Opportunities and challenges in a dynamic environment: Global perspectives for Canadian private companies

In a year characterized by continuing uncertainty and disruption worldwide, it’s more important than ever to discover what global business leaders are thinking, planning and doing – and to compare your company’s priorities with those of your counterparts in Canada and elsewhere.

Deloitte Private’s 2019 report, Global perspectives for private companies: Agility in changing markets, delivers strategic insights for Canadian business owners. This detailed report, conducted in early 2019, polled over 2,500 executives at mid-sized companies around the world and highlights trends, expectations, and perhaps even a few surprises for executives seeking to benchmark and calibrate their plans for this year and beyond.

As its findings demonstrate, Canadian business leaders have reason for confidence. For example, almost half of the Canadian companies that responded to the survey plan to invest in employee training this year, a figure significantly above the global average.

Canadians are also quick to recognize the importance of factors beyond the balance sheet, with a vast majority of executives ranking company culture as a strategically vital component of business success.

However, there are warning bells as well. The report reveals that almost three times as many global businesses rank new product development as their biggest competitive advantage compared to Canadian companies – an indication that we may need to give more priority to new ideas.

Similarly, only a quarter of Canadian private companies are actively exploring ways to take advantage of disruption, a figure well below the global average. This is a clear sign that Canadian business leaders risk being taken by surprise if they become too complacent.

We invite you to explore these findings and many more in the full report. You’ll find them to be a useful resource as you fine tune your own priorities and strategic plans.