2025 Leadership Outlook: Key Executive Priorities for Financial Services

Key Survey Findings

Actionable Strategies for Leadership in 2025

The Talent Imperative: Attracting and Retaining Top Leaders

Competition for skilled executives and professionals continues to intensify, driven by industry pressures and technological advancements. Survey respondents identified compensation, hybrid work environments, and alignment of senior leadership team objectives as critical concerns.

Traditional mandates for returning to the office are no longer viable, underscoring the need for flexibility.

Demand for leaders with niche expertise in areas such as digital banking, fintech, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) continues to grow rapidly. These emerging skills are essential for navigating successive waves of transformation, including the rise of quantum AI and other advanced technologies.

Significant Challenges

We surveyed respondents on what they anticipated to be the most significant challenges facing their organizations.

Skills for the Future: What Leaders Need to Succeed

As the financial services sector continues to evolve, the skill sets required of leaders are expanding to meet the complexities of a changing environment.

Organizations face an urgent need to assemble and align clusters of specialized skills—including AI, cybersecurity, and advanced analytics—to broader business objectives.

According to our survey respondents, people leadership and team development remains the cornerstone of effective leadership. The ability to manage, engage, and develop talent is more critical than ever, particularly as organizations grapple with shifting workforce dynamics. Long-term strategic thinking, combined with the ability to foster innovation and build consensus, will be critical for navigating periods of uncertainty and ensuring organizational resilience.

Key Focuses for 2025 Leadership

To ensure C-Suite and Board leaders can effectively navigate the evolving financial services landscape, organizations are seeking leaders with key skills in various areas.

Of respondents surveyed, 71.9% identified people leadership and team development as essential skills for C-suite and board members, followed by technological fluency (59.6%) and risk management expertise (54.3%).

Defining the Path Forward: Key Leadership Focus Areas

AI-driven innovations and the emergence of advanced technologies such as quantum AI are poised to reshape the industry, enabling efficiencies and enhancing customer experiences. From personalized banking solutions to real-time risk monitoring, financial institutions are leveraging technology to gain a competitive edge. 

However, the geopolitical landscape and evolving regulatory frameworks add layers of complexity. Trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, and shifting compliance standards can create significant operational uncertainty.

The evolving regulatory environment continues to demand attention, particularly in areas like cybersecurity and data privacy. With the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, executives are recognizing that cybersecurity must be fully integrated into the organizational culture, rather than serving as an isolated function.

To stay competitive, organizations must balance digital transformation with proactive approaches to geopolitical risks and regulatory compliance. Strong leadership will be crucial to fostering resilience and ensuring organizations can innovate while maintaining trust and stability.

Looking Ahead

The insights from our survey underscore the growing complexity of leadership in 2025, highlighting the need for adaptability, collaboration, and foresight. 

Leaders must focus on assembling and aligning specialized skills—such as AI, cybersecurity, and quantum expertise—while adapting to evolving workplace dynamics like hybrid and remote work. Addressing these challenges will require a blend of internal development and external expertise to navigate talent acquisition, leadership assessment, and succession planning effectively. By prioritizing talent, fostering innovation, and strengthening governance frameworks, financial institutions can thrive in an era of uncertainty. Those who invest in building diverse, future-ready teams will not only navigate disruption but emerge as industry leaders in the years ahead.