In today's rapidly changing and increasingly complex business environment, great leadership relies on more than individual expertise. Cross-functional collaboration and communication within the C-suite have become essential for driving organisational success. When leaders from different functions work together cohesively, sharing knowledge and experience and aligning their strategies, the result is a more agile and efficient organisation, equipped to navigate the challenges of a volatile world.

The tech skills gap is one of the greatest risks to organisations today. Business leaders report that they are struggling to keep pace with the global demand for the technical skills required to leverage the latest technological advances such as AI, Cybersecurity, and IT Operations. This shortage threatens to stifle economic growth as without adequate skills, organisations will be unable to leverage emerging technologies or meet evolving customer expectations. Indeed in April 2024, the UK government reported that the tech skills gap is estimated to cost the UK economy £63 billion per year.

2025 kicked off with a bang with a significant policy announcement from the UK government on 13 January, announcing the launch of the ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’, a ‘blueprint to turbocharge AI development in the UK.

Welcome back to Chief Disruptor Insights, your invaluable monthly updates on disruptive trends and technologies, sharing practical insights alongside member commentary to empower decision-making.

After several years of global volatility and uncertainty, 2024 has proven to be yet another year of monumental upheaval. In the past 12 months, we’ve experienced global election fever, and new geopolitical unrest alongside unprecedented technological, social and environmental change. And as we approach the dawn of 2025, the pace of change continues to accelerate at an alarming rate. Leaders will need to move quickly to assess the impact of groundbreaking technological innovations and skillfully navigate the implications for their people, processes and ways of working.

With AI continuing to expand at an astonishing pace and to reshape almost every aspect of our lives, we all need to consider the long-term implications for humanity of these rapid developments. But while governments, regulators and ethicists continue to debate and grapple with the known and unknown implications of AI, many increasingly believe that business leaders should also play their part in designing AI systems that promote ethical AI.

As part of our Interconnection Between People, Process and Technology book produced in partnership with Tanium, we spoke to Sarah Harvie, Chief Information Security Officer, Kingfisher.

As part of our Interconnection Between People, Process and Technology book produced in partnership with Tanium, we spoke to Jim Green, Technical Director, AI & Data Team Lead, AtkinsRéalis.

As part of our Interconnection Between People, Process and Technology book produced in partnership with Tanium, we spoke to Stuart Seymour, Group CISO and CSO, Group Security, Virgin Media O2.

Retail and CPG industries are in constant states of flux, propelled by changing consumer preferences, emerging technologies and market trends. Many industry insiders believe that early adopters of Generative AI stand to gain significant advantages. For leading organisations, the question has shifted from 'why' to 'when' and 'how' to effectively implement and scale GenAI initiatives. At a recent dinner and discussion for Chief Disruptor members, run in partnership with Cognizant and Microsoft, industry leaders gathered to explore the transformative power of Generative AI at the enterprise level.