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Diving overview:
- Experis’ CIO 2026 Outlook report finds that CIO responsibilities continue to change, with technology leaders citing alignment of IT strategy and business objectives as the most important task of the CIO role, giving way to cybersecurity management as a 2025 priority. The technology services firm surveyed 1,900 CIOs and other technology leaders about how they are navigating technological change and the future of work.
- As roles change, investing in AI is a hot topic for IT leaders, with more than half reporting positive ROI and appropriate investment levels for their companies. However, almost a third believe their company is over-investing in technology.
- During this period of transition, leaders who treat technology as a business leadership function and make complementary investments will succeed, Kai Mitchell, president of Experis US, said in a statement. “CIOs are being asked to lead AI transformation, drive growth, improve productivity, and manage risk, even in the face of severe talent shortages,” she said.
Dive Insight:
Corporate technology leaders are balancing changing responsibilities and talent acquisition challenges while trying to prove the economic viability of technology projects.
The report found that technology leaders feel pressure to make timely decisions, manage cybersecurity risks, and stay competitive with new technologies. Almost half of respondents said the biggest barrier for CIOs is keeping up with the pace of change. Writer’s April survey found that 61% of technology leaders are concerned that their jobs will be at risk if they don’t successfully navigate technological change.
As the link between technology projects and business outcomes becomes more important to executives, 61% of CIOs say they feel their colleagues do not fully understand their role, up from 49% last year.
“Many CIOs feel they are caught in a balancing act right now,” Mitchell told CIO Dive in an emailed statement. “On the one hand, there is tremendous pressure to invest in AI and keep up with innovation. On the other hand, boards and executives are increasingly asking where the business value comes from.”
Despite implementation plans, many organizations are not adequately addressing the talent needs within their teams, the report found. Experis says fewer companies have programs in place for young talent than last year, and IT leaders are looking to external candidates to fill open roles rather than promoting from within.
In an era when technology leaders need to prove that spending on AI and IT is worthwhile, CIOs should avoid deploying AI for AI’s sake, Mitchell told CIO Dive. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and competition, but not training people and defining the business problem at hand is a waste, she said.
“AI has huge potential, but organizations realizing the greatest ROI are those that align their technology investments with clear business priorities and help employees adopt new ways of working,” Mitchell said.
