An overwhelming 96% of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) say scaling AI is forcing them to expand their skill sets, according to Salesforce’s second annual Chief Information Officer (CIO) study.
With AI implementation surging 282% globally in 2025 compared to 2024, CIOs recognise that the skills needed to lead this transformation are evolving rapidly. Beyond technical expertise, leadership, storytelling, and change management are becoming essential.
“AI is undergoing one of the fastest adoption cycles of any technology, fundamentally transforming the CIO’s mandate from just technical delivery orientation to primary architects of business transformation,” said Paul Carvouni, senior vice president and general manager, Salesforce ASEAN.
CIOs as change leaders; not just tech leaders
According to the report, CIOs work most closely with CEOs (over other C-suite execs) as agentic AI has increased CIO scope and importance.
Moreover, a striking majority (96%) of APAC CIOs say AI agents have increased the need to expand their skill sets.
CIOs are increasingly valuing soft skills over purely technical ones, including leadership (53%), storytelling and narrative-building (55%), and change management and communication (75%).
“For AI to deliver value in any organisation, CIOs must move beyond the infrastructure works to become change agents - bridging the gap between raw computational power and the human-centric strategies that drive organisational transformation,” Carvouni emphasised.
