Forvis Mazars’s C-suite barometer says APAC executives are shortening supply chains and targeting AI-led efficiency gains.
Forvis Mazars’s C-suite barometer 2026: Adapting in uncertainty report states that APAC began shifting towards shorter supply chains and regional trade months before a geopolitical crisis affected global markets, positioning the move as a buffer against wider shocks.
APAC leaders expect revenue growth to dip from 80% to 67% in 2025, while business confidence rose from 30% to 41%. Forvis Mazars described this as a resilience paradox, where leaders are tempering growth expectations while actively reinventing operations to withstand anticipated disruption.
Additionally, 29% cite geopolitical instability and social unrest as a top trend impacting their organisation over the next 12 months, above the global average of 26%. 83% of APAC leaders anticipate positive growth in 2026, below the global average of 92% and down slightly from 84% in 2025.
The report said expansion plans are shifting to regional neighbours, with China (36%), Australia (29%) and Hong Kong (29%) named as top destinations. It added that 67% of APAC leaders who revised expansion plans cited geopolitical instability as the primary driver, while 42% cited tariffs as the biggest market-entry challenge.
On AI, the report said 43% of APAC leaders reported AI has created new roles, compared with 28% who said it replaced roles. It also said 47% rank AI as their top technology priority, with leaders focusing on forecasting (65%), knowledge acquisition and retrieval (61%), client services (61%), and operational efficiency and automation (60%).
It added that 41% of APAC respondents allocate less than 10% of their budget to AI versus 35% globally.
Chester Liew, Partner, Head of Risk Consulting & Sustainability, Forvis Mazars in Singapore, said: “High confidence in reporting compliance is an encouraging baseline, but paperwork does not protect operations. The foresight APAC leaders are demonstrating in navigating geopolitical risks must now be urgently applied to climate risks.
Rick Chan, Managing Partner Singapore, Head of Audit & Assurance APAC and Member of Group Governing Board, Forvis Mazars, said: “The data shows leaders are transitioning from short-term firefighting to building lasting resilience. By investing in localised supply chains and AI, they are taking highly practical steps to insulate their operations against escalating geopolitical risks and secure long-term growth.”
Read the report here.
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