In the wake of unprecedented thefts of personal information, companies in the transaction processing and information services businesses that have not established the role of Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) should do so before they become the next victims -- and perhaps put their reputation and their business at risk. The duties and responsibilities of CPOs in businesses whose lifeblood is information go far beyond merely guarding marketing information and monitoring compliance. Understanding the complex demands of this role and finding the right people to fill it should be a high priority for information companies that want to maintain public confidence and protect shareholder value.

In this Annual Global CEO Survey 13 shows how business leaders responded to the challenges caused by the recession, concerns facing today and, often difficult to reflect on "lessons learned" their strategies for positioning their companies in the long run.