
CEO Confidence ‘Good’ Again In August Poll
Business conditions are better than CEOs expected a year ago, and their outlook for 2027 is improving. ‘Demand is surprisingly resilient.’
For more than two decades, Chief Executive has surveyed U.S. CEOs on their outlook for business and the broader economy, capturing candid perspectives on the challenges, opportunities and trends shaping corporate America.
The CEO Confidence Index provides an exclusive view into the minds of CEOs leading organizations of all types and sizes.
To encourage an unparalleled level of candor, survey results are anonymized and aggregated. The data is indexed in the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ FRED database and used by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Center for Inflation Research. Findings have also been cited by leading media and research organizations worldwide, including The New York Times, CNBC, Bloomberg Intelligence, FactSet Research Systems and ISI Markets Group.
In partnership with our sister publications, Corporate Board Member and CFO Leadership, we also conduct similar research among public company board members and CFOs, delivering a holistic, unbiased C-Suite perspective on the issues that matter most to business leaders today.

Business conditions are better than CEOs expected a year ago, and their outlook for 2027 is improving. ‘Demand is surprisingly resilient.’

Cost pressures, policy uncertainty and geopolitics have leaders hedging on what comes next. ‘Challenging times.’

Chief Executive’s latest poll finds CEOs slightly more confident in current conditions, even as geopolitics, inflation and policy uncertainty divide expectations for the year ahead.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.

10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.