The executive most responsible for AI transformation is becoming as important to a company’s future as its chief executive, according to Alister Wellesley, CEO of EA MENA, the Abu Dhabi Global Market-headquartered executive search and advisory firm.
“The AI transformation leader is now as important to the future of a business as its CEO. The CEO and transformation leader need to work together to shape the business, make informed investment decisions and ensure their people can turn that ambition into everyday improvements for customers. As AI becomes central to how businesses are run, we will also see a rise in CEOs with AI backgrounds over the next five years,” Wellesley said in a statement.
For UAE companies specifically, Wellesley argues this means giving AI transformation leaders a seat at the table on operating decisions, customer strategy and growth planning.
The next generation of CEOs, he says, should arrive with a working understanding of what AI can do, where its limits are and how it translates commercially.
The shift could also redraw executive structures. As AI takes on a larger role in both commercial and operational activity, a commercially accountable Chief AI Officer could absorb responsibilities currently held by a COO, covering department coordination, customer service and the broader business impact of automated systems.
Technical fluency alone will not be sufficient. “Think of how computers and email changed businesses that once relied on fax machines and telephone calls. Leaders had to understand and embrace a new way of working. AI is bringing a comparable shift. Tomorrow’s CEOs need to be curious about it, understand its commercial potential and make it part of how they lead. It is something they cannot afford to ignore,” Wellesley added.
The case rests on an implementation gap. McKinsey’s November 2025 State of AI survey found that high-performing AI adopters were nearly three times as likely as other respondents to report fundamentally redesigning individual workflows. BCG’s 2025 Build for the Future study classified just 5 per cent of companies as “future-built”, generating substantial value from AI, with a further 35 per cent in the process of scaling and beginning to see returns.
“Alongside that AI grounding, future CEOs need sound commercial judgement, experience of leading people and the ability to allocate capital. The test is whether they can translate technological change into lasting value for the business,” Wellesley further explained.
One area EA MENA identifies as particularly underdeveloped is enterprise-wide agentic AI: platforms that connect information and coordinate tasks across departments. A single customer order, for example, could trigger simultaneous actions across sales, inventory, logistics and finance. The same connected infrastructure could shift the customer experience toward anticipatory service, with AI recommending relevant options before a customer raises a need.
EA MENA’s recommendation for UAE businesses is to treat AI transformation as a shared leadership responsibility, with CEOs and transformation leaders aligned on commercial priorities, investment levels and how progress gets measured.
