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To better understand this, Russell Reynolds Associates recently analyzed the backgrounds, career paths, and remits of top technology officers across FTSE 100 companies. Complementing this analysis, we leveraged insights from our most recent Global Leadership Monitor, a global survey of more than 3,000 board members, C-suite executives, and next-generation leaders, to understand what’s top of mind for leaders globally.
Our research highlights several key trends shaping how FTSE 100 companies are hiring and positioning their top technology leaders:
Drawing on insights from Russell Reynolds Associates’ H1 2025 Global Leadership Monitor, we explored the challenges FTSE 100 technology leaders anticipate over the next 12–18 months—and how prepared they feel to meet them.
Top concerns include rapid technological change (66%), uncertain economic growth (57%), and the availability of key talent and skills (50%) (Figure 1). While most leaders feel confident managing technology-specific risks—76% report readiness to tackle cyber threats, and 53% feel prepared for technological change—their confidence drops sharply on broader organizational issues. Only 14% feel ready to navigate workforce transformation, and just 13% believe their organizations are equipped to secure the talent they need.
Figure 1: Tech officers’ top challenges & their preparedness to face them
Source: Russell Reynolds Associates H1 2025 Global Leadership Monitor, n=75 Technology Leaders
This confidence gap highlights the expanding remit of today’s technology leaders. They are no longer confined to running IT or driving isolated transformations—they are expected to act as enterprise-wide partners: customer champions, enablers of P&L growth, and catalysts for innovation. Organizations increasingly recognize that transformation is not a siloed initiative, but a full-scale reinvention of how value is created and delivered.
Our Global Leadership Monitor reinforces this shift. More than half (55%) of leaders across functions report that their organizations have implemented internal digital or technological advancements in the past five years, while 45% have developed new customer-facing tools (Figure 2). The most effective technology officers are now shaping how their businesses compete, grow, and evolve.
Figure 2: Most organizations are advancing digitally, both internally and externally
Source: RRA 2025 H1 Global Leadership Monitor, Base N = 2,796 global executives
FTSE 100 companies are increasingly elevating technology leaders to the heart of enterprise decision-making. Today, 59% of top tech officers hold seats on their company’s executive committee, rising to 66% among leaders appointed since 2024 (Figure 3).
This mirrors a broader global shift. In the Fortune 500, 76% of recent appointees sit on the executive committee, reflecting the same recognition that technology is now inseparable from business strategy. As digital transformation matures and competitive advantage hinges on AI, cybersecurity, data-driven insights, and software-enabled growth, leadership teams are ensuring their technology leaders have a direct voice at the table.
The direction of travel is clear: technology is a leadership-level priority, a trend that will only accelerate as industries become more digitally connected and innovation-driven.
Figure 3. Technology officers on the executive committee: Overall presence vs. recent appointments
Source: RRA analysis of technology officers in 2025 FTSE 100 companies, N = 91
The remit of FTSE 100 technology leaders has expanded well beyond traditional IT, and their titles are shifting to reflect this broader influence. Nearly one-third (31%) now hold hybrid or cross-functional roles spanning operations, strategy, product, commercial, or innovation (Figure 4).
Traditional titles are becoming less dominant. Chief information officer (CIO) roles now account for just 32% of appointments, while chief technology officers (CTO) account for 19%, and dual titles such as chief digital & information officer account for 18%. This evolution signals that digital, data, and transformation are no longer optional add-ons—they are core to the technology mandate.
Companies are deliberately using titles to signal enterprise-wide innovation and transformation, both to internal stakeholders and the market. The title evolution reinforces a reality: today’s technology leaders are growth enablers and strategic partners, not just custodians of IT.
Figure 4. Breakdown of tech executive titles in the FTSE 100
Source: RRA analysis of top technology officers in the 2025 FTSE 100, N = 91
As the remit of FTSE 100 technology leaders expands, companies still show a strong preference for experienced, sector-aligned talent. Nearly seven in ten (69%) tech officers were hired from the same industry, and 58% had previously held a top technology role such as CIO or CTO (Figure 5).
This pattern reflects a continued emphasis on institutional knowledge and the ability to navigate sector-specific complexity—particularly in highly regulated industries such as financial services and industrials. Hiring from outside the industry remains the exception, rather than the norm.
Figure 5. Hiring patterns by experience and sector background
Source: RRA analysis of top technology officers in the 2025 FTSE 100, N = 91
External appointments follow the same trend, as 56% of FTSE 100 tech leaders were hired externally, but the vast majority still brought prior top-tech experience and came from within the same sector. Only 11% of all appointments were external first-time top technology officers (Figure 6), underscoring companies’ preference for leaders who can immediately deliver impact in familiar operating environments.
Figure 6. Technology officer appointments: Internal vs. external hires
Source: RRA analysis of top technology officers in the 2025 FTSE 100, N = 91
Women are increasingly entering top technology roles in the FTSE 100, but representation and tenure gaps remain significant. Women now hold 24% of top tech positions, and nearly three-quarters (73%) of these appointments have occurred since 2023—signaling recent, but still fragile, progress.
Women are also more likely to be hired externally than men (68% vs. 52%) and tend to arrive with more established credentials—77% had prior top technology leadership experience, compared with 52% of male peers (Figure 7). These patterns suggest that women face a higher bar for entry, with proven track records often a prerequisite.
Figure 7. Gender dynamics in tech leadership appointments: Prior experience
Source: RRA analysis of top technology officers in the 2025 FTSE 100, N = 91
Current tenure further reflects the recency of appointments. Female tech officers average 2.0 years in role, compared to 4.1 years for men (Figure 8). As more women enter these positions, ensuring long-term support and retention will be critical to closing the experience and tenure gap.
Figure 8. Current tenure of FTSE 100 tech officers by gender
Source: RRA analysis of top technology officers in the 2025 FTSE 100, N = 91
While the role of the top technology officer is evolving in both the FTSE 100 and the Fortune 500, differences in hiring patterns, diversity, and executive integration reveal distinct market dynamics (Figure 9).
Overall, FTSE 100 companies favor highly experienced, sector-aligned leaders, while Fortune 500 firms show a slightly greater appetite for cross-industry or first-time top-tech appointments.
Figure 9. Key differences in top technology officer appointments: FTSE 100 vs. Fortune 500
Source: RRA analysis of top technology officers in the 2025 FTSE 100, N = 91 and top technology officers in the Fortune 500, N = 498
As the role of technology leadership continues to evolve, both companies and tech officers have a shared opportunity to turn intention into impact, but demands new expectations on boards and executives alike.
Mathilde Andrews is a senior researcher for Russell Reynolds Associates’ Tech Officers Practice. She is based in London.
George Head leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Technology Sector Knowledge team. He is based in London.
Art Hopkins leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Technology Officers practice. He is based in Atlanta.
Tristan Jervis leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Technology Sector. He is based in London.
Harriet Wood leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Technology Officers practice in EMEA. She is based in London.
Suya Xiong leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Technology Officers Knowledge team. She is based in Boston.
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