Technology & IT Services

Thrive or Survive 2025: Insights from Global Tech Leaders – Part 2

7 min read

Our Global Technology Practice continues the discussion with technology C-suite leaders to explore the pressing question: what local and global factors do you foresee having the greatest impact on your company and/or industry?

In Part One , we examined anticipated industry changes affecting commercial growth.

Economic and Geopolitical Factors

The uncertainty that existed at the end of the last US administration has been replaced by fast action, and an America First policy.

While this is causing international debate, the business climate in the US has improved since November last year, with significantly more optimism coming from the capital markets, potential IPO and M&A sectors.

Jack Klinck, Advisor, Board Member and Investor commented:

In terms of global factors as they relate to the US economy, the biggest priority is to ensure the free movement of capital is not restricted, i.e. to ensure that international organizations continue to be encouraged and attracted to invest in the US.

Shunsuke Onishi, Corporate Executive Officer, COO & CRO, Fujitsu, discussed the issues of globalization and the commercialization of new products: “The challenge lies in effectively monetizing these ideas into a sustainable business. This includes developing agile strategies for business planning and startups, as well as building a value chain and ecosystem that extends beyond Fujitsu to include a diverse range of players and customers—ultimately achieving critical mass.

The key issue is not language or regional differences, but rather our ability to compete at a global pace, the accuracy of our prioritization, and how quickly we can identify and execute alternative strategies as an organization.

Technological Advancements

AI has superpowered digital transformation, adding additional complexity alongside significant efficiency and productivity gains. Nagendra Bandaru, President and Exec Board Member, WiPro, discussed the accelerating pace of digital transformation and the widespread adoption of AI-driven solutions:

At the global level, three key trends are shaping the future of business: the accelerating pace of digital transformation, the widespread adoption of AI-driven solutions, and the expansion of specialized industry cloud platforms.

These trends create a fertile ground for innovation and growth, further amplified by collaboration across global tech ecosystems, which unlocks the full potential of shared data and insights.”

Mark Hepsworth, Chair, Gresham commented: “There are a lot more data products providing market granularity that are being brought to market, and of course, traders and investment managers are becoming more creative about where they're investing and need data to support this. ESG data, has been a factor but not as much of a factor as the industry thought it would be three to four years ago. Overall, more data sources need to be aggregated and consumed, but also there is the need ensure good quality data and mission critical reliability around daily processes.”

But while many leaders embrace the opportunities of AI, others recognize the risks that need to be fully understood. Timo Laaksonen, President & CEO, F-Secure Corporation, warned the current threats posed by AI are unprecedented, and anticipates that both threat actors and cybersecurity companies will widely adopt the technology:

AI will be used to attack users with personalized, higher quality scams that will be extremely hard for humans to detect. On the other hand, all of us working to keep users safe are applying AI to counter regular as well as AI powered attacks and scams.

Finally, the power of AI will be harnessed to create a massively simpler and smoother customer experience for users of consumer cyber security services.

This is something that is absolutely crucial in an industry too often pushing complex acronyms, product features and incomprehensible tech talk to regular users who don't have a degree in technology.

Isao Arima, Director and Senior Executive Vice President, NTT DATA Japan Corporation, also commented on implications, adding: “Regarding Generative AI, the potential implications will be that system development itself is likely to be replaced by AI. I believe that programming languages are rather more likely to be replaced by AI than natural languages.

Right now, many people are assigned for designing and coding, but maybe the structure could change completely, so we need to keep a close eye on it, and we must be actively involved.

We may need to change our business model and increase the value of upstream jobs that will not be easily replaced by AI.”

Skills Shortages and Talent Management

AI may have a major impact on certain roles and jobs overall, but people remain the greatest asset for organizations.

Igor Leprince, Group CEO, Boldyn, emphasized the importance of developing and retaining talent: “Another key focus for us and our industry in the coming year will be the development and retention of talent. At Boldyn, our most valuable asset is our talented team of innovative, bold, and dynamic thinkers. Their success is rooted in years of experience working with network operators and customers across various sectors, including transit, venues, government, military, real estate, heavy industry, academia, and enterprise.”

While AI talent is in very high demand, other areas in digital infrastructure face the same skills shortages.

Highlighting the constant demand for cybersecurity professionals, Pavel Šiška, Consulting Market Leader, Deloitte Central Europe, added:

Cybersecurity remains a constant area of demand, which will continue to grow, with the primary limiting factor being the availability of qualified professionals.

Regulatory and Compliance Challenges

Away from the talent agenda discussion, globally organizations face the significant dilemmas on the impact of regulation and compliance. Simone Wastl, Member of the Executive Board & Head of Corporate Communications, DATEV eG, discussed the impact of regulatory changes in Europe, such as the AI Act:

Globally, economic volatility and geopolitical developments could influence investment trends and disrupt supply chains. The increasing focus on sustainability and energy efficiency is shaping both customer expectations and operational priorities.

Locally, Germany's need for further digitization particularly in areas like public administration and SMEs, will drive demand for secure, scalable IT solutions. Meanwhile, regulatory changes in Europe, such as the AI Act, will require companies to remain agile in addressing compliance challenges.

Balancing these global and local dynamics while delivering innovative, customer-focused services will be crucial for success.

From a media sector perspective, Steve Dunlop, Founder and CEO, AMA, explored the global regulatory actions, such as potential breakups of Meta (Instagram) or Google (YouTube), could lead to structural changes, creating opportunities for new entrants. He commented:

“A TikTok ban in the U.S. could shift users and ad spend, likely to Instagram. However, TikTok’s meteoric rise in just four years illustrates the potential for rapid market disruption by new platforms.

Over the next decade, as younger generations engage with emerging platforms, there’s significant opportunity for innovation despite challenges like the high costs of large AI models and shared data limitations.

Overall, while monopolies pose barriers, the market remains dynamic, driven by regulation, evolving platforms, and migration from traditional to digital media.”

Sustainability and Environmental Concerns

Nagendra Bandaru, President and Exec Board Member, WiPro, mentioned the pressing need to integrate renewable energy sources into utilities: “Locally, the pace of technological adoption will be influenced by various factors, including infrastructure readiness, regulatory compliance, and the availability of skilled talent.

Economic conditions, geopolitical dynamics, and pressing sustainability concerns—such as the urgent need to integrate renewable energy sources into utilities—also play a critical role."

Odgers Berndtson’s extensive global network identifies, attracts, and develops leaders who possess the necessary talent, technological expertise, and commitment to social responsibility required to achieve growth in this highly competitive industry. 

We would like to thank all of the contributors who participated in this article and for sharing their industry perspectives.

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