Growth remains a top strategic priority for CEOs in 2019 and 2020. That’s according to Gartner’s 2019 CEO and Senior Executive Survey, which saw 473 top-level executives of companies with $50+ million in annual revenue weigh in on the current business climate.

53 percent of the respondents named growth as a top 3 priority, up from just 40 percent in last year’s survey. “After a significant fall last year, mentions of growth increased this year to 53 percent,” said Mark Raskino, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “This suggests that CEOs have switched their focus back to tactical performance as clouds gather on the horizon.”

As the digital transformation continues, IT-related challenges are also high on the agenda of senior executives, ranking second ahead of corporate development (e.g. new strategy, corporate partnerships and M&A) and financial issues.