48% of CIOs Prioritize Business-IT Alignment, 54% Report Positive AI ROI
MAN•ManpowerGroup's Experis surveyed 1,930 CIOs across 12 countries and found 48% now rank business-IT alignment as their top priority, up from 34% last year and surpassing cybersecurity. The report shows 54% of CIOs report positive AI ROI, while 31% say organizations overinvest and 61% say senior leaders don’t understand the CIO role.
1. Survey Scope and Trend Shift
ManpowerGroup's Experis unit expanded its survey to 1,930 CIOs across 12 countries, up from 1,400 respondents in nine countries last year, reflecting heightened global focus on technology leadership. The research shows business-IT alignment surged to the top CIO priority at 48%, overtaking cybersecurity’s previous lead at 34%.
2. AI ROI and Investment Scrutiny
The study reveals 54% of CIOs report positive returns on AI implementations, signaling growing proof of value as investments move from concept to production. However, 31% believe their organizations may be overinvesting in AI, and only 17% view delivering AI solutions as a core CIO responsibility, underscoring intensified demand for measurable outcomes.
3. Leadership Understanding and Talent Challenges
Sixty-one percent of technology leaders say senior executives don’t fully grasp the CIO role, up from 49% last year, creating potential execution barriers for AI and digital initiatives. Talent shortages persist with 46% of CIOs prioritizing cybersecurity skills, followed by AI and machine learning at 37% and cloud computing at 31%, highlighting recruitment challenges.
