Business leaders are facing relentless uncertainty, with market volatility, geopolitical risk and rapid technological change making long-term planning and strategic decision-making hugely challenging.
Technological transformation is high on the executive agenda. According to a recent survey by Thomson Reuters Institute, 82% of C-suite executives see digital transformation as a key goal in 2025 and 62% are prioritising AI implementation. These rank higher than traditional business drivers such as revenue growth and cost reduction.
But while technology features on every board’s agenda, digital and technology leaders remain under-represented at the executive level. According to Eton Bridge Partners’ CxO Technology Pathways Report 2025, a recent survey of boardroom appointments reveals just 12% of tech C-suite appointments actually reach executive or board leadership level.
Jean-Pierre Green is head of executive search, transformation, digital and technology leadership at Eton Bridge Partners. He says the under-representation is down to boardroom traditionalism and the evolving nature of executive technology leadership.
“For many executive boards, there is still a disconnect. They want to embrace digital transformation but struggle to view the tech function as a genuine revenue generator. They see technology as a means to make the cogs of the business work better, rather than as a way to create value,” says Green.
Board demographics
The typical composition of executive boards is partly to blame. Board members often have similar backgrounds, outlooks and experiences. And they tend to be relatively digitally illiterate. Board seats are often filled by executives from finance and operations rather than technology. This is true in traditional manufacturing businesses, for instance, where tech is treated as a way to improve processes or productivity, not to grow revenue.
The under-representation is down to boardroom traditionalism and the evolving nature of executive technology leadership
However, Green says there is a clear trend towards greater tech representation on all executive boards, but particularly at new firms and those backed by private equity, where digital strategy is viewed as key to driving efficiency.
“We work with a lot of digital-native organisations whose product is technology. Many of these are backed by private equity and recognise that having a technology leader on the board is vital for growth and future investment. Unsurprisingly, we see a huge amount of emphasis on those tech leaders to drive business strategy and change in their organisations,” adds Green.
A secondary issue is the nascent nature of the technology leadership pipeline. While technical expertise is strong, many leaders have limited experience of operating at board level, particularly when it comes to governance and strategic influence.
According to Eton Bridge Partners’ 2025 CxO Technology Pathways Report, almost half (49%) of those appointed to executive board technology roles are doing so for the first time. This reflects the scarcity of seasoned leaders in the field and the need for organisations to look to emerging talent pools rather than established executives.
Future talent
Moreover, more than half (57%) of those appointed to digital leadership roles were external candidates – a marked contrast to other C-suite roles where internal appointments are often preferred. This suggests a desire for new thought in those roles and a break with the past.
“C-level tech roles are still forming. With it being relatively new, it also lacks appropriate exposure to profit and loss management, capital allocation and some of the leadership qualities you would expect to see at a senior-executive level,” agrees Green.
“The commercialisation of the role means boards expect senior tech leaders to drive organisational transformation – business leaders first, tech leaders second. The reality is that tech talent is often stuck in its lane as a functional head, rather than contributing to solving business challenges and influencing horizontally across the organisation,” he adds.
So how can aspiring tech leaders develop the skills needed to make an impact at the executive level?
For Green, it’s about maximising economic accountability and gaining exposure to capital-allocation decisions. It means showing a clear correlation between technology decision-making and business growth, risk and profit margins.
Often, this comes down to an individual’s own ability as a leader to step up, make connections and take ownership of projects. This could happen by gaining experience on board committees or subcommittees, developing cross-functional expertise and building essential soft skills such as communication, resilience and adaptability, rather than just technical abilities.
“The most valuable executive tech leaders are those who contribute outside of their domain. They are directly answering business challenges and problems – it just happens that the solutions they offer might be technology-led,” says Green.
Bridging the gender gap
While pathways for executive-level technology leaders are improving, some structural challenges remain. For example, the technology field is still male-dominated, with Eton Bridge Partners’ research showing that women account for just 10% of hires for executive tech roles.
Women are under-represented in senior leadership roles across a range of functions. Many end their corporate careers in middle management, leaving a smaller pool of candidates for executive positions. Still, the gender balance in the tech field is particularly lopsided, although this is gradually changing.
Policies to support female professionals could help to even the scale. Take Sweden, for instance, which recorded the highest proportion of female tech executive hires at 17%. Its generous parental-leave policies – parents are able to share 480 days of paid leave compared with 273 in the UK – and progressive corporate culture and diversity agenda make executive-leadership roles more attainable for many women.
Regardless, the route from functional technology leader to executive board strategist is growing in popularity. As businesses become more focused on digital strategies, they will require more technology experts at board level.
“I am convinced the share of tech C-suite appointments at executive leadership level – currently 12% – will dial up significantly. Organisations are joining up the dots on the value of technology as a revenue generator, talent is stepping up with the skills to be true business leaders and the market is shifting to digital-native businesses. As organisations drive digital strategy, technology capability in the boardroom becomes an imperative,” says Green.
Ultimately, tech executives must be able to bridge the gap between digital expertise and commercial leadership. Those who can demonstrate both strategic acumen and technological fluency will be best placed to shape the boardrooms of tomorrow – driving growth, resilience and innovation in equal measure.
Discover more key insights in the CxO Technology Pathways Report from Eton Bridge Partners.
Business leaders are facing relentless uncertainty, with market volatility, geopolitical risk and rapid technological change making long-term planning and strategic decision-making hugely challenging.
Technological transformation is high on the executive agenda. According to a recent survey by Thomson Reuters Institute, 82% of C-suite executives see digital transformation as a key goal in 2025 and 62% are prioritising AI implementation. These rank higher than traditional business drivers such as revenue growth and cost reduction.
But while technology features on every board’s agenda, digital and technology leaders remain under-represented at the executive level. According to Eton Bridge Partners’ CxO Technology Pathways Report 2025, a recent survey of boardroom appointments reveals just 12% of tech C-suite appointments actually reach executive or board leadership level.
