British business CEOs are gearing up to face the challenges of 2026, including AI, increased taxes, and cyber attacks.

With the gradual digestion of the impact of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' November tax budget, the heads of some of the largest companies in the UK predict that the new year will bring a series of new challenges. Chief executives from industries such as finance, housing, gambling, and hospitality are preparing to address issues of artificial intelligence trust, increased cyber attacks, and pressure from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government. According to one CEO, cost-cutting will also be on the agenda. After experiencing high taxes, a stagnant domestic economy, US tariffs, and concerns about the artificial intelligence bubble, here is what they believe 2026 will bring: Schroders Global Group, Richard Odfield The CEO of this asset management company believes that 2026 will be a year where people will stop talking and start taking action when it comes to using artificial intelligence to drive business development. "If we do not see productivity and profits improve as a result, then you really have to question whether the transformation that people talk about has really been achieved." Odfield calls for the UK to invest in itself and support the stock exchange to attract more foreign capital. While there will be more companies going public in an "extraordinary" year following the disappointing 2025, investors need to actively allocate to these initial public offerings. "We can give up, or we can make a gallant effort, and we, the great British companies, will choose to make a gallant effort," he says. JD Wetherspoon Pub Group, Tim Martin The chairman of this pub chain says that "survival" will be a key theme in the coming year as companies in the hospitality industry face rising costs including increases in employer taxes. Martin says, "Any small issue on sales will lead to real issues." He often criticizes the government in statements to the exchange. Given "many frustrations with the way the government treats business," Martin predicts that there will be a push in 2026 to persuade the Labour Party to "change strategy, understand the benefits of a pro-business philosophy". Vodafone Group, Margarita Dela Vale The CEO of this telecoms group predicts that artificial intelligence will have a real impact on customer experience next year. As chatbot Siasun Robot & Automation becomes a mature customer agent, human employees will remain to solve more complex or challenging issues. "The most successful British companies will be those that not only invest in high-quality artificial intelligence technology but also focus on delivering excellent and personalized human care capabilities at critical moments," she says. Trustpilot Group, Adrian Blair The head of this review website predicts that with the rise of artificial intelligence, "winning trust will become more difficult" in 2026. However, after working in the internet industry for twenty years, he firmly believes that artificial intelligence is not a bubble and will bring "profound and generally positive consequences." "All the pieces of the artificial intelligence puzzle, they will all get better at the same time: chips, data models, tools," he says, "people underestimate how big an impact it will have when you integrate all these things together." Beazley Insurance Company, Adrian Cox The head of this insurance company says that the cyberattack in 2025 that crippled companies like Marks & Spencer Group and Jaguar Land Rover will "encourage cybercriminals to go further in the new year." Cox says that companies need to "shift their mindset from panic to resilience" to better deal with what has evolved from basic IT challenges to "board-level emergencies." Entain Group, Stella David In her less than a year as head of Ladbrokes' parent company, this gambling company faced higher tax rates in Reeves' budget. She says this has brought "real risks, threatening jobs and investments on the high street, and creating conditions for illegal markets to thrive at the expense of responsible operators." Operators have issued warnings of layoffs and store closures, with Evoke, owner of William Hill, considering a potential sale. Nevertheless, David remains optimistic, in part due to the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Gambling companies may benefit from the football tournament held in Mexico, Canada, and the US, where operators have seen growth in recent years. Hochschild Mining Company, Eduardo Lending The CEO of this gold and silver mining company expects precious metal prices to continue rising, driven by supply shortages and increased demand as investors seek safe-haven assets in a year of geopolitical turmoil. For mining companies, the focus will be on increasing profit margins to capitalize on this opportunity as much as possible. "Prices are very favorable, but this puts a lot of pressure on us to reduce costs," Lending says, "otherwise, you're not taking advantage of the opportunity prices are giving you." Deloitte UK, Richard Houston The UK CEO of this professional services company says that cost-cutting will continue to dominate companies' attention in the new year. He says that a stable economic growth and policy stability should boost confidence in the second half of 2026. However, Houston says that the fluctuations in global trade will continue. He urges the UK to establish closer ties with Europe to stimulate growth and create job opportunities, as this year marks the tenth anniversary of the UK's Brexit vote. Taylor Wimpey Company, Jenny Daly The owner of this homebuilding company predicts that the planning reforms initiated by the Labour Party this year will continue to move forward. However, she hopes to see better support for first-time home buyers. Daly says, "The accumulated regulatory burden and high deposit threshold remain the main barriers to housing delivery and demand."