Global Business Leaders Explore Responsible Leadership in an Era of Shared Challenges in World Economy News 23/02/2026 Discussing responsible leadership in an era of shared challenges, leading CEOs who are a part of a coalition of more than 200 of the world’s largest companies collectively representing $8.3 trillion in annual revenue and $33 billion in total community investment attended Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose’s© (CECP) Board of Boards this week in New York, New York. This closed-door, CEO-only session provided a distinct opportunity for CEOs to discuss how they can connect their investments in their people and communities and their corporate purpose to the business strategy. CEO discussion leaders included: • Brian Moynihan, Chair, President & CEO, Bank of America • Dave Ricks, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Eli Lilly and Company • Richard Dickson, President & CEO, Gap Inc. • Richard Edelman, President & CEO, Edelman • Nancy Chung, Management Committee and Executive Committee Member, Managing Partner of the New York office, Head of the Litigation group in New York, and Co-Head of the global Investment Funds Litigation practice, Sidley Austin LLP Key Takeaways • When asked for words to describe how they were feeling, attending CEOs noted that they felt uncertain, disappointed, unsettled, tentative, and frustrated. Further takeaways include: • Purpose and profit are increasingly inseparable. Genuine purpose – not performative CSR – is now a core business strategy that drives employee retention, consumer trust, and long-term growth. o A company has permission from the public to operate when it feels the value your company provides. o Focus on those who might not benefit from your company’s innovations right away. • CEOs must navigate a set of compounding pressures. Economic and geopolitical volatility, accelerating AI transformation, shareholder activism, and regulatory scrutiny are all hitting at once, demanding agility rather than relying on long-term static plans. o Without purpose, democracy and capitalism will not survive. o A collective of companies need to step up on vital issues to encourage those who may not step up on their own. • Workforce development is a major differentiator. Whether it’s hiring underserved youth, career-trajectory wage increases, or the broader push for skills-first hiring over four-year degrees, companies that invest in their people – especially entry-level workers – are seeing real business returns. o Companies can be clearer on what they want people to do. Companies weren’t meaning enough to anyone. o An employee can’t have a relationship with a brand without empathy, inclusion, and belonging. • AI governance, not just adoption, is the real leadership challenge. The conversation has shifted from “are you using AI?” to “is it delivering value and do you have oversight?” Unintended consequences, regulatory divergence, and cybersecurity risks are now boardroom-level concerns. o AI mirrors what humanity wants it to be; we have a choice in what we do with these new tools. o Chase trust; we better trust what we are building. • Authenticity inside the organization has to come before external storytelling. Purpose-driven messaging only lands when it’s genuinely felt by employees first. Culture, internal communications, and meaningful day-to-day connection to mission are what make external narratives credible. “The Board of Boards provides a forum for CEOs to candidly share their experiences-bo