Mazars C-Suite 2021: cybersecurity is a priority for Polish executives

The most important issue appeared to be the improvement of productivity favoured by 67% respondents and technological transformations highlighted by 64% of respondents. Moreover, Poles expect that social and political changes will have the greatest impact on business (44%). For global CEOs, on the other hand, this trend was at the bottom of the priority list.

 The responses given by the Polish leaders also indicate that:

• There is a need to increase IT security: For 47% of Polish executives, increasing IT security will be the principal long-term change that they plan to introduce due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. For global executives, on the other hand, it was the second most important priority ranking right behind the regulation of remote working.
• Mental health of employees is a top priority: the results of the survey show that, for 58% of Polish respondents, mental health of their employees is the most important. It is also a top priority for Diversity & Inclusion globally.
• Analytical thinking is the most desirable quality according to employers: As many as 47% of Polish leaders ranked analytical thinking as the most important leadership skill. For the rest of survey participants this quality is ranked second, behind only strategic vision.

• ESG is crucial to the development of businesses: The most important reason for investing in ESG according to Polish respondents is the fact that it is key to the development of businesses. From a global perspective, brand and reputation are considered the most important drivers of development. Growth comes second.

• Polish companies invest less: 63% of Polish entrepreneurs on average say that they will increase investment in their business activity – as compared to 72% of respondents from the other parts of the world.

• Polish executives are moderately optimistic about revenue growth: 75% of respondents expected revenues to grow in 2021 vs. 2020 and 86% forecasted a revenue growth in 2022. This is slightly less optimistic than most global executives.               

It is worth underlining that the survey was conducted before the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Certainly, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation will force the management to redefine the goals and strategic vision of the companies.