Consumer Markets in Asia Pacific: Outlook for 2026

We invited 350 senior executives across Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand to share how they are navigating the next era of consumer leadership.

While growth opportunities across the region remain compelling, success will depend on leadership teams that can translate ambition into action, at pace and at scale.

Organisations are operating against a backdrop of sustained cost pressure, uneven demand, supply chain fragility, and geopolitical uncertainty. In response, many are sharpening their focus, prioritising disciplined execution while maintaining agility for what comes next.

Across APAC, growth continues to be driven by favourable demographics, rapid digital adoption, and evolving consumer expectations. Capturing this opportunity requires a step change in leadership capability, organisational design, and talent strategy.

Key findings emerging from the research include:

1. Leadership redesign is accelerating: 51% have restructured roles to enable end-to-end customer ownership
2. Commercial priorities dominate: Commercial functions are setting the agenda ahead of Marketing and Technology
3. Succession risk remains critical: Only 8% report readiness for critical-role succession
4. Execution gaps persist across APAC: Regional ambition is strong, but in-market delivery often lags
5. AI is reshaping the talent agenda: Human–AI collaboration is becoming central to workforce strategy
6. Sustainability remains purpose-led: Commercial returns are yet to be consistently realised
   
   

Looking ahead

The road to 2026 will be defined by execution. Organisations that succeed will be those that can:

• Align investment across talent, digital, and customer experience
• Empower local leadership with greater decision-making authority
• Translate strategy into measurable commercial outcomes
• Build leadership capabilities that keep pace with structural change

As APAC moves toward becoming the world’s largest contributor to global consumption, disciplined execution will separate those who participate in growth from those who capture disproportionate value.

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Get in touch. For more about our Consumer and Retail Practice, contact our authors or connect directly with our dedicated executive search experts at your local Odgers office here.