Deloitte APEC CEO Survey 2025: NZ CEOs are optimistic and resilient amid global uncertainty

• 66% of New Zealand leaders are optimistic about their company or industry performance within the next year.​
• 52% of NZ’s corporate leaders are optimistic towards the global economy.
• Inflation, cyber risk and supply chain disruptions dominate current concerns, but are projected to drop sharply in the next three years.​
• Most corporate leaders in New Zealand will continue with current investment plans.​
• As access to capital eases over the next three years, NZ leaders expect more active pursuit of M&A investments​.
• Geopolitical instability risks persist and are the top equal disruption in the next three years.
• 40% plan to expand and diversify supply chains, lower than many APEC peers.​
• Application of tech is the top growth driver now, but growth is expected to shift toward innovation and new products in the next three years.​
• Expanding sustainability initiatives is the top supply chain strategy. While AI and automation are the top priority for investment in operational resilience.​
• Excluding domestic investments, leaders plan to invest most in China, the US, Hong Kong, and Japan​.

Auckland, 29 October 2025 – New Zealand’s business leaders are showing confidence in the face of global volatility, according to Deloitte’s inaugural APEC CEO Survey 2025, 'Bridging the Certainty Gap'. The survey reveals that 66% of NZ CEOs are optimistic about their company’s performance over the next year.

Despite inflation, cyber threats, and supply chain disruptions remaining top concerns, these risks are expected to ease significantly within three years. Meanwhile, 52% of NZ CEOs are confident in the global economy, reflecting a resilient outlook amid geopolitical instability, and showing more optimism than peers across the region.

“As Kiwi leaders, we’re positive, adaptable, and prepared to turn challenges into opportunities,” said Mike Horne, Deloitte New Zealand Chief Executive. “Our leaders are focusing on sustainability, putting resources into AI, and getting ready for stronger regional collaboration. These results highlight that New Zealand businesses are navigating uncertainty with a proactive approach, supporting the APEC region’s growth through ongoing innovation and purposeful leadership.”

The survey set out to gauge executive sentiment across the region, gathering insights from 1,252 senior leaders across 18 APEC economies. It asks for their perspectives on their organisations and the global economy, as well as their views on risk, opportunity, capital strategy, sustainability, geopolitics, and the influence of emerging technologies and AI.

The results highlight that APEC CEOs are redefining uncertainty as a source of strength and embracing a mindset of ‘expansive resilience’ aimed at converting volatility into competitive business advantage.

Commenting on the report, David Hill, Deloitte Asia Pacific’s CEO said: “APEC CEOs are not backing down from uncertainty. They’re embracing what we call ‘expansive resilience’: turning disruption into opportunity and volatility into advantage. Seven in ten CEOs surveyed remain confident in their company’s performance. These leaders are transforming supply chains for resilience, increasing investments in sustainability and AI, and displaying an optimism that evidences a ‘certainty gap’ - ambitious regionally, more cautious globally. Our survey findings make it clear that APEC business leaders are on the front foot, capitalising on complexity to propel the region forward.”

Though the ‘certainty gap’ is not as strong for New Zealand leaders, with slightly less optimism at home than the average of peers across APEC, it is certainly still felt.

New Zealand’s growth strategy: Innovation, regionalisation and AI

APEC CEOs continue to prioritise growth, but their strategies are shifting. Emphasis on operational efficiency is giving way to innovation-led expansion and new cross-border value opportunities.

Technology is currently the top growth driver for NZ firms, but innovation and new products are set to take the lead within three years, with growth priorities more than doubling from 16% to 46%. Geographic expansion is also accelerating, with nearly half of NZ companies expecting the majority of their sales to come from APEC economies, up from 19% today.

AI adoption is strongest in IT and cybersecurity, but its impact is expected to expand into product development and operations. Notably, 20% of NZ companies have a CEO-led AI strategy, signalling strong leadership commitment to digital transformation.

Investment priorities outside New Zealand include China, the US, Hong Kong, and Japan, with the most intense competition anticipated from the US, Australia, and China. APEC integration is expected to accelerate, with nearly half of CEOs predicting significant growth in global sales from the region.

Capital confidence and M&A ambitions

Across the APEC region, six in 10 leaders anticipate easier access to capital within three years, influencing a wide range of strategies. 

Most leaders plan to maintain their current investment strategies, but as access to capital improves, there is likely to be an increased focus on mergers and acquisitions. Capital access is expected to improve for 34% of NZ CEOs today, and 58% in three years. This matches improvements seen across the region, and sets the stage for a surge in investment, innovation, and expansion.

"Access to capital has become a revealing barometer in the fragmented map of APEC confidence. The story isn’t just about who has capital – it’s also about who dares to use it,” added David Hill, Deloitte Asia Pacific's CEO.

Supply chain and sustainability: Building for the future

When it comes to supply chains and operations, the key difference between New Zealand and others is that across APEC, peers are much more focused on expanding and diversifying supply chains whereas New Zealand is more focused on sustainability, efficiency and resilience.

Supply chain diversification is on the agenda for 16% of NZ CEOs, lower than the APEC average of 47%, but sustainability initiatives are leading the way, with 54% prioritising them. Last year, 50% of NZ leaders increased sustainability investment; this year, that figure jumps to 86%, placing New Zealand among the region’s leaders in turning commitments into action.

However, only 36% of NZ CEOs see sustainability as central to their capital strategy, nearly 20% below the APEC average – a gap that presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

“We’ve learned the lessons of Covid, and of ongoing geopolitical tensions: resilience and efficiency must go hand in hand. One cannot come at the expense of the other. More than half of APEC CEOs are focusing investment in operational resilience on embedding AI and automation, now and in the next three years. For New Zealand, this means building supply chains that are not just efficient, but adaptable, sustainable, and ready for whatever comes next,” says Mike Horne, Deloitte New Zealand Chief Executive.

Sustainability is surging in importance, climbing from eighth on the list of perceived strategy disruptors this year to third over the next three years.

More than half (59%) of APEC CEOs surveyed will boost sustainability investment this year, up from 29% last year. But plans diverge in how that capital is applied: while some focus on the energy transition, infrastructure, and compliance, others are focused on customer-facing innovation and brand-led growth.

Artificial Intelligence

Meanwhile, technology remains the cornerstone of operational resilience. Over half of APEC leaders (53%) surveyed will prioritise AI and automation this year. Cybersecurity (41%) continues to remain top of mind for APEC CEOs, alongside inventory planning and workforce cross-training.

While our rates of AI implementation are lower than some APEC peers, NZ leaders are investing heavily in AI governance (62%) and infrastructure (58%). The most positive impact today is in IT and Cybersecurity, but in three years, AI is expected to revolutionise product development and R&D.

“Importantly, 20% of NZ companies have a CEO-led AI strategy, signalling that our leaders are taking ownership of this critical transformation. AI is increasingly a whole-of-business issue, and those who treat it as a collective responsibility will be best positioned to harness its potential,” continues Mike Horne.

Key findings across APEC

• Nearly half (49%) of APEC CEO leaders identify geopolitical instability as the greatest risk to business growth now, and in the next three years.
• Seven in 10 CEOs surveyed are optimistic about their own company’s outlook, despite less than half (45%) expressing the same sentiment for the global economy.
• 42% of CEOs identify technology application as their primary growth driver today but over the next three years, innovation and new products take precedence.
• 60% of companies now leverage live AI in two or more business functions, with adoption highest in IT/cybersecurity (42%) and sales/marketing/customer service (40%).
• 52% of APEC CEO leaders plan to broaden or diversify their supply chains within the next year, many building strategic resilience through regional hubs, alternative suppliers, and comprehensive digital oversight of supplier performance and logistics.
• More than half (59%) of CEOs intend to increase sustainability investment this year, up 29% on last year, with 55% affirming sustainability plays a significant role in their capital strategy.
• Appetite for M&A and bold capital decisions is rising: 39% plan to actively pursue deals in the next year, a trend likely to increase to 59% in the next three years.

For more insights from the Deloitte APEC CEO Survey 2025, visit https://www.deloitte.com/nz/en/issues/work/apec-ceo-survey-2025.html

Deloitte is the Knowledge Partner for the APEC CEO Summit 2025, visit https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/events/apec-ceo-summit-2025.html

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Methodology

The Deloitte APEC CEO Survey 2025 reflects the views of 1,252 corporate leaders across the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation region, representing 18 economies and spanning over a dozen major industries. The survey focuses on the issues that matter to CEOs and corporate leaders, respondents included CEOs, equivalent senior executives (leaders of multinational corporations and regional enterprises) making up 43% of respondents, and other C-suite executives.

It is important to recognise the survey’s context: conducted in July 2025, it reflects a period characterised by a changing geopolitical landscape, shifting global capital markets, and the accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). These contextual factors may well have influenced responses, particularly regarding investment sentiment, cost of capital, and expectations for supply chain resilience.