Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn unveiled survey of 100 CEOs on stage at The Wall Street Journal's 2025 CEO Council Summit

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, unveiled the results of a survey of 100 American CEOs to gauge sentiment on business priorities, economic outlook, and views of AI advancements heading into 2026. The study, conducted by Stagwell's National Research Group (NRG), provides guidance on how CEOs are anticipating business, economic and political shifts leading into the new year.

Key findings from the study include:

CEOs support AI as a transformative force: Nearly all CEOs (85%) see AI as entering a healthy growth phase rather than a bubble, with generative AI viewed as the most transformative technology of 2026. 78% of CEOs maintain they are bullish on AI's impact on workplace efficiency and innovation.
CEOs predict economic unease, but maintain measured confidence: While 62% of CEOs believe the U.S. is on the wrong track, nearly three in four (74%) express confidence in the resilience of the U.S. economy heading into 2026.
Inflation, debt, and jobs dominate CEO agendas: Financial stability is the top policy focus for 2026, with managing inflation (61%), reducing debt (47%), and job creation (33%) marked as top policy priorities.
Policy and political concerns weigh on CEO confidence: Regulatory and policy shifts (66%) and trade restrictions (60%), are expected to have the greatest impact on business. Nearly half (46%) are pessimistic about political leaders' stability and predictability.

For the full results, visit stagwellglobal.com.

Methodology

The findings are drawn from research conducted by Stagwell's National Research Group (NRG) with 100 U.S.-based CEOs leading organizations with 10,000 or more employees. The sample reflects a mix of CEO tenures, cross-industry representation, and B2B and B2C companies. The survey was fielded online between October 21 and November 10, 2025.

About Stagwell

Stagwell is the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Contact

Maggie Axford

pr@stagwellglobal.com

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SOURCE Stagwell Inc.

78% of American CEOs are Bullish on AI's Impact on Workplace Efficiency and Innovation, New Stagwell (STGW) Study Reveals