I recently attended a Gartner webinar titled “The 2025 Top Trends and Forces C-Suite Executives Must Consider for Strategic Planning”, presented by Marty Resnick (VP Analyst, Gartner). The session explored the major forces shaping the future – not just technology but a broader set of influences – and what it will take for organisations to become truly future-ready.
The familiar PESTLE framework was expanded to TPESTRE, bringing Trust and Ethics into sharper focus and highlighting Regulation as a critical leadership lens. This broader model encourages leaders to look beyond AI and automation and consider societal expectations, regulatory shifts, and ethical considerations as central to long-term resilience.
Yet, even through this broadened lens, regardless of the factor in focus or the part of the organisation being challenged, the message was consistent: achieving future-readiness inevitably depends on technology adoption, integration or transformation – and an organisation skilled and ready to use it well. The operational levers for navigating this complexity consistently point back to deep technical capabilities.
Enter the CIO – no longer just a steward of systems, but a central strategic figure, tasked not only with leading technology but with enabling transformation across the enterprise, rebuilding its operations with robust data systems, AI governance, and advanced analytics at the core.
Key points raised during the Gartner session illustrate this:
- [Technology] As AI evolves to become more human-like, CIOs need to spot and mitigate bias, collaborate with legal on ethical frameworks and enable transparency.
- [Political and Economic] Amid global competition for critical resources, CIOs play a strategic role in diversifying supply chains, evaluating risk and strengthening alliances to secure technology access.
- [Social] The growth of virtual identities raises complex legal questions over digital ownership. CIOs must enhance identity management systems and guide stakeholder education.
- [Trust] Narrative intelligence – seen as the future of marketing – relies on strong data foundations, dedicated tools, and close collaboration between CIOs and CMOs to deliver trust and relevance at scale.
- [Regulatory] As AI-generated content becomes more common, intellectual property issues become more complex. Here CIOs are tasked with co-creating AI-IP strategies that keep pace with evolving regulations.
- [Environmental] Growing energy constraints and geopolitical risk are driving demand for efficiency. CIOs are key to integrating solutions that optimise energy use and boost operational resilience.
To deliver on this mandate, CIOs must align strategically with key stakeholders across the organisation. They must lead from the centre and in active collaboration with:
- HR, to upskill the workforce and shape future-fit talent strategies.
- Legal, to navigate ethical AI use, evolving regulations, and IP implications.
- Marketing, to build trust through data-driven storytelling and narrative intelligence.
- CEOs and Boards, to guide growth, partnerships, and acquisitions.
Bringing these stakeholders together is now part of the CIO’s core leadership responsibility.
The Times notes a sharp increase in first-time CIOs being appointed to shape not only digital infrastructure but the overall business strategy. Some organisations now call them Chief Information and Transformation officer, reflecting this dual role.
CIO.com predicts that by 2026, the role will be less about selecting technologies and more about influencing direction, driving value, and governing business outcomes.
Various sources warn about CIOs being caught up in experimenting with the latest emerging technologies which do not link to value creation. InformationWeek suggests that CIOs should have room for experimentation but also the wisdom to ditch an initiative that will not deliver impact.
All modern CIOs need a new dexterity: technical depth paired with board-level leadership. Only then can they lead change across the organisation, manage risk across silos, communicate vision confidently, and act decisively in uncertain territory.
This is exactly why peer collaboration makes sense. And why Arvoki exists.
CIOs across industries are facing many of the same questions. Arvoki creates a space where they can challenge each other’s thinking, co-solve real-time challenges, and sharpen their leadership through shared experience. It is a strategic peer forum for those carrying some of the most complex, high-stakes mandates in business today.
In a time when no playbook exists, learning grounded in shared insight and lived experience is more valuable than ever.
Join our limited pilot series starting in July on “Cloud Strategy as a Business Lever: A peer-led conversation on agility, AI readiness, and evolving risk”
If you're navigating this space and want to exchange ideas with others doing the same, register your interest here.
References
Boulton, C. (2023, April). What the CIO role will look like in 2026. CIO. https://www.cio.com/article/645883/what-the-cio-role-will-look-like-in-2026.html
Gartner. (2025). The 2025 top trends and forces C-suite executives must consider for strategic planning [Webinar]. Presented by M. Resnick, Gartner.
InformationWeek. (2025). The CIO role is expanding — and so are the risks of getting it wrong. https://www.informationweek.com/it-leadership/the-cio-role-is-expanding-and-so-are-the-risks-of-getting-it-wrong
Spencer Stuart. (2024). An information transformation: The evolving role of the CIO. https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/an-information-transformation-the-evolving-role-of-the-cio
Technology Magazine. (2025). The evolving role of CIOs in the digital, sustainable age. https://technologymagazine.com/articles/the-evolving-role-of-cios-in-the-digital-sustainable-age
The Times. (2024). Chief information officers: Tech business strategy. https://www.thetimes.com/static/chief-information-officers-tech-business-strategy/
