Latest Learning Out Loud

A client called me last month to tell me the candidate I'd backed for the role had missed out. And on paper, it made no sense. Fifteen years in the field,glowing references, the kind of CV you don't second-guess. I'd been sure they'd land it. Instead, the client went with the other candidate — someone with half the experience. When I asked why, the hiring manager didn't hesitate: "The other one could actually use the tools. We could feel the difference in the first interview."

Let's be honest. In most organisations right now, AI transformation in the workplace is being led by the CTO, the CDO, or an enthusiastic exec who just came back from a conference with a subscription to three new tools and a lot of energy.And HR? HR is in the back seat. Waiting to be told what's happening. Reacting to the fallout.That needs to change.

hese are exciting times — organisations are racing to apply AI, create new teams and build capability — but that speed brings real headaches for hiring.

AI has moved past experimentation; the real challenge now is enterprise adoption, measurable value, and clear leadership.

The choice between a fractional CTO and a full-time CTO is one of the most consequential hiring decisions a growing business makes. Get it right and you accelerate — the right leader sets your technical direction, builds the team to execute it, and keeps your AI roadmap on track.

In 2026, the most useful career question is no longer “Will AI take my job?” It is: what tasks can AI do alone, what tasks can I do better with AI, and what work should remain uniquely human?