Organisations are operating in a risk environment that has become more volatile, interconnected and difficult to predict, a report by the AICPA and North Carolina State University's Enterprise Risk Management revealed.
The 2026 State of Risk Oversight: An Overview of Enterprise Risk Management Practices draws on responses from 331 executives.
Nearly 69% of respondents said that the number and complexity of risks facing their organisations had risen over the past five years.
The survey found that 74% of executives had encountered a significant operational surprise during the last five-year period.
Geopolitical uncertainty was also affecting business models or strategic programmes for 72% of respondents.