The role of the CIO is continually evolving, especially in the rapidly changing digital landscape of 2025. The need to drive successful digital transformation and foster business growth has never been more crucial—or complicated. However, CIOs and their teams are expected to face several significant pain points that can hamper these efforts.
In the recently released “The CIO Report,” Gartner identifies five common IT challenges for CIOs in 2025 and explores possible solutions. Are you ready?
Establish an AI strategy and demonstrate business value
One of the most challenging aspects for CIOs is formulating an AI strategy that delivers measurable business value. Currently, 49% of leaders highly involved in AI report that their organization struggles to estimate and demonstrate the technology’s value. Being able to show business value will become more critical as AI technologies gain widespread adoption. CIOs must align AI strategies with business targets, identify valuable use cases and opportunities, and ensure AI initiatives yield tangible business outcomes.
Take, for instance, the significant hurdle of proving the worth of AI investments to stakeholders. Here, CIOs can align AI strategies with business goals, prioritize AI initiatives based on their potential impact, and regularly measure AI projects’ ROI.
Develop a business-aligned data analytics strategy
Another common pain point for CIOs is developing a data analytics strategy that resonates with business objectives, stakeholders, and use cases. CIOs must understand key business priorities, treat data analytics as a vital enterprise asset, and establish a baseline for continuous improvement in data and analytics capabilities.
Nonetheless, CIOs may find it challenging to demonstrate the value of data analytics initiatives and secure executive support for data-driven decision-making. Building relationships with key stakeholders, finding opportunities to monetize data assets, and creating a clear roadmap for data analytics initiatives can help resolve this issue.
Safeguard your organization from emerging security threats
With the constant evolution of security threats, cybersecurity remains a critical concern for CIOs. Globally, cybercrime now costs corporations more than $6 trillion each year. Clear accountability for cybersecurity risk must be ensured, a program that reflects the unique business context should be built, and security processes designed for agility and continuous improvement.
CIOs’ challenges often include staying ahead of advanced cyber threats and maintaining strong security measures. So, CIOs are advised to prioritize cybersecurity awareness, implement proactive security measures, and collaborate with cybersecurity experts to help strengthen the organization’s defenses.
Showcase business value from technology investments
CIOs must constantly demonstrate the value of technology investments and how IT initiatives contribute to business success. They need to deliver business outcomes, create an IT value narrative, and effectively communicate the value of IT investments to stakeholders.
CIOs may find it difficult to express the impact of technology investments on costs, risks, and revenue. Differentiating value stories into “Run” and “Change” narratives can help CIOs show the significance of maintaining operational excellence and driving innovation through technology investments.
Develop organization and talent strategies for current IT skills challenges
Only 15% of IT leaders say their IT workforce is prepared to meet their enterprise’s future skills requirements. Designing effective organization and talent strategies to tackle skills shortfalls, lure top IT talent, and align IT capabilities with business objectives is essential. CIOs can tap into passive candidates, reimagine job descriptions, and promote new working patterns to draw and retain vital talent.
CIOs may face obstacles in recruiting top IT talent, upskilling existing employees, and adapting to changing workforce dynamics. Leveraging social media platforms, enhancing the IT department brand, and implementing flexible work arrangements can help CIOs build a robust IT team that fosters business success.
To surmount these five common pain points in 2025, CIOs must adopt strategic methods, promote collaboration across departments, and prioritize innovation and agility in their IT initiatives. Successfully navigating these challenges will allow IT to achieve its two overarching goals for 2025: successful digital transformation and business growth.
