KPMG 2024 CEO Outlook: The private company perspective

Private Company CEOs

Countries

Industries

Asset management regulation is constantly evolving. KPMG’s Evolving Asset Management Regulation report explores a broad range of regulatory priorities, developments and proposals affecting the asset management industry around the world.

As this year’s report – our 14^th edition – finds, after four years of rapid-fire regulatory development, many regulators are now taking stock and shifting efforts from policymaking to supervision. Embeddedness is being assessed. Compliance is being checked. Guidelines are being published. And rules are being updated and amended to reflect asset managers’ feedback and real-life experience. Asset managers should proactively seize this window of opportunity to build strong foundations for regulatory compliance going forward.

While the pace of new regulation may have slowed slightly, this year’s report identifies several key topics and focus areas that are rapidly changing — often in diverging ways depending on the market and the regulator’s stance.

68% of private company CEOs are confident in their business’s growth prospects.

62% say that, despite economic uncertainty, Gen AI is a top investment priority for their organization.

33% of respondents say the workforce factor with the biggest impact on their organization today is the number of employees retiring coupled with a lack of skilled workers to replace them.

70% say that – as confidence and trust in governments decline – the public is looking to business to fill the void on societal challenges.

71% of private company CEOs say that they’ve kept the same ESG strategy but have adapted their communications to meet changing stakeholder demands.

The reality is there’s a limited amount of capital that companies have to grow right now — and the money that they can get is still expensive. With uncertainty still very high, private companies are acting cautiously to make certain that the money they are spending is purposeful. While the appetite for M&A is growing, companies will likely evaluate any potential deals quite carefully to determine whether they can get the value they want given the current business environment.

In a time of rapid transformation and uncertainty, private company CEOs must combine bold vision with strategic precision to drive growth and resilience. At KPMG in Cyprus, we are uniquely positioned to support leaders in navigating these challenges—whether harnessing the power of Generative AI, addressing workforce dynamics, or advancing ESG priorities. With our global insights and local expertise, we are committed to helping you turn complexity into opportunity and build a future-ready business."

With 68% of private company CEOs confident in their growth prospects with strategic M&As and 62% prioritising Generative AI investments, it’s clear that growth and innovation remain at the forefront for CEOs -even in uncertain times. Yet, challenges like talent shortages (cited by 33% of CEOs), costly and limited capital, and evolving stakeholder expectations around ESG (71%) demand a strategically precise and agile approach. At KPMG in Cyprus, we help businesses navigate these complexities, ensuring that every decision -whether in AI, workforce planning, or sustainability -drives meaningful and measurable impact.

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