Anil Sharma, Senior Director S&T (AMESA), PepsiCo Inc.
By 2025, enterprise technology will be dominated by AI and ML, enhancing content creation, automation, and cybersecurity.
Tech Landscape
Cloud computing will prioritize cloud-native and multi-cloud strategies, with edge computing gaining importance. AI-driven cybersecurity and data sovereignty will be critical. Extended Reality (XR) will expand in training and customer experiences, while quantum computing impacts optimization, drug discovery, and security. Advanced networking through 5G and 6G will boost connectivity. Digital transformation will accelerate, necessitating employee reskilling, ethical AI practices, and robust data protection.
Security-first culture
AI and automation enhance security by streamlining workflows, reducing manual tasks, and enabling faster threat detection and response. Tools like AI-driven IAM, SIEM, UEBA, and SOAR support zero-trust models through adaptive access control, continuous authentication, and intelligent anomaly detection, strengthening enterprise cyber defenses. To build a “security-first” culture, organizations must:
◆ Demonstrate strong cybersecurity commitment from leadership.
◆ Offer tailored training programs with interactive methods such as gamified modules and simulated attacks.
◆ Establish and regularly update security policies and guidelines.
◆ Foster a trust culture to encourage reporting of security incident and concerns.
◆ Leverage automated tools for threat detection, policy enforcement, implement password managers, multi-factor authentication, and data
loss prevention tools.
From Guarding to Guiding
The role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) has transformed from a traditional IT manager to a strategic business leader responsible for driving innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable growth. Today’s CIOs align technology with core business objectives, repositioning IT as a value-creating function. They lead cross-functional collaboration, manage enterprise-wide data, and embrace emerging technologies like AI and cloud to enhance competitiveness. Alongside them, Data Protection Officers (DPOs) play a critical role in ensuring compliance with global data privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA, promoting ethical AI and data practices, and working closely with Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) to secure organizational data.
As the responsibilities of these roles begin to overlap, the question arises: Can CIOs, CTOs, or CISOs also serve as DPOs? The answer depends on independence. If these leaders influence data processing decisions, it creates a conflict of interest, compromising regulatory compliance. While smaller firms may merge roles due to resource constraints, larger enterprises typically require an independent DPO with legal, technical, and organizational expertise to meet complex compliance requirements.
