Key Takeaways
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Risk is evolving and traditional risk frameworks – designed for slower and more stable times – are struggling to keep up
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GRMS results indicate the growth of interconnected risks and the need for risk management resilience in an era of disruption
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Insights into the professional service risk landscape can be gained by comparing professional service firm findings to the global results
The survey, conducted in 11 languages, captured responses from 2,941 decision-makers across 63 countries and territories and 16 key industries, encompassing companies of all sizes, both public and private.
The findings reveal that organizations are now operating in a new era of disruption, where technological, geopolitical, weather, and workforce risks are more interconnected than ever.
To thrive, businesses must leverage data and analytics for timely decision-making and adopt risk capital strategies that drive strategic value and bolster resilience.
Comparing and Contrasting Top Risks: Global vs. Professional Services
Business risks impact industries in different ways and risk rankings vary significantly across sectors, reflecting unique exposures, operating models and regulatory environments.
Below is a comparison of the Top Ten Current Risks and Top Five Future Risks of the global survey (i.e., reflecting all industry sectors) and the results for professional service firm respondents.
Top Ten Current Risks
Global
- Cyber Attacks/Data Breach
- Business Interruption
- Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery
- Regulatory/Legislative Changes
- Increasing Competition
- Commodity Price Risk/Scarcity of Materials
- Supply Chain or Distribution Failure
- Damage to Reputation/Brand
- Geopolitical Volatility
- Cash Flow/Liquidity Risk
Professional Services
- Cyber Attacks/Data Breach
- Failure to Attract or Retain Top Talent
- Damage to Reputation/Brand
- Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Regulatory/Legislative Changes
- Failure to Innovate/Meet Customer Needs
- Increasing Competition
- Business Interruption
- Data Privacy (incl. GDPR) Requirements / Non-Compliance
Analysis:
- Both global and firm respondents rank Cyber Attacks/Data Breach as the number one risk, highlighting the universal importance of, and concern over, cybersecurity.
- Professional service firms place a much higher emphasis on talent-related risks (Failure to Attract or Retain Top Talent at #2), reflecting the sector’s deep reliance on human capital, whereas globally, talent risk does not appear in the top ten.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Privacy are unique to professional service firms’ top ten, showing the sector’s acute awareness of the potential operational, legal/regulatory and reputational risks associated with AI usage and adoption, both within the business and in the delivery of client services, solutions and tools.
- While Business Interruption, Economic Slowdown, Regulatory/Legislative Changes, and Increasing Competition are common concerns, the sector’s focus diverges with the inclusion of Failure to Innovate/Meet Customer Needs and Data Privacy, underscoring an emphasis on meeting evolving client needs, as well as excellence and agility in service delivery.
Top Five Future Risks
Global
- Cyber Attacks/Data Breach
- Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery
- Increasing Competition
- Commodity Price Risk/Scarcity of Materials
- Geopolitical Volatility
Professional Services
- Cyber Attacks/Data Breach
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery
- Failure to Attract or Retain Top Talent
- Increasing Competition
Analysis:
- Cybersecurity remains the top future risk for both global and firm respondents underlining the belief that technology dependence and vulnerability will continue to be a crucial risk issue and concern.
- The professional service firms anticipate AI to be a significant future risk (#2), reflecting its transformative impact on the sector’s business models, client service delivery and solution innovation.
- Talent attraction and retention continues to be a future concern for professional service firms, whereas it does not feature in the global top five. This underscores an ongoing and future commitment to the vital role of human talent in the delivery of professional services.
- Economic Slowdown and Increasing Competition are persistent worries for both groups, but Commodity Price Risk and Geopolitical Volatility are more pronounced in the global outlook, likely due to broader supply chain and market dependencies and a reliance on physical facilities/infrastructure. Typically, professional service firms employ an asset-light model and are far less dependent on
physical infrastructure, allowing them to weather and quickly adapt to geopolitical and other physical change events
Conclusion
The Aon Global Risk Management Survey 2025 reveals a landscape where risk is increasingly pervasive, multifaceted and interconnected.
While some risks — like cyber threats and economic uncertainty — are universal, professional service firms face specific challenges around talent, technology (especially AI), and compliance. These differences underscore the importance of, and the need for, tailored risk management strategies that reflect both global trends and industry-specific realities.
As disruption becomes the norm, organizations must remain vigilant and agile, leveraging data and analytics to anticipate and mitigate emerging risks and build robust resilience into their organizations.
This article is adapted from Aon Global Risk Management Survey 2025: Professional Service Firms Compared to the Global Results (November 2025) from the Professional Services Practice at Aon.