Drawing on her experience in Executive Search, Kirsteen Bell, Director of Technology & Digital Executive Search at Harvey Nash, explores how boards’ expectations of technology leaders are evolving and what organisations are now looking for from their senior technology executives.

From my work in Executive Search at Harvey Nash, I have seen how the profile of a successful technology leader has evolved significantly over the past eighteen months, arguably more than at any point in the previous decade. At the heart of that change are two closely connected priorities, with organisations wanting to make better use of their data, and adopt AI in a way that creates genuine business value.

What boards expect now

Historically, many of our C-suite appointments were heavily focused on addressing technology debt and modernising legacy systems. While organisations still require strong technical credibility, the emphasis has shifted decisively towards business leadership, transformation capability and strategic influence.

In today’s technology environment, boards are increasingly seeking executives who can use technology, data and AI to drive growth, improve productivity, strengthen resilience and create a competitive advantage. The focus is no longer simply on what can be implemented, but on the value it can deliver.

Our Digital Leadership Report reflects this shift. The proportion of organisations with large-scale AI implementations rose from 10% in 2023 to 19% in 2025, representing a 90% increase. Yet only 33% reported clear, demonstrable ROI. For boards, the opportunity is evident that the challenge is finding leaders who can turn investment into measurable outcomes.

How has AI changed the brief?

The rise of AI has fundamentally altered conversations around executive hiring. While we have been discussing the rise of the CAIO, or Chief AI Officer, and wider AI adoption for the past four to five years, the last eighteen months have brought a significant increase in our clients’ commitment to funding AI across their organisations.

Across our search assignments, a requirement for new technology leaders to be able to straddle the old and the new, managing legacy systems while embracing AI in a meaningful way that aligns with wider business objectives is particularly consistent.

The challenge is increasingly organisational rather than purely technical. As a result, broader transformation leadership experience is often valued more highly than deep AI expertise alone.

Key areas of focus include, but are not restricted to, the following:

  • Experience in translating AI opportunities into measurable business outcomes.
  • Skilled in developing practical AI strategies aligned to organisational goals & driving adoption across the workforce.
  • The ability to balance innovation with governance and risk management.
  • The credibility to build confidence among boards and executive teams, clearly demonstrating benefits realised against investment.

The Switch to enterprise leader

The most sought-after technology executives today are enterprise leaders first and technology experts second. We are now seeing boards require technology leaders to make significant contributions to corporate strategy, guide data-driven investment decisions and lead enterprise-level organisational change. As technology becomes embedded across every aspect of an organisation, the distinction between business leadership and technology leadership continues to diminish.

This does not make technical credibility any less important, however. Our Tech Talent & Salary Report found that 48% of technologists rank a deep understanding of technology among their leaders’ top three traits. At the same time, 46% say a lack of technology understanding in leadership is either a huge barrier or a significant issue when delivering their technology goals.

The strongest candidates are combining enough technical depth to command confidence with the commercial judgement and influence needed to shape enterprise strategy.

Leadership is the differentiator

This switch to a more commercially aligned and financially savvy technology leader has never been more important, as is the ability to communicate effectively across the business, particularly with less technical stakeholders.

As AI capabilities become more accessible, the leadership skills required to turn them into meaningful value become increasingly important. Leadership capability is now a genuine differentiator.

Across the market, briefs for top talent increasingly reference change and transformation leadership, strategic thinking, commercial awareness, stakeholder management and influencing skills, alongside talent development and workforce transformation. Leaders must balance rapidly changing technology adoption with the right level of governance, risk and regulatory oversight. They must also be able to guide organisations through ambiguity and uncertainty while maintaining trust and engagement across the business.

Balancing innovation with governance

This leads us to one of the most consistent themes emerging from executive hiring discussions, governance. Our clients are alert to the opportunities presented by AI, but equally concerned about ensuring it is implemented responsibly.

This spans regulatory compliance, ethical AI deployment and reputational risk, as well as organisational readiness, workforce impact and financial return. As a result, clients are increasingly prioritising leaders who can create robust governance frameworks while still enabling innovation and agility.

What does the future look like?

From what we have seen so far, we believe AI literacy will become a baseline expectation for senior technology executives over the next three to five years. The most sought-after candidates will combine technology expertise with commercial leadership. They will be capable of leading genuine organisational transformation, including workforce and cultural change, while managing risk and governance effectively.

In short, future technology leaders will be judged by their ability to translate emerging technologies into sustainable business outcomes, bridging strategy, transformation and innovation while maintaining trust.

That is the profile boards are increasingly asking us to find today, and the one we expect to define technology leadership for the years ahead.