Market Growth, Talent and Climate Change: What's Top of Mind for CEOs

The results of the latest Fortune/Deloitte CEO Survey reveal that a growing number of chief executives expect pandemic disruptions to continue while remaining bullish about growth, focusing on talent, and taking action on climate change.

Key takeaways

• Nearly a third of surveyed CEOs do not see business effects of the pandemic ending in the "foreseeable future."
• Two-thirds of CEOs expect their organization's growth to be "very strong" or "strong" over the next 12 months.
• Talent remains a top priority for CEOs. Nearly three-quarters of CEOs say they expect labor and skills shortages to influence or disrupt their strategy over the next 12 months.
• The climate agenda is coming into sharper focus for CEOs, with 90% agreeing that climate change must be addressed urgently, and 86% saying that their organization can play a positive role.

Why it matters to CEOs The Fortune/Deloitte CEO Survey series tracks the perspectives and actions of CEOs from the world's largest and most influential companies. The survey gives key insights into CEOs' priorities, challenges, and expectations across 15 industries, including technology, finance and health care.

Overview Four months ago, more than half of surveyed CEOs thought that the business effects of the pandemic would be over by the end of 2021. The most recent survey finds that a strong majority of surveyed CEOs now expect those disruptions to continue into 2022 and beyond. However, CEOs remain bullish about their growth outlook, with two-thirds expecting their organization's growth to be "very strong" or "strong" over the next 12 months. They also continue to cite talent as a key challenge.