Increasingly, CEOs are speaking out publicly and taking stands on controversial issues. CEOs now have a track record of speaking up about social, political and environmental issues, such as climate change, gender pay equity, same-sex marriage, immigration, gun control and discrimination.2Because many Fortune 500 companies are seeking the next generation of skilled technology talent to drive innovation and meet the demands of the future, we decided to sample tech professionals to understand their particular viewpoints on CEO activism. This sample includes people such as software/application developers and software engineers working in a variety of sectors.CEO Activism in 2018: The Tech Effect is the second report issued in the 2018 annual poll conducted by Weber Shandwick in partnership with KRC Research about CEO activism. CEO Activism in 2018: The Purposeful CEO, the first in our 2018 report series, focused on American consumer opinions about CEO activism. 3“ The new generation of technology professionals is a highly coveted group for companies in every market and every sector. Because of their highly specialized and advanced skill set, they are being hired in increasing numbers by employers of all sectors, not just traditional technology companies. Our study, a first of its kind among this select audience, provides further evidence that the momentum for CEO activism is not going away and CEOs are increasingly expected to take principled positions on societal issues among the next generation of skilled employees.Andy Polansky, CEO Weber Shandwick4Weber Shandwick partnered with KRC Research in May/June 2018 to conduct an online survey of 502 adults employed in one of the following professions: software/application developer, software engineer, web developer, database administrator, computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software QA engineer, network system administrator, business intelligence analyst or data scientist. The survey describes CEO activism to respondents as follows: “In the past year or so, some chief executive officers (CEOs, or top leaders of companies) have spoken out publicly and taken a stand on controversial issues. For example, CEOs have spoken up about social, political and environmental issues such as climate change, gender pay equity, same-sex marriage, immigration, gun control and discrimination.” 56782%4%10% 5%2% 2% 4% 2% 2%13%15% 15%8%16% 11% 14%9%82% 75% 78% 90% 81% 84% 84% 88%Don't know Does not make a difference Less favorable More favorableTOTALPercentages may not add exactly to 100% because of roundingTech professionals who work for technology companies have a slightly higher favorability than those in non-tech sectors for CEO activism. Work in Technology sector Work in a Non-Technology sectorA little more favorable Much more favorablePercentages may not add exactly to 100% because of rounding9104% 6% 10% 2% 2% 4% 1%16%25% 16%8% 15%19% 15%2%81% 69% 74% 90% 84% 77% 83% 98%Don't Know No YesTOTALPercentages may not add exactly to 100% because of rounding