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Foreword
In 2024, ADAPT Edge events hosted over 1200 senior executives responsible for IT, Digital, Security, Data and Finance for 500 of Australia’s leading enterprise and government organisations. Between them, they create 66% of Australian GDP ($1.24 trillion) and employ 1 in 4 of Australia’s active workforce (3.34m direct employees).
Most of these executives also submitted a detailed survey on their goals, initiatives, capital allocation, barriers to execution and several qualitative and quantitative insights. The following summarises key trends and issues revealed by ADAPT’s rich dataset, aggregated to provide meaningful, actionable insights to support you in your role.
Introduction
In 2024, Australian organisations targeted cost-optimised modernisation and simplification strategies as they aim to drive greater security, efficiency, and growth. This sentiment resonates strongly with insights gathered from 909 Australian executives, who highlighted the critical roles of data, AI, and governance.
However, it also underscored an important distinction: while these areas remain crucial, CIOs are increasingly tethered to efficiency-focused, short-term tactical responses to meet today’s pressing challenges. This narrower focus presents both opportunities and risks for CIOs, as it limits the bandwidth needed for transformative change and could impact their influence within the organisation. When focused purely on immediate needs, CIOs may find it harder to secure investment for foundational initiatives, which can, in turn, shape their role more as functional operators than as strategic value generators.
Throughout the year, themes of cost management, AI, and resilience surfaced consistently in our discussions with industry leaders. In the evolving landscape, ADAPT continues to see the CIO’s potential to reshape operating models and enhance organisational agility.
Our review highlights the progress, challenges and ambitions of Australian executives as they work toward balancing operational efficiency with strategic influence.
