Artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining the very fabric of enterprise transformation. Yet, as organizations race to modernize and unlock new value, a persistent challenge threatens to undermine even the most ambitious AI initiatives: the disconnect between IT and business leadership. This divide—rooted in conflicting priorities, misaligned success metrics, and preparedness gaps—can stall progress, fragment investments, and leave organizations unable to realize the full promise of AI.
Recent research underscores the scale of the challenge. While a vast majority of enterprise leaders believe AI will improve modernization outcomes, only a fraction are successfully scaling AI across their organizations. The reasons are clear:
The stakes are high. Enterprises are carrying trillions in accumulated tech debt, and incremental fixes are no longer sufficient. AI offers a path to break free from legacy constraints—but only if organizations can move from siloed, piecemeal efforts to unified, organization-wide transformation.
When IT and business leaders fail to align, the consequences are tangible:
In contrast, organizations that achieve alignment move decisively from experimentation to enterprise-scale impact, unlocking new sources of value and building the agility needed to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.
Bridging the C-suite divide requires more than good intentions. It demands new models of collaboration, shared language, and robust governance. Publicis Sapient’s SPEED model—Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, Data & AI—offers a blueprint for connecting business vision to technical execution. Here’s how organizations can put it into practice:
Develop KPIs that reflect both technical and business outcomes. For example, measure not just system uptime or cost savings, but also customer satisfaction, speed to market, and revenue impact. This ensures all leaders are working toward common goals and can track progress in a unified way.
Move away from staff augmentation and effort-based vendor relationships. Instead, seek partners who are accountable for delivering business value and accelerating modernization. This shift aligns incentives and ensures that external support is focused on outcomes, not just activity.
Equip teams at every level with the knowledge and tools to adapt to new AI-driven ways of working. This includes executive training, cross-functional workshops, and the creation of AI centers of excellence. By building cross-functional muscle, organizations can break down silos and foster a culture of continuous learning.
Implement robust data governance, security, and ethical frameworks to build trust and ensure responsible AI adoption. Governance should enable responsible experimentation, not stifle it—balancing speed with risk management and compliance.
Encourage experimentation, rapid iteration, and learning from both successes and failures. Make digital and AI transformation a core part of the organizational DNA, not a one-off project. This mindset shift is essential for sustaining momentum as AI capabilities evolve.
Every C-suite leader has a unique vantage point—and a critical role to play—in driving AI-powered change:
The future belongs to organizations that can align their leadership, embrace bold change, and harness AI as a force for continuous reinvention. By bridging the C-suite divide, establishing shared success metrics, adopting outcome-based partner models, and embedding robust governance, enterprises can move from fragmented pilots to unified, enterprise-wide transformation.
At Publicis Sapient, we help clients break down silos, modernize at scale, and realize the full potential of AI. The journey to AI-powered transformation is already underway—make sure your leadership is unified, your strategy is clear, and your organization is ready to lead.
Ready to bridge the divide? Let’s accelerate your transformation—together.