"In the earlier 2025 survey, half of respondents chose "long-term planning and resource allocation" as a top priority, which is now prioritized by 28 percent" [28 percent]
"nearly two-thirds of CFO respondents report responding to geopolitical uncertainty by increasing cash and liquidity buffers" [two-thirds]
The article frames this shift as a response to rising geopolitical risk: CFOs identify geopolitical instability as a top-three risk (37%), and the survey shows they are now spending more time on 'strategic leadership and performance management' and less on 'organizational transformation.' This pattern generalizes beyond the surveyed cohort: any sector facing elevated external uncertainty tends to compress planning horizons as firms prioritize liquidity and operational control over capital-intensive long-term bets.
The article explicitly notes that 'more structural moves—such as restructuring their global supply networks, reallocating capital investment in at-risk regions, and building internal capabilities to assess and manage geopolitical risk—are less frequently cited by respondents in all regions.' This indicates that corporate risk response is bifurcated: immediate liquidity defense dominates, while the longer-term supply chain and geographic reallocation that would reduce systemic vulnerability remains subordinate. This pattern suggests that geopolitical fragmentation is proceeding faster than corporate structural adaptation, creating a lag between risk perception and operational resilience.