Russia Should Now be Top Policy Priority, Say CEOs and Board Directors

Two-thirds of CEOs and board directors surveyed by business think tank the Conference Board consider Russia to be the biggest policy priority for 2022.

According to the survey 65% of 80 CEOs and board directors considered that Russia should be the top policy priority for the President and Congress to address in 2022, followed by inflation at 64% and strengthening the economy at 61%.

In general the business leaders interviewed supported President Biden’s handling of the war with 67% agreeing and 26% disagreeing. Inflation is another major concern with 84% of respondees considering that the Federal Reserve needs to move faster on inflation.

“Since the start of 2022, the nation has dealt with the Omicron wave of the pandemic, rising inflation, and now, war in Ukraine,” noted Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of Committee for economic Development of the Conference Board. “Despite the multitude of compounding crises, our data show CEOs and Directors are unified in several key areas—notably, the urgency of the war in Ukraine and the need for US leadership, and support for faster action on behalf of the Federal Reserve to address inflation.”

The Federal Reserve Bank will be meeting this Wednesday to review interest rates, which are expected to be raised by a quarter point.