US Private Company CEOs Embrace New Opportunities Amid Innovation and Resilience
Insights from the 2025 KPMG US Private CEO Outlook report
Discover how private company CEOs lead digitalization, AI, cybersecurity, and sustainability.
Confidence isn’t just a feeling—it’s a competitive advantage. Amid ongoing geopolitical volatility and mounting macroeconomic uncertainty, US private company leaders are demonstrating remarkable conviction in their growth strategies. This resilience isn’t just optimism; it represents a deliberate approach for navigating an unpredictable future and sustaining growth despite long-term economic risks.
The 2025 KPMG US Private CEO Outlook equips private market leaders with essential data and actionable insights, empowering them to make bold, informed decisions as rapid technological and social changes intersect with global uncertainty.
In an era defined by high stakes and shifting dynamics, following the crowd is no longer an option. This report serves as a strategic benchmark for private company leaders and stakeholders to evaluate emerging trends—from AI integration to generational workforce shifts—that are actively reshaping the private sector amid geopolitical and economic unpredictability.
Key Findings: The Private vs. Public Divide
1
The Growth Gap: Private company CEOs are leaning into growth with intensity.
- 84% express confidence in their own company’s growth prospects over the next three years.
- While public markets often focus on horizontal expansion (M&A) and headcount, private company leaders are intensifying their focus on operational efficiency, digital structural advantages, and long-term value creation.
2
Digitalization—A Private Priority: While public companies are often slowed by bureaucracy, private companies are moving nearly twice as fast on digital transformation.
- Private company leaders are nearly twice as likely as public peers to name digitalization and connectivity as their top organizational priority (34% vs 18%).
3
The Talent Crisis is Real: The "skills gap" isn't a future threat; it's a current reality that is hitting private companies the hardest.
- 55% say that growing generational gaps in key future skills are significantly impacting their company—compared to only 29% of public market leaders.
- In response, 72% are aggressively retraining their high-potential talent to ensure their people keep pace with AI adoption.
4
The Cybersecurity Bullseye: As private companies digitize, they are becoming primary targets.
- 43% of private CEOs name cybersecurity as their number one short-term challenge—a staggering increase compared to the 24% of public companies feeling that same heat.
5
Sustainability: It’s not just a public company trend.
- A significant majority of private company leaders (64%) report that they have already fully embedded sustainability into their business and view it as critical to their long-term success.
Are you leading or following?
The data in the 2025 KPMG US CEO Outlook report reveals a clear divide: while some are simply reacting to market shifts, the most successful private company CEOs are proactively redefining the rules of growth. To navigate this evolving landscape with confidence, you need benchmarks and strategic insights.
Download the 2025 KPMG US CEO Outlook report now and decide today—are you leading or following?
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