The Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report: benchmark your organisation's progress against global leaders

The 2025 Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report is the world’s largest and longest-running survey of senior technology decision-makers. Launched in 1998 and previously called the CIO Survey, it has been an influential and respected indicator of major trends in technology and digital for over two decades.  

Over the last 26 years, the research has taken in the views of over 50,000 technology leaders. Find out what they are saying in 2025.

The top 8 findings of the report

• Sharper priorities, slower spend: Tech budgets and headcount growth are at their lowest in a decade. But investment hasn’t disappeared – it’s become more selective, focused on AI and operational efficiency with clear ROI.
  
  
• AI shifts to action:  Large-scale AI implementations have nearly doubled, and one in three organisations reports measurable returns. But proving the business case remains the biggest barrier – not the technology itself.
  
  
• Cyber threats rebound: Major cyberattacks are on the rise again. Half of leaders are concerned about foreign threats, while insider risks are also increasing. Prevention is under pressure – even as the cost of inaction grows.
  
  
• AI leads new skills gap: AI is now the top tech skills shortage, rising faster than any other. Cybersecurity and automation are also in short supply, while demand for traditional roles like software engineers has dipped.
  
  
• Outsourcing up, retention shaky: With headcount slowing, more leaders are turning to outsourcing. Nearly half of tech workers plan to leave, despite 80% of leaders expecting to retain top talent.
  
  
• Hybrid work hits tension point: Three office days per week is now the norm. Leaders say it works, but stricter mandates drive more dissatisfaction. Flexibility remains essential for attracting and keeping talent.
  
  
• DEI holds firm, but gender equity stalls: DEI remains a business priority, with strong support for neurodivergent talent. But gender diversity is stuck – just 23% of tech teams are women, unchanged in two years.
  
  
• Leaders want challenge, not comfort: Digital leaders hold steady influence but expect short tenures – averaging just 3.3 years. Pay is rising fastest in AI and data roles, but motivation is driven by challenge, not compensation.

"Amid the chaos, bringing the human-like ‘mind’ of AI together with the creative, nuanced world of real-life humans offers enormous potential. At its core is data, helping organisations understand their business on a deeper level and deploying AI and robotics to turn ideas into realities. It really is an exciting time to be in business."

- Bev White, CEO at Nash Squared