If companies want to harness the transformative power of artificial intelligence, the Chief Information Officers will need to combine collaboration and soft skills to become a driving force for organisational change.
Across the business landscape, no corporate role has evolved as dramatically in recent years as that of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). From relative obscurity just a generation or two ago, today’s CIO is on the front lines of almost every aspect of an organisation’s operations.
As technology becomes an increasingly pivotal dimension of business, CIOs are now responsible for not only protecting their companies from cyber threats but also for making the business case for technology investments that can fuel future growth.
“These are unprecedented times for CIOs and technology leaders,” said James Hallahan, European Managing Director at Experis, during a panel on the evolving role of the CIO at this year’s Viva Technology conference in Paris. “They are really at the front and centre of the growth of the organisation.”
Indeed, a recent survey of nearly 1,400 global tech executives by Experis found that the top focus areas for 2025 tech investment include cybersecurity (77%), cloud infrastructure (68%), and AI (67%).
All of this is inevitably reshaping the CIO’s role. Atreya Chaganty, CEO of customer experience and digital outsourcing provider Quantanite, argues that one of the biggest challenges facing CIOs is the growing need to coordinate with other business leaders, as their remit expands beyond IT into broader organisational transformation.
“We’re seeing more input and influence from other business users, including the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Digital Officer (CDO), and Chief Operating Officer (COO),” he told the VivaTech panel. “Many of them are playing pivotal roles in the decision-making process. CIOs have to strike a balance — it’s an evolving act.”
A need for soft skills
For CIOs, that means using more soft skills than ever before — starting with a mindset shift from “know-it-all” to “learn-it-all,” says Philippe Limantour, Chief Technology and Cybersecurity Officer at Microsoft France.
“You have to learn every day and be conscious that you are working with other people,” he said. “Performance metrics should include what you’ve learned from others — and what you’ve taught them.”
While growing technological complexity is adding pressure to the CIO’s role, AI also holds the potential to address many of its biggest challenges. Take cybersecurity, which has surged in priority as threat landscapes become more complex and aggressive.
Data suggest that while it takes just 75 minutes for a cyberattack to spread through an organisation’s digital infrastructure, it can take several weeks before the breach is even detected. At the same time, more than 90% of cyberattacks begin with social engineering — a fact that underscores the importance of continual training at all levels of an organisation.
Limantour believes AI can help CIOs stay ahead of attackers — and train staff more effectively.
“AI is great because you can run simulations and immerse people in real-world scenarios,” he said. “Without AI, it would cost millions in time and money to achieve that level of training.”
So, where are companies on their AI journey?
TheExperis CIO 2025 Outlookfound that only 20% of tech leaders believe they have reached a sophisticated stage in their AI adoption in terms of business impact. At the same time, a third of CIOs admit to being unclear on how they’ll adopt AI going forward. Talent is another challenge: 81% of tech leaders today say they struggle to find the right skills.
From talent consumers to talent creators
Hallahan believes part of the solution lies in hiring for potential rather than just experience.
“All organisations need to be talent creators, not just talent consumers,” he said. “If we just keep consuming talent from the same communities, we’ll face major challenges in driving digital transformation.”
He also emphasised the need for a global mindset.
“To access the right skills and experience, companies must think globally — both in how they hire and how they deploy talent,” he said.
Ultimately, said Limantour, the leap from using AI as a tool to embracing it as a transformative force will hinge on human ambition, especially that of the CIO.
“Much of the CIO’s role in the future will be as a change manager, reshaping everything we thought we knew,” he said. “We are living in an amazing time.” Discover what’s next for the world of tech in theCIO 2025 Outlook: Key Priorities for Tech Leaders.
