A 2026 Macro Briefing: Signals, Scenarios & the Moves to Make

Summary

This Chief Executive Group webinar (hosted with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management) on 19 November 2026 offers a focused macroeconomic briefing for leaders planning into 2026. The session, led by Lisa Shalett, Morgan Stanley’s Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management, covers the major signals shaping the year ahead — from AI and technological acceleration to growth, inflation and global investment strategies — and translates them into practical moves for CEOs and executive teams.

Key Points

Webinar date and time: 19 November 2026, 1:00–2:00 pm ET; targeted at senior executives planning for 2026.
Main themes: technological advancements (AI acceleration), macro growth and inflation dynamics, and global investment/diversification considerations.
Practical focus: translating macro outlook into actionable decisions affecting demand, margins and cost of capital.
Suggested executive moves: prioritise investments, deleverage where appropriate, manage risk and volatility, and prepare contingency plans.
Featured speaker: Lisa Shalett, Chief Investment Officer, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Content Summary

The webinar is designed to cut through economic noise as the year closes and provide an evidence-based outlook for 2026. It examines the interplay between rapid technological change (notably AI), inflation and growth patterns, and the implications for corporate strategy and capital allocation.

Attendees are guided on how to interpret macro signals and convert them into near-term and medium-term actions: where to invest for growth, how to defend margins when costs shift, when to reduce leverage and how to build contingency plans that preserve optionality amid uncertainty.

Context and Relevance

For CEOs and senior executives, the briefing is important because macro conditions directly affect hiring, investment, pricing and financing decisions. In an era when AI is reshaping productivity and capital markets react quickly to inflation and policy shifts, having a concise, expert-led view helps leadership teams make informed, timely choices.

It ties into broader trends: accelerated tech adoption changing demand and cost structures, persistent inflation risks influencing borrowing costs, and the need for diversified investment approaches in a globally connected market.

Author style

Punchy: this is a concise, decision-focused briefing from a leading institutional voice. If you’re responsible for strategy or capital allocation, this isn’t background reading — it’s a playbook to align board-level choices with likely macro paths.

Why should I read this?

Short version: skip the guesswork. This webinar gives you the one-hour briefing that helps you choose what to spend on, what to pause, and how to protect the balance sheet as 2026 approaches. Handy if you need quick, practical guidance to brief your exec team or board.