Where CIOs Get Stuck Rebuilding the Enterprise: 'Rewired'
McKinsey/Wiley, Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
CIOs must reskill and collaborate with business leaders to successfully implement AI-driven enterprise transformation or face obsolescence.
McKinsey's 'Rewired' argues that companies must rebuild operations from the ground up to compete in the AI era, but this critical work often fails because CIOs lack support from tech-savvy business leaders.
The transformation requires moving beyond tool adoption to redesigning core business processes with AI embedded at their center, evolving from functional silos to workflow-based structures where managers become orchestrators and AI agents handle execution.
CIOs must shift from solo technical leadership to collaborative domain-focused transformation with business unit leaders, who need to develop their own tech competency and take ownership of reimagining their domains.
Success requires organizations to treat technology platforms with the same strategic rigor as business strategy, bring teams in-house, upskill developers, and ensure that business cases have clear metrics tied to measurable outcomes like efficiency, productivity, and growth.