications and public affairs teams to help manage risk and deliver value,” said Will Crain, head of North America CEO communications advisory for Weber Shandwick. “Whether it’s bolstering geopolitical capabilities, upskilling talent or increasing the rate of technology adoption to be more agile and informed, communications and public affairs leaders must take tangible steps to modernize their functions and meet the moment.”

The survey also took a pulse on executive priorities against the backdrop of the five-year anniversary of the Business Roundtable’s Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation. While nearly all executives (99 percent) consider the interests of multiple stakeholders to be important, most continue to place pre-eminence on delivering value to shareholders. 

When asked to assign importance to different forms of value, economic value for shareholders took the lead, followed closely by functional value to customers. Ethical, societal, and emotional value all scored lower in terms of relative importance to executives, and nine in 10 reported top priorities aligned with economic value creation: managing investor expectations, business transformation, and securing talent. 

KRC Research, Weber Shandwick’s research arm, conducted this global survey from November 14 to December 4, 2024, among 200 global C-suite business executives, drawn from an executive panel representing top multinational product and service corporations with global operations across North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC.

Find the research .