THE BRIEFING

TRUST MATTERS

Corporate data governance is moving out of the IT department and into the boardroom. As autonomous software agents and machine identities complicate risk management, protecting organisational reputation has become a core strategic priority for the C-suite.

PwC’ s 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights survey reveals that while 60 % of multinationals are increasing cyber investments to combat volatility, a mere 6 % feel fully secure across their data vulnerabilities. The response is the rise of the Chief Trust Officer, a high-level business strategist tasked with transforming compliance and algorithmic security into an explicit balance sheet asset by bridging the gap between data privacy, ethical AI boundaries, and regulatory compliance.

Only 30 % of global CEOs say they are confident about their company’ s revenue growth over the next 12 months – a steep drop from 38 % last year and 56 % in 2022

Source: PwC: 2026 Global CEO Survey

The global luxury goods market has lost an estimated 70 million active consumers since 2022 due to aggressive price hikes, forcing heritage brands to pivot entirely toward the ultra-high-net-worth tier

Source: Bain & Company: Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Monitor 202