2026 CEO Outlook: Executive Summary (Brazil) (KPMG Switzerland)

Summary

• CEO confidence in three-year growth prospects rose from 79% in 2025 to 84%.p.2
• Confidence in the global economy fell from 68% to 65%, its lowest level since 2021.p.2
• 68% expect annual growth of at least 2,5%, compared with 61% in 2025.p.2
• Cybersecurity and data security is the main threat to growth, cited by 31%.p.5
• 72% expect to allocate more than 10% of their budget to AI in the next year.p.7
• 57% rate ethical challenges as very or quite challenging for AI, followed by cybersecurity at 52%, costs at 51% and data sovereignty at 50%.p.7

Key insights

1. 79% feel greater pressure to ensure the long-term prosperity of their organizations.p.2
2. 61% of CEOs maintain their current risk appetite, 16% are taking more risk and 17% are becoming more cautious.p.5
3. Cyber and digital risk resilience is the area where most CEOs increased investment, cited by 45%.p.5
4. 66% expect the pace of AI regulation to be a barrier to organizational success.p.7
5. 71% expect AI returns within one to three years, while 17% expect them within 12 months.p.7