The coming year could be one of the best in recent times for many chief executive officers (CEOs), who have revealed their ambitions for 2014 to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The group's 17th Annual Global CEO Survey found CEOs in the Asia-Pacific region are among the most confident about what the next 12 months have in store. Of those polled in the area, 45 per cent said they believe short-term economic prospects will improve this year - higher than North America where the figure stood at 41 per cent. This is not the only confidence factor that has improved among Asia-Pacific CEOs. Short-term revenue growth is expected for 45 per cent of bosses, up from 36 per cent a year ago. Dennis Nally, chairman of PwC International, said it is evident that CEOs have started to regain confidence - although there are still some challenges ahead. "CEOs also acknowledge that generating sustained growth in the post-crisis economy remains a challenge, especially as they deal with changing conditions like slowing growth in the emerging markets," he commented. Survey respondents were also asked what their companies were doing to prepare for the future, with 35 per cent saying they were in pursuit of new product or service development leads. Hiring intentions proved positive over the coming year, with half of bosses saying they hope to increase their headcount at some point in the next 12 months. This compares to 45 per cent who had such plans last year. Any company looking to recruit new talent in 2014 will need to make sure their staff undergo the necessary training in key areas of the business, such as business accounting software. With firms under more pressure than ever to perform, staying ahead of the competition has never been so important for businesses in New Zealand and beyond.