PwC’s latest Global CEO Survey demonstrates this rapid pace of change: FS firms globally are expanding into new sectors at a rate exceeding the cross-industry average. This isn't just growth; it is a fundamental transformation in how value is created, stored, and exchanged. From the rapid scaling of private credit to the tokenisation of assets, the operating models of incumbents are being challenged by agile, aggressive new entrants.
Regulatory bodies are keenly attuned to this dynamic landscape. Most recently, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has issued a series of initiatives, including discussion papers on AI in financial services and asset tokenisation, alongside an exposure draft for open finance regulatory requirements.
For leadership, the challenge is twofold: maintaining robust risk controls while modernising technology at a pace that keeps you competitive.
Aligning vision with execution
The opportunity for financial services leaders now is to to move beyond "adoption" and toward "reinvention." This requires aligning leadership time and investment with the outcomes that matter most—modernising the core, streamlining legacy processes, and embedding agility into the organisational DNA.
Are you leading the market shift, or reacting to it?
Our executive summary, based on insights from 4,454 CEOs worldwide (including 972 from FS), explores how leaders can build the agility necessary to excel today and lay the groundwork for sustainable future growth.
Find out more on:
What 972 financial services CEOs cite as their #1 threat
Why FS firms are aggressively expanding into non-traditional sectors at twice the industry average, and the specific "operating model shifts" required to capture value in these new markets.
How businesses in the sector are moving AI from Proof of Concept (PoC) to Proof of Value (PoV) to generate measurable outcomes
About the survey
PwC invited CEOs to participate in our 29th Global CEO Survey from 30 September to 10 November 2025. The global and regional figures are weighted proportionally to country nominal GDP. The industry and country-level figures are based on unweighted data from the full sample of 4,454 CEOs. The full findings can be accessed on pwc.com/ceosurvey.
Not all figures in bar and stacked bar charts will add up to 100% as a result of rounding percentages and the decision in certain cases to exclude the display of ‘neither/nor’, ‘other’, ‘none of the above’, ‘don’t know’ and ‘prefer not to say’ responses.
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The reinvention mandate: Leading the new era of financial services
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