The five biggest challenges CEOs will face in 2026

THE chief executive officer job is not the cushy gig it once was. As one headhunter recently put it to me, it’s a meat grinder.

Yes, there’s still the private jet and soaring pay packages. But there’s also an increasingly complex world to navigate, a White House that is playing by a new rulebook and the looming promise and threat of artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping how we live and work.

There are tariffs and inflation and an uncertain economy and shifting regulations. There are geopolitical conflicts, misinformation and a polarised workforce and customer base. And there is more scrutiny on the job than ever.