What's the return on your AI investment? In today's episode, I'm joined by Varun Bijlani, Global Managing Partner for Hybrid Cloud Services at IBM Consulting, to explore why 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for IT leaders under pressure to deliver stronger, measurable outcomes from technology investments.

While many IT projects have historically delivered modest returns, expectations are rising. With a growing number of executives focused on increasing ROI by 25 percent or more, the ability to connect AI efforts to real business value is becoming non-negotiable.

Drawing on insights from IBM Consulting's latest book, The Great Tech Reset, Varun outlines how the shift from experimental AI projects to production-level deployment is exposing the cracks in outdated infrastructure strategies. He explains why many businesses are trapped in what he calls a hybrid by default architecture, and how that limits the potential of generative AI. Instead, he advocates for a hybrid by design approach, one that aligns cloud infrastructure with AI goals from the outset.

We discuss the organizational mindset shifts needed to move from fragmented systems to intentionally built environments that scale with innovation. Varun also shares real-world examples of companies achieving returns as high as 3.3 times their investment through more intentional planning and execution.

As IT leaders look to reset priorities for the year ahead, how can they build the kind of foundation that allows AI to thrive? And what steps can they take today to ensure their technology choices drive value, not just cost?