Executives are boosting capital spending despite volatility, survey finds

Personiv’s 2025 Executive Outlook Pulse Survey revealed that 76 per cent of executives from public companies said that economic uncertainty had an “extremely significant” impact on their 2025 strategy, compared to 45 per cent of private companies.

“Executives today are navigating uncharted waters – shifting markets, evolving technologies, and new workforce realities,” Megan Weis, VP and general manager of FAO Services at Personiv, said.

“Our survey underscores that the need for agility is the common thread. Whether you lead a 10-person start-up or a multinational enterprise, embedding flexibility into your finance and operating models is the surest path to resilience in the next 6–12 months.”

While executives grappled with uncertainty, many were investing in technology and expansion in order to bolster their resilience, the survey found.

More than 50 per cent of executives had boosted their capital spending, tech budgets and headcount in 2025 despite the volatility, while a fifth (20 per cent) planned further increases.

AI usage continued to expand in 2025, with 76 per cent of public and 45 per cent of private companies already using AI. Over 70 per cent of firms had embedded AI into compliance, payroll and expense reporting functions, the survey found.

As technology usage expanded, executives reported cyber security as a top concern for their organisations.

“These results underscore that AI is becoming a cornerstone of resilience,” the survey report read.

“It is no longer just a cost-cutting tool; it’s a capability that enables organisations to flex, adapt and mitigate risk factors.”

Of the firms that used AI, a majority (60 per cent) said they employed it for productivity enhancement. The other top reasons included cost savings (47 per cent), product differentiation (35 per cent) and customer experience improvement (30 per cent).

AI was especially useful for the accounting profession, the survey noted, due to the data-driven nature of accounting work and the presence of repetitive, high-volume tasks.

The report added that AI could help take pressure off existing accounting staff as the ongoing accountant shortage made it difficult for firms to fill talent gaps.

“With the talent shortage in accounting and finance at an all-time high and no end in sight, leaders are looking for ways to fill open roles and reduce overload on existing employees,” the report read.

“AI offers an option for addressing talent-shortage issues, and many respondents are taking it.”

Firms also reported barriers to implementing AI. The top challenge was high implementation costs (40 per cent), followed by data security and compliance concerns (22 per cent) and a lack of skilled talent to manage AI systems (16 per cent).