The UK’s C-suite boasts among the most technically savvy executives on this planet, in accordance with analysis by Accenture.
Trying into CEOs and board members throughout hundreds of worldwide firms, the expertise service supplier discovered 23% of higher-ups within the UK have a expertise background, both by means of having labored in such a job at a tech firm, having held a decision-making position in tech, or having abilities in synthetic intelligence (AI), cloud, knowledge or cyber safety.
The identical can be stated of 1 / 4 of FTSE 100 senior execs, and 19% of CEOs of FTSE 100 firms.
These figures overtake different international locations and areas globally, with solely 16% of board or C-suite members in Europe having tech publicity, in addition to 20% in France and 22% in North America.
“Britain’s strongest companies have elevated their expertise expertise in a comparatively brief house of time, displaying the UK is not only a spot of science and expertise heritage, however the dwelling of tech management in Europe,” stated Emma Kendrew, Accenture’s expertise lead within the UK.
“With generative AI performing because the impetus for companies to rethink their operations, it’s crucial to have expertise acumen on the high.”
AI is turning into an more and more vital a part of enterprise technique, and plenty of companies are discovering it troublesome to completely see their AI plans to fruition due to a scarcity of workers with the technical abilities required to work on these tasks.
This additionally signifies that higher-ups making companies choices ought to be more and more tech-savvy, and Accenture discovered some firms at the moment are beginning to rent individuals for chief of AI roles.
Leaders are actually extra tech-savvy now than they have been even three years in the past – the place solely 17% of the C-suite within the UK had tech expertise.
On the subject of abilities, many imagine hiring extra girls may assist shut the talents hole within the UK as it might give companies a bigger pool of expertise to fish in, in addition to assist forestall among the biases launched into AI and different applied sciences on account of non-diverse groups.
Accenture discovered that of the 40% of British companies run by girls, nearly a 3rd of those leaders have expertise expertise, in contrast with solely 18% of males in the identical place.
“It’s vastly encouraging to see the expertise girls in expertise are bringing to management groups right this moment,” stated Kendrew. “With organisations fully targeted on long-term development, various groups herald a variety of experiences that drive innovation. Rising expertise like AI can profit all sectors and areas within the UK.”
Shifting wants
The wants of roles within the UK’s C-suite are shifting as expertise modifications – 40% of jobs at C-level posted up to now 12 months have been associated to using knowledge, equivalent to chief knowledge officers, and 5% of FTSE 100 firms at the moment are in search of main positions in knowledge or AI.
That is the place the UK could also be barely missing, with 1% of UK companies leaders having experience particularly in knowledge and AI, in contrast with the worldwide common of two%.
It’s clear that as expertise turns into more and more embedded in life and work, individuals will want expertise abilities it doesn’t matter what enterprise, business or position they work in.
