Tech is top priority for Irish execs, who say AI will lead to job losses
Tom O’Brien, managing partner for Forvis Mazars in Ireland.
Technology transformation will remain the No1 priority for business leaders for the next three to five years, according to a new survey.
The Forvis Mazars C-Suite Barometer 2025 has found that nearly half of business leaders say that transforming company IT and new tech at the top of their agenda.
Interestingly, 56% of Irish business leaders (14% higher than the global average) say AI will lead to changes in roles and to job displacement in their organisation and 80% have highlighted the ethical factors around the use of AI and GenAI as being a significant concern.
Some 83% of Irish executives consider that these ethical concerns can be addressed by strong AI regulation, much higher than the global average of 75%.
Tom O’Brien, managing partner for Forvis Mazars in Ireland, said: “While transforming IT and technology is a top strategic priority for C-suite leaders in Ireland, they are less likely to have a clear strategy to harness the opportunities presented by AI and technology than their global peers by a margin of some 10% (Ireland: 58%; Global: 67%).
“Whilst 75% of Irish executives recognise the impact that AI and GenAI will have on business and expect its influence to be higher than their international counterparts (Ireland: 96%; Global: 87%), they are reporting lower levels of adoption than elsewhere (60%, ten percentage points below the global average).”
C-suite leaders in Ireland agree with the majority globally that transforming IT/technology is a top strategic priority (47%). Launching a new product/service (Ireland: 31%; Global: 24%) and adapting to climate change (Ireland: 29%; Global: 21%) are higher priorities for Irish leaders compared with their global peers.
Ireland comes out positively in the annual global exec level survey. Some 96% of Irish C-suite leaders have a positive outlook for 2025, compared with the global average of 93%.
Despite this optimism, challenges are emerging for Irish business leaders with changing economic trends (40%), increased competition (38%) and new technologies (38%) cited as major trends impacting companies.
Confidence in managing these key challenges is particularly low among Irish executives (31%) and is six points lower than the global average (37%).
Tom O’Brien said: “These findings offer an interesting glimpse into the dynamic landscape of Irish business, reflecting both the optimism and the challenges that lie ahead for local leaders in a rapidly changing global environment. The macro environment has already shifted significantly since this survey was conducted with geopolitical tensions intensifying and the potential economic impacts still somewhat unclear. It will be important that business leaders build resilience and headroom into their business plans.”
The most important source of growth for C-suite leaders in Ireland is organic growth (Ireland: 42%; Global: 37%), followed by strategic alliances (Ireland: 22%; Global: 25%).
International expansion is also a potential growth opportunity with 80% of businesses in Ireland planning some international expansion in the next five years, with the neighbouring UK the top destination targeted. Key challenges for those expanding internationally are understanding local regulations (48%) and securing a local workforce (57%).
