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Jun 11, 2026, 09:31 ET
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New Experis research reveals CIOs’ top priorities have shifted dramatically in just one year, as AI transforms what leadership requires.
MILWAUKEE, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — One year ago, cybersecurity kept CIOs up at night. Today, business-IT alignment has overtaken cybersecurity as the top CIO priority for the first time, as technology leaders face rising pressure to prove the business value of AI investments. According to the CIO 2026 Outlook report released today by Experis, a global leader in technology services and part of the ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) family of brands, CIOs are under greater pressure than ever to translate technology potential into measurable business results, even as their peers struggle to grasp what that requires.
The report draws on responses from 1,930 technology leaders across 12 countries, expanding significantly from the 1,400 respondents across nine countries surveyed in 2025. The broader sample reflects growing global urgency around the CIO function as AI moves from proof of concept to proof of value.
“CIOs are being asked to lead AI transformation, drive growth, improve productivity, and manage risk all while facing significant talent shortages,” said Kye Mitchell, President of Experis U.S. “When 61% of technology leaders say their C-suite peers don’t fully understand the CIO role, it creates a barrier to execution. The organizations that will win with AI are the ones that treat technology leadership as a business leadership function and invest accordingly.”
Key Findings:
“One of the most striking findings in this year’s data is the gap between stated priorities and actual behavior on sovereignty,” James Hallahan, Experis Europe Brand Leader, said. “Eighty-one percent of tech leaders say digital sovereignty is a high priority, yet two-thirds are planning to increase their dependence on offshore delivery. In Europe, where regulatory exposure and geopolitical risk make data residency a board-level conversation, that disconnect has real stakes. Organizations need to decide what sovereignty actually means to them operationally, not just rhetorically, before the gap between their stated priorities and their actual investments becomes a liability.”
Six in ten tech leaders are actively implementing AI-based technologies into current systems. One-third (34%) report that automation and AI-powered solutions are delivering the best ROI in production, while 41% still see cloud computing and scalable digital infrastructure as the top ROI drivers. Cybersecurity and digital sovereignty top the list of priorities earmarked for budget increases in 2026 even as the share of IT leaders whose risk strategy aligns with their cybersecurity readiness has declined, from 77% in 2025 to 72% today.
For the full report and insights, visit www.experis.com/cio-outlook.
ABOUT EXPERIS
Experis®, a global leader in technology services, provides the experience and expertise to shorten the distance between innovation and business impact in a digital world. Experis is guided by the principle that only human ingenuity can unlock the true potential of advanced technologies like AI. For clients, Experis offers the right mix of talent and technology to accelerate progress and deliver real-world results. For individuals, Experis has the insight, size, and scale to help tech professionals expand their skills, increase their value, and find the right opportunities. By matching talent to technology in transformative ways, Experis creates brighter futures for everyone. Experis is part of the ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) family of brands, which also includes Manpower and Talent Solutions.
For more information, visit www.experis.com, or follow us on LinkedIn.
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