The CEO's Innovation Agenda in Uncertain Times

BCG's report, drawn from its 2026 CEO Summit, identifies five concrete actions CEOs can take to advance big investment decisions despite macro uncertainty and cost pressure—including separating innovation bets from maintenance spend and using data on down-market deal returns to align skeptical boards. The piece directly addresses the trade-off surfacing challenge: how to build the board narrative for bold innovation bets when risk aversion dominates the room. It is highly actionable for SEA mid-market CEOs managing board alignment on strategic commitments.