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Harvard Business Review
04-08-2025
- Business
- Harvard Business Review
Your AI Strategy Needs More Than a Single Leader
In boardrooms around the world, a familiar question keeps surfacing: Who should lead our AI efforts? It's a reasonable question. As generative AI reshapes the business landscape, leaders are rightly trying to determine who is best positioned to guide their companies through the shift. In response, some have rushed to appoint chief AI officers (CAIO), as if one brilliant hire could unlock AI's full promise. But this approach often misfires. The CAIO arrives with fanfare. Pilots begin. A few flashy demos surface. And then? Not much. Projects stall. Teams don't adopt. The CAIO departs. The board starts asking tough questions. It's not because the CAIO wasn't smart or capable. It's because the role itself, at least as it's currently imagined, is overloaded and misaligned. The assumption is that one individual can bridge innovation and operations, oversee compliance and infrastructure, and deliver fast wins across the enterprise. That's an impossible job description. The companies making real progress are building ecosystems of leaders involved in the AI journey. The Lone-Leader Trap Too often, the CAIO is tucked under the CTO or siloed in a strategy group. They're told to experiment, to be bold, but also to avoid risk, deliver immediate value, and ensure enterprise-wide transformation. In one global-services firm, the AI lead created a promising prototype using a large language model. But the project went nowhere. Business units hadn't been brought in early, training never happened, and the new tool sat unused. Even in better-aligned orgs, the pressure on a single leader to drive AI transformation is intense. Boards want their investment in AI to quickly translate to top-line revenue. Legal asks for guardrails. Operations wants automation. Marketing wants personalization. It's not that these goals are wrong. But expecting one person to deliver them all is setting them up to fail. An Ecosystem Approach In companies where AI is taking root, the best leadership is distributed, with many executives working in sync. Holmes Murphy, a leading commercial-insurance brokerage-and-services company, offers an early example. One individual has been elevated to orchestrate the overall AI program, but the responsibility for AI-driven change is distributed across all levels of the organization. It starts with an AI leadership team made up of deeply engaged senior executives (including the CEO, CIO, head of technology, and chief legal officer), each selected for their deep understanding of the business, commitment to innovation, and ability to drive top-down operational change. Supporting them is a small, cross-functional AI Center of Excellence (COE) composed of five or six individual contributors and manager-level employees who share a passion for innovation and willingness to challenge the status quo. The COE is tasked with developing deep expertise in AI capabilities, staying current on emerging trends, and translating those capabilities into business-relevant applications. Over time, the COE will serve as a key driver of internal innovation, with the broader goal of embedding an AI-forward mindset across the entire organization. Some leaders in your AI ecosystem should focus on building. These are your engineers, heads of digital, or product teams experimenting with generative tools. Others should focus on integration: the COO rethinking workflows, the customer-support lead reorganizing teams to leverage new AI systems. Still others should serve as connectors: the CFO tying investments to outcomes, the general counsel evaluating risk, the CEO ensuring that AI is embedded in how the organization learns and adapts. This doesn't require a complex bureaucracy. The structure matters less than the mindset: AI isn't a department. It's a capability the whole leadership team needs to own. The CEO's Critical Role Among those leaders, the CEO plays a unique and outsized role. The CEO holds the power to set strategy, align incentives, and shape the organization's cultural response to change. AI transformation, when done well, is not about the technology itself. It's about the strategic and operational shifts it enables. AI strategy is your business strategy. That's why CEOs cannot delegate AI leadership entirely. Their words and, more importantly, their actions, signal how seriously their companies are taking the transition, and whether the future includes a place for every employee. The most effective CEOs lead with direct involvement, authenticity, clarity, and a growth mindset. Authenticity means mapping AI adoption to their own personality and strengths. A technical CEO might prototype new workflows and share the results. A non-technical CEO might co-create new processes with internal builders and show that AI is for everyone, not just experts. Direct involvement means showing up, not just as a sponsor, but as a peer in critical working sessions. It means engaging with pilots, attending hackathons, and giving feedback as real work happens. That behavior was on full display recently at ITAGroup, an 800-person employee-recognition and events company. The CEO, Brent Vander Waal, along with the COO, CIO, and CFO, spent hours in cross-functional sessions with managers and frontline staff. Together, they mapped how each unit operates and pinpointed opportunities for AI to improve employee and customer experience. The initiative culminated in a company-wide hackathon chaired by the executive team. Leadership watched, listened, offered feedback, and judged the results. The signal was clear: This transformation belongs to everyone. Clarity and a growth mindset should define how the CEO communicates. Policies must be clear. Messaging must be consistent. And the underlying frame should be opportunity-driven. It's about scaling work, evolving roles, and creating space for more human creativity and judgment. Who Else Should Be at the Table? Start with a builder. Someone curious, energized by possibility, and willing to test new ideas even when the outcome is uncertain. This might be someone already inside the organization, a head of innovation, a product lead, or an engineering director quietly experimenting with AI tools. But that builder needs a partner. Someone grounded in the business, who understands where work happens, where friction happens, and what's worth solving. Without somebody who can view experiments through an operational lens, they will often remain disconnected from real impact. Finally, you need a strategist. Someone who can zoom out, assess which initiatives align with long-term goals, and steward limited resources to their highest use. These leaders don't need identical resumes. But they do need to all be collaborative. Curious. Grounded in reality but open to reimagining how things work. They can tolerate ambiguity but know when to focus and ship. Some of the most impactful AI champions emerge organically through hands-on exposure rather than formal selection. We've observed that many organizations are still in the early stages of AI maturity and lack a practical understanding of what today's tools can realistically accomplish. An effective way to bridge this gap is through ideation sessions with leadership that demystify core concepts, showcase live examples, and—crucially—encourage hands-on experimentation with tools such as ChatGPT Pro and Claude. These early interactions often shift mindsets and spark more grounded, creative thinking about AI's role in the business. These early sessions often ignite curiosity. In at least two recent cases, participants who had no prior AI experience got inspired and became deeply engaged after seeing use cases tested live. They began experimenting independently, generating new ideas, and encouraging peers to do the same. This kind of early empowerment has helped surface unlikely champions—people who, once inspired, lead by doing rather than by title. It's tempting to look inward and tap the existing AI team to lead the company-wide shift. But as Brendan Hopper, the CIO of Commonwealth Bank, notes, 'Many of the people who've been working with AI the longest may not be the right ones to lead enterprise transformation. They're brilliant in the lab, but transformation happens in the business.' That's a crucial distinction. Technical expertise is necessary but not sufficient. Leading transformation requires business fluency, emotional intelligence, and the ability to galvanize others across functions. Consider how Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera's former CEO, seized on ChatGPT not as a lab exercise but as a business imperative. He dove into the tool himself, then launched 'Project Genesis,' a cross‑functional team that mapped AI pilots—involving such tasks as translations, coaching, and content generation—against clear impact metrics. He rewrote OKRs to bake AI goals into every department, held open forums to surface concerns, and built human‑in‑the‑loop feedback to catch bias and manage risk. That blend of technical curiosity, business fluency, and change‑management muscle is exactly what transforms isolated experiments into company‑wide breakthroughs. Designing for Durability AI efforts stall when coordination breaks down. A promising model might need new data flows, process redesign, legal input, change management, and training. If each of those sits in a different part of the org, each with its own roadmap and priorities, the friction can be fatal. One of us (John) outlined this in a previous HBR article on the systematic adoption of AI. The key isn't just experimentation. It's designing a repeatable system for evaluating, integrating, and scaling good ideas. That means clarifying roles: who builds, who integrates, who decides. It means standing up lightweight infrastructure, centers of excellence, working groups, playbooks, that create flow between departments rather than barriers. It also means avoiding several dangerous pitfalls. Notably: Ignoring change‑management. A candidate who can articulate how neural networks work but can't craft a narrative, negotiate risk, or upskill thousands of colleagues will leave cultural resistance untouched and ROI unrealized. Gatekeeping of ideas. When AI planning is limited to a tight inner circle, the team misses the lived‑in knowledge of frontline employees. Strong leaders keep the channels wide open—through idea portals, rotating workshops, even factory‑floor office hours—and run a clear process for sorting, testing, and scaling the best suggestions. Misreading the risk landscape Choosing someone blind to ethics, privacy, and regulatory exposure can spark reputational or legal crises that overshadow any early gains, eroding executive and board confidence in the whole program. Lead Together, or Not at All It's tempting to believe the right hire will unlock AI. But AI isn't a solo act. It's not even a duet. It's an enterprise-wide shift that touches every function. The companies that figure this out won't be the ones who find the perfect CAIO, if such a person exists. They'll be the ones who build a leadership model flexible enough and durable enough—and staffed by leaders curious enough—to navigate what comes next. Hiring matters. But the real work starts when the whole team leans in.
Gulf Business
15-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
UAE leads global shift towards chief AI officers, says IBM and Dubai Future Foundation study
Image: Getty Images The United Arab Emirates is at the forefront of a growing global trend in artificial intelligence governance, with more organisations appointing chief AI officers (CAIOs) than any other country surveyed, according to a new global study by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV), conducted in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF). The study, based on a global survey of over 600 CAIOs across 22 countries and 21 industries, reveals that 33 per cent of organisations in the UAE have appointed a CAIO, compared to the global average of 26 per cent. These leadership roles are proving valuable — organisations with a CAIO report 10 per cent higher return on investment (ROI) on AI spending. Where CAIOs lead a centralised or hub-and-spoke operating model, ROI rises by as much as 36 per cent. The report features a foreword by His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, who emphasised the cultural and operational importance of AI leadership. 'AI is not a singular breakthrough, it's ten thousand small shifts. It's cultural. It's institutional. It's a habit. The CAIO will be the one pushing that habit forward – across public administration, healthcare, education and logistics. More than a technologist, the CAIO is a translator between vision and execution, a bridge between strategy and science, and a steward of value across the enterprise.' The report includes contributions from key UAE entities such as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Customs, showcasing a cross-sectoral view of AI strategy in the country. 'Dubai's early adoption of the Chief AI Officer role reflects our national commitment to a responsible, future-ready government,' said Saeed Al Falasi, director of the Dubai Center for Artificial Intelligence. 'This study reinforces that CAIOs are strategic enablers and catalysts that drive the city's vision for the future. By empowering these leaders with the right tools, we are setting the stage for scalable, measurable AI impact across key sectors in Dubai.' Shukri Eid, VP and GM, IBM Gulf, Levant and Pakistan, added: 'The UAE is setting a global benchmark by embedding Chief AI Officers within organisations, ensuring AI is a strategic enabler across sectors. This is a testament to the nation's foresight in shaping a future-ready economy. As we continue our collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation, IBM remains committed to helping organisations scale their AI capabilities to drive measurable, long-term impact.' Lula Mohanty, managing partner, Middle East and Africa, IBM Consulting, said: 'By appointing CAIOs early and giving them visibility and budget control, UAE organisations have laid a strong foundation for enterprise AI. The next step is execution, moving beyond pilots, embedding AI into core business functions and delivering measurable ROI. IBM is proud to partner with UAE clients on this next phase of their AI journey.' Key findings: UAE CAIOs driving stronger results UAE CAIOs benefit from stronger senior leadership support: 90 per cent say they receive sufficient CEO support, vs. 80 per cent globally. 86 per cent have broader C-suite backing, vs. 79 per cent globally. 69 per cent were appointed internally, compared to 57 per cent globally. Their roles are broader and more strategic: 79 per cent control the AI budget (vs. 61 per cent globally). 62 per cent prioritise building business cases (vs. 45 per cent globally). 50 per cent oversee direct implementation of AI, in line with global peers. However, 38 per cent of UAE CAIOs find implementation 'very difficult', higher than the global average of 30 per cent. UAE CAIOs bring deep operational expertise: 69 per cent have a background in data, mirroring global figures. 48 per cent come from operations, compared to 38 per cent globally — reflecting an execution-oriented approach. Balancing experimentation with accountability While impact measurement is a priority, UAE CAIOs are not waiting for perfect metrics to act: 76 per cent say their organisation risks falling behind without measurement of AI impact (vs. 72 per cent globally). 74 per cent initiate AI projects even if results can't yet be fully measured (vs. 68 per cent globally). Room to scale Despite the leadership momentum, AI adoption maturity is still developing: 76 per cent of UAE organisations remain in the pilot stage, compared to 60 per cent globally — indicating significant growth potential in operationalising AI at scale. The study also reflects broader national goals. As part of the UAE's AI Strategy 2031, the country aims to become a global leader in artificial intelligence across sectors such as health, education, energy, and smart cities. This collaborative research from IBM and Dubai Future Foundation positions CAIOs as central to achieving that ambition. For more insights and to access the full study, visit:
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Chief AI Officer: A Strategic Priority For Executive Search
Jamie Griffith, Founder/CEO of Echelon Search Partners - Executive Search - Healthcare, Technology and Aerospace. The chief AI officer (CAIO) role is gaining ground. A recent AWS study of over 3,700 IT decision makers found that '60% of organizations globally have appointed a dedicated AI executive, such as Chief AI Officer.' I find this trend playing out in three industries, in particular: healthcare, technology and finance. This isn't growth for its own sake—it's a clear organizational shift toward embedding strategic AI leadership. CEOs are choosing transformational leaders who can govern, deliver and guide enterprise-wide AI adoption. If your company is considering recruiting a CAIO, I recommend the following steps: Consider the CAIO's business impact. Exceptional CAIOs are enterprise architects, connecting data science with finance, HR, legal and IT. They ensure AI isn't a standalone program, but a core capability woven into every function. Winning CAIOs align infrastructure, talent and governance into a unified business engine to drive scalable, strategic impact. Top-tier CAIO candidates are defining and chairing governance councils. This includes compliance experts, clinicians and technologists as regulatory scrutiny intensifies. In healthcare, where stakes are high, this capability is a critical safeguard for ethical deployment underpinned by business value. In finance, CAIOs are leveraging AI personalization to drive measurable revenue growth. In healthcare, they're reducing diagnostic false positives through iterative model refinement. These aren't theoretical wins; they're quantifiable improvements—the exact outcomes CEOs expect. Identify your talent needs. With AI talent in fierce competition, many organizations are turning to fractional or interim CAIOs injecting expertise early, building momentum and defining roles while vetting full-time leadership. This hybrid model brings agility and external insight during critical transitions. To determine whether to seek a fractional, interim or full-time CAIO, consider these models based on your business's needs: Fractional: This is best for early-stage companies looking to implement AI and when you need fast market insights and low commitment. Interim: This is best when you're still defining role and scope. Going this route can help enable strategic clarity and team ramp. Full-time: If AI is core to your business strategy and operations and you are looking to drive long-term transformation, you'll likely want to seek a full-time CAIO. Prep for the interview. Before interviewing CAIO candidates, consider creating behavioral interview questions that focus on protocols such as strategic vision and business alignment, governance and ethics, mindset, cross-functional influence, talent strategy and team building, delivery and impact and culture and change management. Some sample questions might be: • 'Tell me how you have approached setting a strategic vision for AI that is aligned to the business goals. What challenges did you face, and what was the outcome?' • 'What methodology have you applied to AI governance and ethics? What challenges did you face, and how did you ensure team adherence?' • 'Can you share an example where you used cross-functional influence to bring about cross-functional alignment where it previously didn't exist?' Determine appropriate compensation. It's good to keep in mind that like any new hot commodity, a CAIO's market value is impacted by many factors. Talent availability, the prospective impact on the business, project scope, company size and internal equity for comparable roles are a few of the factors to consider. When it comes to comparative roles, I often see the CAIO surpass the ceiling. Another way investors are now gauging executive talent is benchmarking pay versus market norms: Too low puts you at retention risk, while too high could equal margin drag. I suggest working with your executive search firm to get current market rates based on the role, your company size and current market data. Give this decision the attention it deserves. Recruiting a CAIO is a strategic move that shapes your company's culture, ethics, infrastructure and growth, making it a mission‑critical leadership appointment. Today, executive searches for CAIOs command the same intensity and rigor once reserved for CFOs and CTOs. In a world racing to integrate AI responsibly, hiring top-tier CAIO talent is non-negotiable. Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
Associated Press
11-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Train in Your Lane Appoints Nick Pope as Chief AI Officer to Accelerate AI Training and Workflow Automation
Train in Your Lane announces the appointment of Nick Pope as Chief AI Officer to lead AI training and automation services, revolutionizing workforce productivity. United States, May 11, 2025 -- Nick Pope Joins Train in Your Lane as Chief AI Officer Train in Your Lane, a rapidly growing leader in executive education and enterprise enablement, is excited to announce the appointment of Nick Pope as its Chief AI Officer (CAIO). With a robust background in AI deployment strategy and automation, Pope brings both deep technical expertise and a forward-thinking approach to AI training, positioning the company to continue its mission of empowering professionals to succeed in the evolving AI landscape. Pope's career as a nationally recognized AI strategist and expert in workflow automation has positioned him at the forefront of the AI revolution. In his new role, Pope will be responsible for overseeing all AI-related training and consulting services at Train in Your Lane. His work is designed to help professionals understand the practical aspects of AI, including AI intuition, prompt engineering, and security best practices, while equipping organizations with the tools needed to thrive in a future dominated by intelligent technology. 'Coming straight from my most recent conference at MIT, I'm more energized than ever to bring the latest and greatest AI technologies to professionals across industries,' said Pope. 'The most important skill in the future, not just for software engineers, but for everyone, is the ability to tell computers exactly what they want to do so they can do it for you.' AI Fluency: A Competitive Advantage in the Modern Workplace As AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday business operations, the ability to harness its potential is a critical differentiator. According to recent studies, the average employee can save 2.5 hours per week through AI-driven workflow optimization. For a 1,000-person workforce, this equates to over 125 hours per employee annually, or an estimated $3.5 million in productivity value. The ROI for AI training is evident, with businesses seeing a 119% return on investment in the first year, and an average breakeven point of just 5.5 months. Key statistics include: AI fluency is no longer an optional skill—it is a business imperative. Organizations equipped with knowledgeable, confident AI users outperform competitors, achieving faster insights, smarter workflows, and improved customer outcomes. By focusing on AI training that combines practical, high-impact lessons with engaging delivery, Train in Your Lane helps companies remain agile in a rapidly evolving marketplace. The Impact of Workflow Automation: A Business Game-Changer The business case for AI-driven workflow automation is compelling. Recent studies show that automation can free up hundreds of hours per employee each year. A single employee can reclaim between 240 and 360 hours annually, which translates to between $8.4K and $12.6K in productive capacity. Multiply this across a workforce of 1,000 employees, and businesses can unlock millions of dollars in labor efficiency. Workflow automation allows organizations to redeploy human talent to more valuable tasks, such as accelerating sales cycles, speeding product releases, or enhancing client service. Three impactful statistics to consider: Workflow automation allows businesses to unlock millions in labor efficiency, freeing capital for growth projects while enhancing the overall operational capacity. Fractional Chief AI Officer: A Cost-Effective Solution for AI Strategy For many organizations, a full-time Chief AI Officer may seem out of reach. However, Train in Your Lane offers an innovative solution: the Fractional Chief AI Officer (fCAIO). Through short-term engagements, an fCAIO provides high-level strategy and guidance, conducting audits of workflows, identifying automation opportunities, and creating AI roadmaps. This approach ensures that organizations can gain executive-level insights without adding to their headcount. Key benefits of the fCAIO approach: An fCAIO's role is to optimize processes, implement AI tools, and upskill teams, helping them become self-sufficient in AI utilization. This leads to the recovery of hours spent on repetitive tasks, while employees are empowered to focus on high-value work that drives business growth. Automation and AI: A Culture Shift Towards Innovation At Train in Your Lane, AI training is not just about tools—it's about transforming the culture of work. By integrating automation and AI into everyday processes, organizations can shift their focus from manual tasks to innovation, problem-solving, and creativity. This cultural shift leads to happier, more engaged employees, as they are freed from tedious work and empowered to contribute to strategic initiatives. Nick Pope's leadership in this area is already helping organizations realize the value of AI, with teams recovering hours of productivity every week and significantly improving their outcomes. AI is more than just a technological upgrade—it's a catalyst for deeper innovation and lasting organizational success. Train in Your Lane Recognized as Best Corporate AI Training in the U.S. of 2025 In a significant milestone, Train in Your Lane has been recognized as the Best Corporate AI Training in the U.S. of 2025. This prestigious award highlights the company's commitment to providing cutting-edge training programs designed to help businesses harness the power of AI effectively and securely. With a focus on sustainable, long-term growth, Train in Your Lane's AI training programs emphasize both technical skills and ethical considerations, ensuring that companies are prepared for the challenges and opportunities AI presents. Organizations that have participated in Train in Your Lane's programs report improvements in operational efficiency, cost savings, and a measurable impact on employee productivity. With a continuously updated curriculum and expert trainers, the company is well-positioned to lead the way in AI education for corporate teams. About Train in Your Lane Train in Your Lane is a dynamic enterprise learning firm that provides AI-powered leadership training, workforce upskilling, personal branding workshops, and custom productivity programs. With a focus on emerging technologies and neuroscience-backed learning techniques, Train in Your Lane is reshaping how professionals grow and adapt in the modern workplace. The company's goal is to empower teams to stay competitive by mastering AI tools and strategies that drive productivity and innovation. Media Contact Nick Pope, Chief AI Officer Train in Your Lane For press inquiries or to book AI training Contact Info: Name: Nick Pope Email: Send Email Organization: Train in Your Lane Website: Release ID: 89159705 In the event of any inaccuracies, problems, or queries arising from the content shared in this press release, we encourage you to notify us immediately at [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our diligent team will be readily available to respond and take swift action within 8 hours to rectify any identified issues or assist with removal requests. Ensuring the provision of high-quality and precise information is paramount to us.
TAG 91.1
25-04-2025
- Business
- TAG 91.1
UAE's new AI Academy to shape tech leaders
The UAE is shaping the next generation of leaders in artificial intelligence with the launch of The AI Academy. Polynome Group, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi School of Management, unveiled the initiative at the 'Machines Can See' summit during the Dubai AI Week. The new Academy will first offer short-format programmes for executives, government officials and tech experts, covering topics like generative AI, national strategies and ethical deployment. Courses will be available in multiple languages. Following the initial rollout, the Academy will launch its flagship offering, the Chief AI Officer Programme (CAIO), a 3 to 4-month leadership track that dives deep into AI strategy, governance and real-world applications across sectors like healthcare, finance and public services. Top scientists and global industry leaders will lead exclusive seminars, with support from tech giant NVIDIA, which will integrate its AI expertise into select modules. The initiative aims to drive innovation, support startup growth and position the UAE as a global hub for AI excellence.
