IBM Study: CEOs are Reshaping C-suite Roles for the AI Era

• 76% of surveyed organizations now have a Chief AI Officer, up from 26% a year ago
• 59% of CEO respondents say the CHRO's influence will increase over the next few years
• Nearly two-thirds of surveyed CEOs are comfortable using AI to help inform major strategic decisions

ARMONK, N.Y., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new global study from the IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value finds that the accelerating pace of AI is pushing CEOs to redesign how C-suite roles are structured to drive greater business impact across the enterprise.

In the foreword of the study, IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn writes, "The CEO's role has always been to lead through disruption. What AI changes is the velocity and consequences of leadership. Enterprises that succeed will operate AI-first – not as a layer of technology, but as a new operating model. Decision cycles will compress. Boundaries between functions will dissolve. Advantage will accrue to those who can learn, adapt, and execute faster than their competitors."

The annual IBM CEO study,* which surveyed 2,000 CEOs globally, shows that as AI becomes more pervasive in the enterprise, CEOs are under growing pressure to rethink how leadership teams operate, how decisions get made and how organizations are structured.

Among the key findings:

• 76% of surveyed organizations have a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) in 2026, up from just 26% in 2025.
• Analysis shows that organizations with an AI-first approach to C-suite design have scaled 10% more AI initiatives enterprise-wide than their peers.
• 64% of surveyed CEOs say they are comfortable making major strategic decisions based on AI-generated input. 
• 83% of respondents agree that AI sovereignty is essential to business strategy, underscoring the importance of having the right controls as AI plays a larger enterprise-wide role. 
• Surveyed CEOs say only 25% of the workforce is using AI regularly as part of their job, despite 86% believing their employees have the skills to collaborate with AI.

ARMONK, N.Y., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new global study from the IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value finds that the accelerating pace of AI is pushing CEOs to redesign how C-suite roles are structured to drive greater business impact across the enterprise.

In the foreword of the study, IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn writes, "The CEO's role has always been to lead through disruption. What AI changes is the velocity and consequences of leadership. Enterprises that succeed will operate AI-first – not as a layer of technology, but as a new operating model. Decision cycles will compress. Boundaries between functions will dissolve. Advantage will accrue to those who can learn, adapt, and execute faster than their competitors."

The annual IBM CEO study,* which surveyed 2,000 CEOs globally, shows that as AI becomes more pervasive in the enterprise, CEOs are under growing pressure to rethink how leadership teams operate, how decisions get made and how organizations are structured.

Among the key findings:

"AI is changing how work gets done, bringing people and software together in new ways, and it's changing how people come together in the workplace," said Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice President, IBM Consulting. "The CEOs delivering real results from AI transformation aren't just deploying AI faster, they're redesigning their organizations to bring together the best people with the best technology."

New challenges demand different kinds of leadership

• 85% of respondents say all functional leaders must become technology experts in their domain, signaling that AI accountability is expanding beyond specialized roles. 
• Among organizations with a CAIO, all surveyed CEOs expect the influence of the role to increase by 2030, alongside rising influence across every member of the C-suite. 
• 59% of surveyed CEOs say the CHRO's influence will increase over the next few years.

As CEOs turn to AI-driven decisions, governance and controls become more critical

• By 2030, surveyed CEOs expect 48% of operational decisions where consistency and guardrails can be codified will be made by AI without human intervention, compared to 25% today. 
• 79% of executives surveyed confirm they are decentralizing decision-making, distributing accountability as AI plays a more significant role enterprise wide. 

Organizations are betting on people to drive AI success

• 83% of CEOs surveyed say AI success depends more on people's adoption than technology.
• Between 2026 and 2028, respondents expect 29% of employees to require reskilling for a different role and 53% to need upskilling to perform their current role more effectively. 
• Surveyed organizations that redesigned five core business areas -- technology, finance, HR, operations and cross-functional collaboration -- are four times more likely to have delivered on business objectives. 
• 77% of respondents say talent and technology leadership roles are converging, suggesting tighter integration between talent, technology and enterprise strategy. 

To view the full study, visit: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/c-suite-study/ceo

The study also features industry perspectives from senior executives on how business leaders are responding to AI-driven change. A selection of these firsthand views are available in the addendum below.

*Study Methodology
The IBM Institute for Business Value, in cooperation with Oxford Economics, conducted a survey of 2,000 CEOs and equivalent senior leaders across 33 geographies and 21 industries from February to April 2026. The survey explored how leaders are redesigning business models, operating structures and execution capabilities in an AI-driven economy, with additional analysis examining how organizations translate AI ambition into enterprise-wide execution and business value.

The IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM's thought leadership think tank, combines
global research and performance data with expertise from industry thinkers and leading academics to deliver insights that make business leaders smarter. For more world-class thought leadership, visit: www.ibm.com/ibv. To receive more insights, subscribe to the IdeaWatch newsletter: https://ibm.co/ibv-ideawatch. 

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.  Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media Contact
Marisa Conway
IBM Corporate Communications
conwaym@us.ibm.com

Executive Perspectives:

"It's not laying AI on top of your existing tools and services. It's reimagining the entire process." -- Pablo T. Rivero, CEO, Resy and SVP, Global Dining, American Express

"You can't forecast every disruption, but you can prepare by building organizations that are resilient, adaptable, and ready to operate through change." -- Andrew Anagnost, President and CEO, Autodesk

"AI has moved from the infrastructure layer, largely invisible, to the surface layer of how we work and how we serve customers." -- David Risher, CEO, Lyft

"The introduction of AI is more transformative than the introduction of the internet was at the time – not because of the technology itself, but because of its impact on how people work, decide and collaborate." -- Jan Polkerman, CEO, Dutch Tax and Customs Authority IT

"AI needs to be embedded into how we operate. That means integrating it into workflows across design, merchandising, marketing, stores, and operations—not as a separate initiative, but as part of how the business runs." - Patrice Louvet, President and CEO, Ralph Lauren Corporation

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **



IBM Study: CEOs are Reshaping C-suite Roles for the AI Era



IBM Study: CEOs are Reshaping C-suite Roles for the AI Era

COO steps up as founder Steve Brown passes the baton in planned handover; transition follows a year of record venue wins, SaaS expansion and AI investment

TWYFORD, England, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- accesso Technology Group (AIM: ACSO), the leading global technology partner to leisure, entertainment and cultural markets, today announced that Lee Cowie has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. The appointment follows a planned leadership transition.

Cowie joined accesso as Chief Operating Officer eighteen months ago, bringing with him more than 15 years of senior international experience in technology leadership across the leisure and hospitality sectors. He spent seven years at Merlin Entertainments, most recently as Chief Technology Officer, providing technology leadership across more than 125 visitor attractions in 28 countries. He holds an MBA from Henley Business School and a BSc from Imperial College London.

He succeeds Steve Brown, who founded the company's namesake accesso business in 2008 and has led the company as CEO in recent years, establishing it as the operational technology backbone for more than 1,100 venues across 31 countries spanning the attractions, ski, hospitality and live entertainment industries.

"This transition has been carefully planned, and I'm leaving the business in very good hands. Accesso has a strong foundation, a talented team and expanding data intelligence capabilities that position it well for its next phase of growth. Lee's deep experience in this industry, his unique view as a former client, and his understanding of what operators need, makes him the right person to lead the business forward," said Steve Brown, outgoing CEO, accesso.

"Accesso has spent 25 years building the infrastructure and ecosystem that operators trust with the moments that matter most. My focus from here is on making that infrastructure more intelligent, more connected, and simpler for the operators and visitors who depend on it. The AI era is coming into our industry and we are ready for it," said Lee Cowie, CEO, accesso.

Cowie's strategic priorities center on three areas: the development of accesso Intelligence^SM, the company's AI-powered analytics and forecasting platform built on the acquisition of Dexibit®; an integrated payments strategy designed to simplify transaction economics for operators and visitors; and a programme of integration work across accesso's product estate to deliver a connected experience across ticketing, queuing, point of sale, membership and guest experience.

More details about Cowie's priorities are shared in a blog piece published today on the accesso website.

About accesso Technology Group plc

accesso is the leading global provider of patented and award-winning technology solutions that redefine the guest experience. accesso provides connected ticketing and eCommerce, virtual queuing, restaurant and retail point of sale, distribution, mobile apps and experience management, and data and analytics solutions for more than 1,100 venues worldwide. Its technology helps operators streamline operations, increase revenue and improve the guest journey. accesso delivers a high volume of product enhancements year-round and continuously invests in R&D to help venues and operators adapt to evolving guest needs.

accesso is a public company, listed on AIM: a market operated by the London Stock Exchange. Learn more at accesso.com or follow accesso on X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook.

 

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Lee Cowie appointed CEO of accesso® as company accelerates AI strategy

Lee Cowie appointed CEO of accesso® as company accelerates AI strategy