CFO Slice

A new Coface survey has found that 57% of U.S. finance and risk executives would rather reject a business opportunity than build the case for pursuing it, highlighting a culture of caution that the company says is limiting growth even as organizations invest heavily in artificial intelligence to improve decision-making. The 2026 Risk Survey: Risk Management from Risk Control to Growth Engine found that 80% of U.S. executives see AI-powered insights and early warning systems as a top priority for managing risk, with many hoping the technology will help them make faster, more confident decisions. However, the report found that inconsistent data quality, cited by 31% of respondents, remains a major obstacle, while 68% want predictive analytics embedded into everyday business workflows. Despite relatively mature governance structures, many organizations continue to treat risk management as a barrier rather than a driver of growth. The survey found that 66% of executives identified internal risk aversion as a key obstacle to expansion, 65% believe commercial ambition and risk discipline are fundamentally at odds, and only 28% view their risk teams as strategic growth partners. While 76% of companies have clearly defined decision-making structures and 71% align their risk appetite with growth strategies, many leaders said they want risk professionals to identify commercial opportunities as well as potential threats.