“Pacing Yourself in the AI Races,” the 2024 IT Symposium/Xpo keynote, provided an inspiring vision for CIOs on delivering AI outcomes safely and at scale. In this episode of CIO Mind podcast, keynote presenters Alicia Mullery, Gartner VP Research, and Daryl Plummer, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, Chief of Research and Gartner Fellow, join host ck Andrade, Gartner Sr. Director Analyst, to deep dive into the keynote’s concepts and identify how to move from inspiration to action. Join them to explore the differences between the AI steady and AI accelerated paces and the bumps in the road and the facilitators as CIOs take first steps in the CIO AI outcomes race. To learn more about the keynote, see Pacing Yourself in the AI Races: 2024 IT Symposium/Xpo Keynote Insights.

Episode Highlights

• The CIO AI outcomes race versus the tech vendor race. (1:20)
• Business, technology and behavioral outcomes for AI. (2:20)
• Choosing your pace: AI steady or AI accelerated? (04:05)
• Challenges to achieving AI outcomes. (8:06)
• Facilitators to achieving AI outcomes. (17:42)
• Next steps for CIOs in the AI outcomes race. (21:11)

Daryl Plummer is a Gartner Fellow, VP, and Distinguished Analyst. His research focuses on the strategic issues of cloud computing, digital disruption, and the unfolding of the future through predictions, trends and evolving digital business cycles. Daryl is a Chief of Research in the technology and service providers organization, where he helps oversee research across the four roles of general manager, product managers,product marketers, and tech CEOs.

Alicia Mullery is a Gartner Vice President, Research, supporting CIOs and other senior executives. Alicia’s research collaboration works to distill practical lessons from company accomplishments and missteps. She works to identify, build and then present best practice case studies that inspire executive action and decision making. Her recent areas of focus include the shift from projects to products, building fusion teams and safely democratizing digital delivery, transforming IT talent, building effective CIO/CxO partnerships, and increasing the number of women in IT leadership.

Episode highlights:

• Overview of Gartner’s 2025 Top Strategic Technology Trends (01:26)
• Why CIOs need the top strategic technology trends (02:46)
• Hybrid computing – The “Good” (05:05)
• Disinformation security – The “Bad” (07:55)
• Neurological enhancement – The “Wow!” (11:45)
• Use top strategic technology trends as early signals (15:00)
• What CIOs are saying about the 2025 trends (16:51)
• Pros and cons of the selected trends (17:59)
• Actions CIOs can take today to prepare for their technology futures (19:04)

About the Guest:

Gene Alvarez is a Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, who helps clients with technology innovation and strategy topics such as CRM, Customer Experience, Composable Applications, Modernization, Digital Commerce Technologies, and trends and disruptions. He is the key initiative leader for Gartner's Technology Innovation and Strategy research agenda. Mr. Alvarez leads Gartner's Top Strategic Technology Trends research and is a member of Gartner's Top Strategic Predictions Team. Mr. Alvarez has over 40 years of business and IT experience leading business impact assessments, vendor management, project management, software development and delivery of complex business applications. He has spoken at many international events and industry-related conferences worldwide and has been published in various media and trade publications.

Episode highlights:

• Defining productivity (1:35)
• Why organizations struggle to drive productivity gains (4:21)
• How to address lack of digital preparation and maturity (8:45)
• How customized technology can increase productivity (12:45)
• How AI and the augmented worker will contribute to future productivity (15:25)
• Myth-busting 4 common beliefs about productivity (19:03)
• What falls under CIOs’ leadership versus other CxOs (22:02)
• The partnerships CIOs should pursue to boost productivity (24:36)
• How workers spend productivity gains (26:09)

AI and digitalization are revolutionizing work, yet the anticipated boost in efficiency and cost reduction remains elusive for many. Moreover, less than 14% of organizations can support new ways of working offered by emerging technologies. This means that even in the age of AI, productivity rates continue to stagnate across industries. Gartner VP analyst Tori Paulman joins host, Gabriela Vogel, to discuss this challenge’s causes and myths as well as the recent trend of employee-built technologies that may offer a solution.

About the Guest

Tori Paulman is a Gartner vice president analyst who advises clients on the leadership of digital employee experience and digital workplace strategies, the workplace experience application market, employee experience journey mapping, and strategies for successful hybrid teams. They focus on helping executives and their teams with the leadership, talent and cultural shifts needed to succeed today and in the future of work. Tori co-leads Gartner's cross functional team researching the future of work for executive leaders. In addition, Tori leads the biannual digital worker survey. Now in its sixth iteration, this survey is Gartner's signature view on workers’ experiences and sentiment on technology used for work.

The worldwide disruptions caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update in July 2024 highlighted the unpredictable nature of today’s digital threats, and reminded CIOs that such crises could affect any vendor. In this episode of CIO Mind, host Ed Gabrys is joined by Leigh McMullen to discuss the critical importance of proactive resilience strategies and the evolving relationship between CIOs and CISOs. Leigh offers invaluable insights on avoiding self-inflicted-harm during these incidents, the need for better basics like timely patching, and effective communication with the board about cybersecurity.

Leigh C. McMullen is a Distinguished Vice President, Analyst, and Gartner Fellow in security and risk management at Gartner. Leigh provides CISOs with insights on navigating the C-suite and making impactful decisions. He specializes in future operating models, cybersecurity strategy, business engagement, and leadership development.

“The competition in the market is so fierce, we can’t hire ourselves out of those talent shortage problems. We have to look inside and re-skill and upskill our talent faster.” — Lily Mok, VP, Gartner IT Strategy, Execution and Organization team

Despite waves of layoffs, hiring skilled IT talent remains a critical challenge — especially as 79% of organizations plan to increase IT staff levels in 2024. Listen now as Gartner IT Strategy expert Lily Mok explains how to effectively respond to the talent shortage and other key trends impacting CIOs’ strategies.

Episode Highlights: 

• AI and the future of work (1:29)
• The top trends affecting CIOs’ current and future strategies (4:29)
  • The cost-of-work crisis
  • Career growth opportunities
  • The global skills shortage
  • Employee engagement in the future of work
• How to address these trends and reduce talent shortage risks (8:29)
• How CIOs should develop talent (11:27)
• 3 crucial CIO insights for the future of work (21:29)

Lily Mok is a Gartner Vice President, Team Manager, working on the IT Strategy, Execution and Organization team. Lily focuses her research on helping CIOs and HR leaders develop strategies and programs to build a future-ready workforce. Lily has extensive experience in global HR and compensation consulting, and is a Certified Compensation Professional specialized in designing and developing employee reward strategy and programs.

Episode highlights: 

• How the climate economy is changing the flow of money (1:00)
• 3 critical areas for the CIO in the climate economy (3:41)
• Sustainable IT (4:56)
• IT for sustainability (10:39)
• ESG data (17:52)
• Why CIOs cannot improve sustainability without vendors (14:52)
• 5 key sustainability actions for CIOs (20:36)

This episode of the CIO Mind Podcast follows the money in sustainability. Host ck Andrade and Kristin Moyer, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, explore whether CIOs are at risk of being left behind in the climate economy, where CEOs’ sustainability initiatives are transforming CIOs’ obligations. Join us as we reveal key responsibilities and actions for CIOs to support CEOs’ green investments and business models. To discover how other CIOs view sustainability, see Gartner’s Peer Community.

Kristin Moyer is a Distinguished VP, Analyst in Gartner's Global Enterprise Executive Research, which is part of Gartner's CIO & Industries practice. Kristin helps CEOs, boards, sustainability leaders and digital leaders find new technology-enabled paradigms. She brings practical ideas and advice to help enterprises improve their transformation programs, create emerging business models and pursue new missions. Her enthusiasm, encouragement and research acumen help executives persuade others, execute plans and achieve impact. Kristin's research focuses on sustainability, CEOs, augmented (AI) executive, digital business, platform business and non-executive board of directors. She is invited to speak around the world as part of both client and Gartner conferences. Kristin loves the thrill of the stage. But she also runs engaging executive roundtables and workshops. Her most recent keynotes have included CEO Concerns, The AI Powered Digital Gold Rush and Embed Sustainability into IT Strategy.

“Trust is going to be one of the biggest differentiators in the AI and Gen AI landscape.” — Frances Karamouzis, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst

Episode highlights: 

• Why AI ROI largely depends on trust (3:00)
• How CIOs should factor trust in ROI discussions (6:07)
• 2 specific measures to reinforce trust in AI systems (8:42)
• The critical relationship between trust and control (14:08)
• How to build trust with employees so that they will embrace AI (16:53)
• The top mistake CIOs make when implementing AI (22:25)

Fran Karamouzis is a Distinguished VP Analyst in Gartner's Research and Advisory Group, focusing on AI, hyperautomation and intelligent automation. Fran is focused on research that addresses strategy, value creation, use cases, business cases and disruptive trends. Fran has appeared and/or contributed to reports showcased on 60 Minutes, CNN, CNBC, PBS, Business Week, Forbes and the Council for Foreign Relations. Fran earned a bachelor's degree in International Business and Accounting from New York University. She also completed her M.B.A. in Finance at New York University.

“When we just look at immediate financial returns, oftentimes we miss the full picture of the value that gets created.” - Rita Sallam, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, Data and Analytics

By 2025, nearly a third of GenAI projects will be abandoned due largely to unclear business value. To prove GenAI’s transformative value to executives and CFOs, this episode’s guest offers an insider’s perspective. Rita Sallam is a Distinguished VP Analyst for data and analytics and a former CFO. Her experience and expertise provide critical insights for:

• Projecting the total cost of GenAI via use cases (3:50)
• Managing costs as the pilot phase moves to implementation (8:24)
• Calculating your GenAI budget (12:00)
• Measuring GenAI ROI (Spoiler: It’s not cost reduction) (14:43)
• Convincing CFOs that GenAI’s value may not appear on the balance sheet (21:25)

“The moral of the story is: The closer CIOs stick to the CEO, the easier it’s going to be to help guide the rest of the C-suite through technology uncertainty.” (6:26)

This year, the vast majority of CEOs are shifting strategies. At the core of these changes lie digitalization and technology, which introduce unprecedented responsibilities — and opportunities — in the CIO-CEO relationship. Listen now as Gartner Senior Principal Analyst Jennifer Carter shares exclusive best practices and insights on: 

• Addressing profit needs via productivity and technology experimentation (3:21)
• Generative AI and creating digital cohesion (5:53)
• How introverted CIOs can build strong connections with extroverted CEOs (8:33)
• Getting critical one-on-one time with busy CEOs (11:59)
• A top mistake CIOs should avoid with CEOs (21:20)

Jennifer Carter is a senior principal analyst in the Executive Leadership of Digital Business (ELDB) practice. She advises executives on how to navigate C-suite dynamics — in particular building effective engagement with CEOs, creating high-performing, collaborative teams, and influencing stakeholders. Jennifer also covers changing culture through the art of culture hacking and taking a people-first approach to enterprise change communications. Furthermore, Jennifer discusses key topics regarding the future of work, such as leadership in remote and hybrid environments and implementing a human-centric work design. Prior to Gartner, Jennifer studied power dynamics within Chinese imperial courts at the University of Florida and spent years in Gartner’s Executive Programs organization. She has a passion for evaluating complex organizational and leadership challenges and uses her diverse background to inspire executives to think outside of the box.

CIOs are largely determining the organization’s future. Their technology investments can drive — or derail — critical business outcomes. However, organizations must first address a range of challenges to ensure ROI: 

• Which AI experimentation risks are worth taking? 
• What use cases should be prioritized? 
• How does the organization create lasting business value? 

This podcast addresses each of these challenges, as well as the three key actions CIOs need to take when introducing new technology into their organization. 

Podcast highlights:

• Three major technology trends in 2024 (1:43) 
• Four pillars for onboarding new technologies, like AI (6:31)
• How CIOs can mitigate risks from technology investments (10:38)
• The challenges of scaling AI and how to balance workforce implications (16:43)
• Take Three: Three actions CIOs should take when introducing new technologies into the organization (20:48)