Boards and C-suite cite open communication, risk management, and scenario planning as critical to building organizational resilience: Deloitte Global report

New York, NY, USA, 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 —  Today, the Deloitte Global Boardroom Program, in collaboration with the Deloitte Global CEO Program, released findings from its new report, How board and C-suite collaboration can build organizational resilience, revealing how boards and C-suite executives around the world are collaborating in new ways to navigate volatility, balancing near- and long-term priorities, and building resilient organizations equipped to seize emerging opportunities. The report draws on a survey of 739 board members and C- Suite executives in more than 50 countries, spanning industries from financial services to technology and healthcare, and is supported by in-depth conversations with board chairs, directors, and C-suite executives.

“In an increasingly complex landscape, building long-term organizational resilience requires an evolved model of board and executive collaboration. A model whereby boards take an increasingly engaged and proactive approach to supporting and challenging their management team,” says Anna Marks, Deloitte Global Chair. “Deloitte’s research highlights key steps boards can take to elevate their collaboration with the C-suite, with Chairs playing an instrumental role by setting clear and strategic agendas, creating space for constructive debate, and ensuring a constructive and trusting relationship with their CEO.”

Priorities shift for different time horizons

Boards and C-suites are navigating short-term opportunities, risks, and challenges while focusing on long-term goals and growth prospects. The survey reveals how leaders are tackling this evolving balance.

• For the short-term, throughout 2025, top concerns from respondents included geopolitical and economic volatility (55%), security and cybersecurity (50%), and rapid technological advancements and digital disruption (42%).
• For the long-term, respondents’ focus shifts to rapid technological advancements and digital disruption (52%) and human capital (42%), with geopolitical and economic volatility moving from the top short-term concern to third place in the long-term view (41%).
• When asked if respondents feel their organizations possess enough financial, technological, and human capital resources to build long-term resilience, confidence varied. Respondents are largely confident in their organizations’ financial resources (82% agree/strongly agree). However, their confidence levels decreased when asked if their organizations had sufficient human capital (64%) and technological resources (63%) to build long-term resilience.

Strategy and scenario planning can drive resilience

As rapid change and complexity continue to accelerate, boards are dedicating more time to risk oversight, strategy, and scenario planning.

• Most respondents (86%) say their boards have increased their activity to monitor risk, oversee growth strategies, and bolster long-term resilience.
• Most common activities to accomplish these priorities included strategic risk oversight and scenario planning (71%) and promoting a culture of agility (53%).
• Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) say they’ve been spending more time on strategy development and scenario planning this year.

“Intense discussions on strategy are essential, and scenario planning has evolved from a theoretical exercise into a practical necessity as uncertainty becomes the new norm,” says Prof. Dr. Arno Probst, Deloitte Global Boardroom Program leader. “By exploring multiple futures collaboratively, boards and executives can stay agile and prepare for disruption while also seizing opportunities as they arise—from leveraging technology to enter new markets to innovating new products and services and developing the workforce of the future.”

Open communication and engagement can enhance collaboration and board effectiveness Respondents cited transparent dialogue between boards and executives as central to building resilience, with nearly two-thirds of respondents (66%) saying that open, transparent communication between the board and CEO is the most crucial leadership factor in helping their organizations thrive in the future.

• More than one-third point to having a trusted relationship between the CEO and the board chair or lead director (35%) and helping ensure every board member is fully engaged (33%) as top leadership factors impacting their organization’s ability to thrive.
• Most respondents (57%) say their board chairs are adding or increasing the frequency of informal meetings with the CEO, and 50% are holding more strategy development and scenario planning meetings with management.
• Almost all board respondents (86%) agree or strongly agree that, in the context of current market conditions, they’re providing the right amount and type of support to senior management. And while most C-suite respondents (73%) also agree or strongly agree they’re receiving the right level of support, there was a 13 percentage-point gap between board sentiment and C-suite sentiment.

“In recent conversations with CEOs, we have heard that there is a shared interest in new sources of foresight and scenario testing, especially given today’s uncertainty. CEOs are also prioritizing the need to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of their communications with the board,” says Benjamin Finzi, Deloitte Global CEO Program leader. “This shared focus and commitment to clear and consistent communications help to foster alignment and are crucial to building resilience and navigating today's complex business environment.”

About How board and C-suite collaboration can build organizational resilience report

In June and July 2025, the Deloitte Global Boardroom Program, in collaboration with the Deloitte Global CEO program, surveyed 739 board members and C-suite executives in more than 50 countries. Among the respondents, 76% (561) serve as board directors and 20% of these serve as board chairs. Among the 24% of respondents (178) from the C-suite, 6% are CFOs, 4% are CEOs, and the remaining 14% hold other C-suite positions, including chief operating officer, chief information officer, chief human resources officer, and chief marketing officer. Responses are distributed across the Americas (45%), EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) (38%), and Asia-Pacific (16%). Primary industries represented include financial services (29%); energy and industrials (20%); consumer (17%); life sciences and health care (9%); and technology, media, and telecommunications (8%). Most organizations surveyed (85%) are for-profit enterprises: 46% are privately owned and 39% are publicly traded. Among the rest, 10% are not-for-profit organizations, and 5% are government/state-owned. Surveyed organizations range in size, with annual revenues of less than US$500 million to more than $US100 billion reported in their last fiscal year. Note: Figures may not add up to 100% because of rounding.