Business leaders in Southeast Asia (SEA) are demonstrating qualified confidence in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region’s growth, even as they remain wary of the broader global economy, according to the inaugural Deloitte APEC CEO Survey report, “Bridging the Certainty Gap.”
The report, which surveyed 1,252 senior APEC business leaders across 18 economies, found that over two-thirds (66 percent) of the more than 270 leaders surveyed in SEA are optimistic about the APEC economy.
This contrasts sharply with the global economic outlook, where less than half (46 percent) expressed optimism. Reflecting this “certainty gap,” a strong majority (75 percent) are highly confident about their own company’s performance.
“Leaders across Southeast Asia are confident in their own companies’ performance, see tangible opportunities across the APEC region, yet remain cautious about the broader global outlook,” said Deloitte SEA chief executive Eugene Ho.
“We see this as a ‘certainty gap’ that leaders must bridge with strategic vision that turns disruption into opportunity,” he said.
