Executives say the pandemic opens their eyes to complex risks

A new survey of more than 800 CEOS and C-suite executives finds that while a vast majority are optimistic about business conditions in a year, they are also much more cognizant of complex risks beyond the pandemic, such as climate change.

Driving the news: The new survey, conducted by the global professional services firm Aon from Aug. 3 to Sept. 4, consists of findings from interviews with business leaders.

• A common through-line from the survey of execs in the U.S., UK, EU and Canada: They're paying more attention to making their companies more resilient to a wider range of threats.
• "In a world where risks are more intertwined, stronger companies are placing increased value on an approach to risk management that considers the interconnectedness of potential threats and integrates those factors into all decision making," the Aon report says.

What they're saying: "We are at an inflection point where businesses are not only focused on overcoming the current challenges such as the pandemic, but shifting to think about other long-tail risks like climate and how to prepare for them," Greg Case, chief executive of Aon, told Axios in a statement.