What’s next for CIOs? Omnicom’s Leif Maiorini has insights

2026-07-13 · Source: CIO · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Emerging Technologies & Innovation · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, short

Summary

Omnicom CIO Leif Maiorini highlights the challenge of ever-shrinking IT roadmaps, noting that five-year planning cycles are obsolete given the rapid emergence of transformative technologies like agentic AI, which became publicly known only two years ago. To navigate this, Maiorini employs a strategic planning group within IT that engages with Omnicom's front-end businesses and innovation stakeholders to anticipate trends, even those beyond computer technology, such as life sciences. His primary focus is on how agentic AI can fundamentally reshape business processes and organizational structures, moving away from traditional hierarchical, vertical communication towards more compressed, horizontal, and focused teams. Maiorini will further discuss these challenges, including AI economics and organizational redesign, at the CIO 100 Leadership Live: New York conference on Thursday, July 16, a one-day event for IT professionals.

Key takeaway

For CIOs and technology leaders grappling with accelerating disruption, you must abandon rigid, long-term IT roadmaps. Instead, establish dedicated strategic groups that proactively engage with client-facing innovation teams to anticipate emerging technologies, including those beyond traditional IT. Focus your efforts on how agentic AI can fundamentally transform core business processes and organizational structures, shifting from hierarchical models to more agile, horizontal teams. This proactive approach ensures your IT strategy remains aligned with rapid technological shifts and drives genuine business transformation.

Key insights

Rapid technological evolution, particularly agentic AI, necessitates a shift from long-term IT roadmaps to continuous adaptation and business process transformation.

Principles

• IT planning cycles have compressed significantly.
• Engage front-end businesses to anticipate tech trends.
• Agentic AI drives fundamental business process change.

Method

Employ a dedicated IT strategic planning group to collaborate with innovation stakeholders in client-facing businesses to inform IT strategy.

In practice

• Prioritize agentic AI for business process redesign.
• Prepare for organizational shifts to horizontal teams.

Topics

• CIO Strategy
• Agentic AI
• IT Roadmaps
• Organizational Design
• Business Process Transformation
• Technology Foresight

Best for: Executive, CTO, Director of AI/ML, VP of Engineering/Data

Related on AIssential

• CIOs ready for another role-change as AI becomes agent of chaos — Uncontrolled proliferation of agentic AI will necessitate CIOs to govern enterprise AI operating systems by 2030.
• AI Is Not Your Next Digital Transformation — AI is a C-suite strategy question, not an IT roadmap item, fundamentally differing from prior digital transformations.
• SEI Engages IBM to Accelerate Enterprise Transformation Through Agentic AI — Agentic AI and automation can drive enterprise transformation, operational efficiency, and enhanced client experiences.
• Agentic business transformation: What leaders need to get right — Scaling AI requires moving beyond individual productivity to process-level redesign, governance, and outcome measurement.
• The Next Enterprise Operating Model Is Agentic — Enterprise operations must evolve from human-assisted AI to agentic models where governed AI agents actively perform work within business processes.
• How CIOs can build an agentic AI framework — Successful agentic AI adoption requires a structured framework balancing value creation with robust governance and risk management.

See Counsel's argued verdicts on the open AI decisions leaders are weighing →

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by CIO.