Cyber threats

Cyber threats have consistently ranked among the biggest risks confronting TMT executives. However, this year, global geopolitical tensions, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, have exacerbated the risk.

Insider threats are a significant concern, especially as companies navigate hybrid work models, putting more security responsibility on employees. The proliferation of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the Internet of Things, which have significantly expanded the attack vectors, are also major factors.

Organisations must develop robust cybersecurity and insider threat protection and rapid response programmes to protect their operations, which will allow for future growth.

Tackling the talent crisis

TMT organisations are also increasingly worried about their ability to attract, develop and retain top talent, manage shifts in labor expectations, and address succession challenges.

Since the pandemic, many companies have experienced unusually high attrition rates, although large multilocational organisations that have been able to accommodate employees seeking to relocate or transfer to different roles have been less impacted. High-level departures have also had devastating impacts on organisations. Replacing a C-suite executive or senior employee can be costly, although companies with deeper pockets, compared to startups and fledgling organisations, are able to absorb the impact better.

Overall, TMT companies, small and large, are struggling with succession planning. Many companies do not have documented succession plans and frequently fail to adequately communicate advancement pathways and development opportunities to valuable team members.

The talent gap extends also to the cyber workforce, where companies are desperate to train the next generation of cyber defenders. The weakening front line against cyberattacks may also explain why TMT executives are growing more nervous about cyber threats.

Inflationary pressures

Like the talent issue, pressure from inflation is hitting TMT companies in several different ways, depending on market share, pricing power and line of business, among other factors. Larger tech companies have been renegotiating favorable prices with their suppliers and many have been able to raise hardware prices and pass the higher costs to consumers. Those that do not have the same level of pricing power are contending with margin compression and aggressive cost cutting. There are some signs that inflation may be cooling, but it remains at a level that has many executives up at night. TMT organisations, led by their CFOs, should lean on their data, predictive analytics and advanced technology tools to help them make better strategic decisions on ways to fight inflation.

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Disruptive technologies

The impact of disruptive innovations and the ability to leverage new and emerging technologies to achieve growth is ranked fourth for 2024 by the TMT respondents. Closely related is a concern over the adoption of digital technologies requiring new skills in short supply, which is ranked the No. 6 top risk for 2024.

From artificial intelligence to wearable technology to nanotechnology to 5G, TMT companies have been the catalyst for many disruptive technologies, but they also have not been spared by disruptions associated with being on the cutting edge of technology.

In the telecommunications industry, for example, wireless carriers are competing not only with each other to advance 5G coverage and features but also with cable providers, who are looking to strengthen their position within the broadband market.^[1]

Generative AI is another new technology that is upending the TMT industry. TMT finance leaders are already using generative AI for critical functions such as compliance and regulatory reporting. The technology is also fueling fierce competition among companies whose chips enable ChatGPT. Clearly, the implications of adopting AI capabilities throughout the TMT industry and across society at large will continue to be a top risk for years to come.

Other top 10 risks — and looking a decade ahead

Concern over third-party risks, ensuring privacy and compliance with growing identity protection expectations, and sustaining customer loyalty and retention are other 2024 top ten risk issues identified by TMT leaders.

Asked to project a decade ahead, TMT respondents cited cyber threats, adoption of digital technologies requiring new skills, and disruptive innovations as their top three risk issues.

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About the Executive Perspectives on Top Risks Survey

We surveyed 1,143 board members and executives across a number of industries and from around the globe, asking them to assess the impact of 36 unique risks on their organisation over the next 12 months and over the next decade. Our survey was conducted in September and October 2023. Respondents rated the impact of each risk on their organisation using a 10-point scale, where 1 reflects “No Impact at All” and 10 reflects “Extensive Impact.” For each of the 36 risks, we computed the average score reported by all respondents and rank-ordered the risks from highest to lowest impact.

Read our Executive Perspectives on Top Risks Survey executive summary and full report below.