CEO Confidential: 10 items for the CEO agenda

New Year, New You, says the adage. Looking at the way it started, 2026 looks a lot like 2025, to be honest. Buckle up. And Happy New Year. Here is our pick of ten highlights, which should be on the agenda of every CEO for January 2026.

1. Going up.
   Macro-economic indicators are solid also in January 2026. Good! The year started with a growth trajectory, in line with 2025. US GDP at +2.3% vs. LY (slightly higher vs. FY 2025); EU GDP at +1.4% vs. LY, with all markets showing a plus. Inflation remains under control, except for the usual suspects, Turkey and Argentina, even though most OECD countries are approaching the 3% mark. Stock markets are positive, with a cautious start for the US. Interest rates (10 years’ bonds) high: 4.2% US, 2.8% EU (slightly up vs. Dec. 2025). It’s the year of geo-political uncertainty. It’s also the year where AI needs to prove its worth, with ROI and impact in real life expected of many of the Big Tech players. Get your popcorn.
2. Trends.
   Right before the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos, the World Economic Forum (WEF) issued their famous Global Risk Report, which changed dramatically vs. the past few years. Number one worry is geo-political confrontation, closely followed by the risk of misinformation, mainly driven by AI and felt especially by New Gen-s. And this is only the two-year horizon. World’s environmental collapse is the one worry every politician, and businessman has for the next ten years. It’s the end of world, whether you look at today or tomorrow? Looks like it, according to the WEF. CEO-s need to have buffers and options built in their yearly plans.
3. AI.
   CES 2026 in Vegas, the world’s largest tech exhibition, took place in January, showcasing smart goggles and glasses, robots, chips and even smart Lego bricks. Go figure. Last year all the rage was about Agentic AI. This year, as promised by Nvidia, the buzzword is physical AI. AI needs to penetrate our real world and deliver that magic that everyone expects. From smart cars to robots folding laundry, it’s time to see if AI can really change our world, the physical one. CEOs of world, it’s time to look at factories, logistics, products, and go beyond cute pics and videos for the Marketing Department.
4. Where is Retail going?
   In parallel with CES 2026, another part of the business world met in New York City for the NRF 2026 (National Retail Federation), sellers’ largest and most international fair. Retailers are in desperate need for innovation, especially after a lukewarm Q4 2025. Bankruptcies continue to populate the news, from Saks Global and CW Sellors, for example. Both are active in the luxury space. Even the rich cry, when it comes to business. It’s another year of reinvention of the way we talk to our fans, in the hope of selling them our stuff.
5. Your digital doctor will see you in a minute.
   Open AI, the world’s darling when it comes to AI B2C and B2B products and services, continues to secure funding at an always increasing valuation, and buys a tiny health-care start-up, which will allow them to start offering medical and health advice (the service is in test mode). It’s normal that AI will penetrate our most strategic industries. To be seen is how the tool will handle sensitive information and how it will comply with the strict health-care national and global regulations. There will be a future where we turn to our phone and we will ask: “how am I doing?”
6. Leave the kids alone.
   The UK is discussing a ban to social media for kids under the age of 16, similarly to what Australia has already approved for platforms like Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads. It’s a first, being closely watched by other governments and administrations. Misinformation, driven by AI and social media algorithms, to boost clicks over truth, is a serious concern, and it will for sure affect youth’s culture and future, let alone their social skills. For any CEO, this is an item of consideration when deploying their media spend, as they brief their media agencies and partners.
7. Digital entertainment.
   Looking at the best grossing movies of 2025, there is a lot of animated motion pictures, digital stories and AI craft, from Avatar to Minecraft. Entertainment is more and more tech driven and profoundly shaped by New Generations. And the Oscar goes to someone who doesn’t exist in real life. If it’s not animation, it’s sequels (the n-th rendition of Jurassic World, for example). Human innovation and artisanal and independent movies are becoming niche.
8. Don’t stop the music.
   Looking at the best songs and tours of 2025, the human touch still seems to have it vs. the advent of AI generated music. Artists like Coldplay, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar show the highest grossing tours. Music is still a human thing, it seems. But it’s a shrinking business, where money is basically made in shows that are very rich in special effects and immersive experiences. CEO-s should take note. Experiences and immersive-ness is a must, if you want your fans to listen and dance along.
9. Crypto pocket money.
   Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands – the world’s largest Web3 investor and player, expects the Clarity Act to be approved in the US. Tokens will become mainstream, and any institution can issue them to fund projects and engage their fans. Even though the year started very soft for Bitcoin and Co., crypto could be a pleaser in 2026, for both large private and public institutions. Blockchain could also help to keep AI’s use of data under a transparency lens. CEO-s shouldn’t move en masse towards crypto but have that anyways on their agenda.
10. Fun and safety.
    The year started with a sad accident in a club in Crans Montana, Switzerland. New Year’s celebrations ended with a fire developed inside a club, which turned out not be compliant with safety regulations. Around 40m people were killed, and 119 injured. Safety at work, respect for the rules and for our fans’ security. This is not tech. This is the minimum denominator that we request of every business out there. Prayers for the families affected and a reminder for the business community out there that people first is always the only thing that matter in this world.

Have you read?
How to Achieve Your Yearly Goals: 5 Science-Backed Steps to Stay Consistent.
Stop Self-Sabotage: 3 Common Leadership Habits Killing Your Success.
The Future of Leadership: Why “Intentional Design” is the New Strategy.
Davos 2026: The 5 Critical Questions Facing Global Leaders This Year.
Closing the Gender Gap: The Importance of the Female Quotient in the C-Suite.