Embodying resilience in a disrupted world

As global CEOs redesign their strategies for a volatile world, markets that combine demand growth, talent availability and improving digital infrastructure are gaining relevance.

- NOEL P. RABAJA

For decades, globalization rewarded scale, cost efficiency and geographic dispersion. That model is now under pressure.

Trade tensions, industrial policy shifts, regulatory divergence and geopolitical disputes have turned volatility from an episodic risk into a current feature of the global economy.

What is striking is not that disruption persists, but how decisively corporate leaders respond. According to the latest EY-Parthenon CEO Outlook Survey, 57% of global CEOs expect geopolitical and economic uncertainty to extend beyond the following year, yet confidence is rising, not falling. The CEO Confidence Index climbed to 83 in September, suggesting that leaders believe their organizations are better equipped for this scenario than they were a year ago.

Proactive CEOs embrace disruption as a catalyst for change. Rather than retreating in the face of challenges, over half of surveyed leaders (52%) are increasing their investments to accelerate portfolio transformation, recognizing that adapting to shifting market dynamics is essential for long-term success.

In the Philippines, while CEO optimism may be affected by some other local concerns, the leading CEOs are expected to continue their strategic investments in portfolio transformation and long-term value creation. For instance, in real estate, the leading players are heavily investing to reimagine and redevelop their existing malls and build new ones over the next few years. They are looking to unlock the full potential of their retail spaces by creating greener, more innovative and vibrant spaces for better lifestyle experiences and connections.