A changing dynamic

In a recent study into the critical challenges shaping executive leadership through 2035, Robert Half found a range of trends that are reshaping many C-Suite positions, including the Chief Technology Officer. One of the core takeaways that stood out to me in the report (Towards the C-Suite 2035) was that the CTO will soon move from being the architect of an organisation’s digital infrastructure to a more strategic enabler of transformation across the enterprise.

We are essentially at a stage where the critical role of technology has reshaped the Chief Technology Officer job, to become more of a central leadership function, one that focuses far more on corporate competitiveness, operational agility and workforce empowerment.

Skills demands

Of course, with this change in scope of the role comes new skills requirements. It is highly likely over the course of the next decade, for example, that those in this position – or lined up to replace the existing CTO – will take on aspects of the COO role, particularly in tech-driven businesses. However the role evolves, it is abundantly clear from the Robert Half report that technology, digital and AI / ML skills will be in growing demand – and that will start at the CTO position.

For example, the majority (79%) of C-Suite and private equity (PE) respondents stated that digital transformation experience will be more important in the next decade. AI knowledge was also cited as critical by 75% of PE and 87% of C-Suite leaders. While this will fracture some of the CTO role into sub-positions, such as the Chief AI Officer, which 83% of all respondents listed as a leadership title that will grow, it will also add to the evolution of the core CTO position.

What has to be noted, though, is that the rapid developments in digital and technical transformation are impacting skills requirements across every role, department, sector and business. With notable shortages of experienced professionals in the vast majority of tech-specialisms, I have no doubt that the future Chief Technology Officer will play a pivotal role in wider tech-skills development.

I expect that the CTO of the next decade will be tasked with creating an environment where cross-functional teams can thrive, while also working with CHROs to steer investment in upskilling programmes and strategically advise where needs can be augmented with internal talent or outsourced to vendors or AI solutions. Delivering this will, however, require a strong understanding of organisational design and technology adoption curves.

Developing the skills of tomorrow’s CTO

The traditional routes into CTO positions are already diversifying in line with the evolving corporate landscape. While this is creating more of a challenge for succession planning, it is also a prime opportunity to expand leadership talent pools, particularly at a time when there are concerns around leadership skills gaps. In fact, according to the report on the shape of the C-Suite in 2035, 54% of private equity experts and 59% of C-Suite leaders are concerned about the ability to find suitable leaders in the next ten years.

For the CTO position in particular, the shortage of individuals on a career path to this role is already being acutely felt. Engineers, technology architects and VPs of Technology are already hard to source. Finding those with a technical background alongside the traditional leadership and corporate strategy attributes will be tough.

Considering how to split the workload of future Chief Technology Officers into more niche specialist areas, fragmenting them into AI or data leads, for example, will alleviate some of the barriers to succession planning.

However, what is more urgently needed is a transformation of training and development to support the right succession into the CTO role. If those in this position ten years from now are less likely to be involved in the daily technology implementation grind, do they really need the engineering or tech design background? Or can someone on the path to the COO position be retrained to take on the CTO role in 2035?

Either way, it’s clear to me that the Chief Technology Officer is going to play an increasingly critical role in businesses of all shapes and sizes over the next decade. But few companies feel fully confident that those on the path to be the leaders of the future will be equipped to deliver against the emerging needs of the C-Suite. That in itself is a concerning insight that needs to be addressed – and soon.

About the author

In his role at Robert Half, Matt Weston leads teams in his regions to support organisations navigating workforce challenges and prioritising the adoption of innovative technology. With Weston’s support, Robert Half introduced its Local Grants programme in 2023 to give employees the chance to apply for grants in support of local causes. In addition, Weston is an executive sponsor for regional chapters of Robert Half’s Global Women’s Employee Network and sits on the board for a Bristol tech startup. He first joined Robert Half out of college in 1999, initially focusing on contracting before taking on a number of roles in recruitment.