Changing markets and circumstances are spawning new risks, altering risk profiles and reducing the effectiveness of established risk management capabilities. The profile of macroeconomic, strategic and operational risks continues to evolve in terms of significance and complexity for many organizations.

This issue summarizes the major business challenges identified by nearly 400 C-level executive respondents in a Protiviti and North Carolina State University ERM Initiative survey, and provides a context for many of the top-of-mind risks and uncertainties companies are facing as they move forward into 2014.