Leadership
7 analyses
A groundbreaking study by Deloitte involving 660 senior technology leaders reveals the central paradox of 2026: 81% of CIOs trust in the ability to scale AI, yet 42% report low or non-existent returns. The issue is not the technology, it is the organisational model built around it.
In 2026, major technology consultancies face an unprecedented dilemma: the AI they sell as a solution to their clients is compressing the demand for the services that have historically sustained their revenues. Stefanini, Thoughtworks, Capgemini and their Indian counterparts are recalibrating business models, leadership structures, and value propositions with an unusual speed for the sector.
Alibaba cut its workforce by 34% in 2025, from around 245,000 to 162,000 employees, while CEO Eddie Wu announced a target of over $100 billion in annual AI and cloud revenue within five years. ByteDance leads in AI hardware, leaving Alibaba and Tencent on the defensive. Samsung and SK Hynix surpassed Alibaba and Tencent in market capitalisation for the first time in 2026.
On 21 November 2025, Samsung Electronics announced a new leadership structure with two CEOs: TM Roh at the helm of the Device Experience Division (DX) and Young Hyun Jun in the Device Solutions Division (DS). The restructuring occurs at a critical moment: Samsung faces intense competitive pressure from SK Hynix in HBM memory for AI and from Apple in premium smartphones.
After 15 years at the helm, Tim Cook will step down as CEO of Apple on 1st September 2026. His successor, John Ternus, a hardware engineer with 25 years at the company, inherits a $4 trillion organisation and the challenge of leading Apple’s most critical AI transition in history.
Milton Maluhy Filho, CEO of Itaú Unibanco since February 2021, was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of Febraban in April 2026. Gabriel Amado de Moura took over as CFO in September 2024. Zup Innovation, Itaú's technology arm, operates with over 4,000 professionals and has become a benchmark for regional banks seeking to build their own technological capacity.
HSBC has announced the closure of significant parts of its investment bank in Europe and the US under CEO Georges Elhedery. Ida Liu has been appointed CEO of HSBC Private Bank starting January 2026. At UBS, Sergio Ermotti continues to accelerate headcount reductions following the historic integration of Credit Suisse. The wave of global banking restructuring is redefining leadership profiles and operational geographies.