Business leaders have a renewed confidence in the economy and a greater appetite to embrace calculated risks, according to a new study from Aon.

In fact, 90 percent of executives surveyed said they expect business conditions a year from now to be stronger. Meanwhile, 79 percent of respondents are predicting significant growth in the year ahead, with 40 percent expecting double-digit revenue growth.

“Our research shows that executives are confident in the future and have prioritized the need to be better prepared for risk in the wake of the pandemic,” said Lori Goltermann, chief executive officer of Enterprise Clients at Aon. “When speaking with CEOs and other leaders through our Enterprise Client Group, these findings validate their experience and reinforce our role in delivering solutions that give our clients the clarity and confidence to make better decisions that protect and grow their businesses.”

Highlights from the survey:

• 81 percent of those surveyed in North America and Europe rated the economy as excellent or good.
• 80 percent of leaders say the pandemic experience has increased their companies’ appetite to take on more risk and make investments in order to build resiliency for the future.
• Executives are keen to take on new risks relevant to financing and capital investment, with 55 percent of respondents expressing interest in raising new capital, financing or debt, and 50 percent of respondents open to investing in new technologies.
• 32 percent of leaders said their companies were weakened by the pandemic due to lack of preparation.
• 61 percent of surveyed leaders place more value on models, analytics or data science tools to ensure their company makes better decisions.

The research was conducted in August and September 2021 through 800 online interviews with C-suite and senior business leaders, spanning diverse industries including technology, finance, production and service companies.

See the full report from Aon: “A New Approach to Volatility: The Importance of Making Better Decisions“