AI isn’t a bolt-on to the enterprise anymore—it’s becoming the substrate. It’s informing strategy, reshaping processes, and rewriting the rules of value creation. And as companies rush to deploy endless generative AI applications and more advanced AI agents, a more foundational transformation is taking place behind the scenes. The role of the CIO is changing in important ways.
That’s why we launched this four-part guide, The AI-empowered CIO: What it takes to succeed in the age of AI. In it, we gather the insights from four forward-thinking leaders—including Ashwin Ballal, CIO of Freshworks—about the rapidly changing requirements of the job.
Other CIOs and tech leaders—from a variety of industries and regions—featured in the report include:
Wendy Turner-Williams: CEO, TheAssociation; former chief data officer, Tableau
Jess Evans: CIO, Maricopa Community Colleges
Pawan Satyawali: Head of digital services, Signify; former global CIO, Tata Consumer Products
A few key takeaways:
Empathy is infrastructure. CIOs who understand the human context of work—not just the systems behind it—are better positioned to build AI tools that actually solve problems.
Governance is a growth driver. AI success isn’t just about speed—it’s about clarity. Strong data practices, clear ownership, and alignment across teams are what separate pilots from production.
Subtraction and simplification are a CIO’s new superpowers. CIOs are funding AI by simplifying tech stacks, retiring legacy systems, and focusing only on use cases that drive meaningful impact.
Business fluency is non-negotiable. CIOs who can tie AI initiatives directly to revenue, efficiency, and customer outcomes are stepping into bigger strategic roles.
CIOs are no longer a company’s top steward and gatekeeper of technology. In a landscape where AI is both a business enabler and a reputational risk, they need to be the chief simplifier, empathizer, and strategist—fluent in not just architecture and automation, but in culture, ethics, and trust.
Download the full guide to learn what it really takes to lead IT in the age of AI.
