Executives say AI payoff depends on leadership and culture
At Fortune’s CEO Forum, European business leaders said AI returns will depend on training, governance and how companies pair people with technology.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
European executives at Fortune’s CEO Forum 2025 said companies are under growing pressure to prove that artificial intelligence spending can produce clear business results. The discussion centered less on new tools than on whether leaders can change work practices, train staff and remove internal barriers.
Fortune said the annual forum brings together senior business leaders in Europe to discuss shared priorities and challenges. The 2025 gathering included executives from companies including Shell, Philips and Sodexo.
Raffaella Cornaggia, who most recently served as CEO of Kering Beauté, said spotting the next trend or technology remains a difficult question for executives. She pointed to TikTok as one place where companies can watch consumer preferences shift in real time.
According to Cornaggia, TikTok’s recommendation system can expose users to brands and products they were not actively seeking. She said companies should pay attention to how trends spread across different regions and communities, because early patterns can help identify which ideas may travel beyond a local market.
AI spending faces a return-on-investment test
Executives at the forum were positive about AI’s potential impact on work, Fortune reported. Dave McCann, managing partner of IBM Consulting for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said productivity gains would depend on how well organizations combine human workers with technology.
Jose La Loggia, group president for EMEA at Trane Technologies, compared the shift to the earlier adoption of computers. “I see a similar evolution from not having computers to then having computers,” La Loggia said, according to Fortune.
The conversation also reflected a shift from experimentation to measurable returns. Gartner has forecast that spending on AI infrastructure software will reach nearly $230 billion this year, up from about $60 billion in 2024, according to CIO Dive’s report on the forecast.
Fortune reported that after several years of investment and testing, boards are asking executives for more concrete evidence of AI’s value. That puts pressure on management teams to show results rather than treat AI as a broad innovation program.
Leadership, training and governance take focus
Parminder Kohli, Shell U.K.’s chair and group executive vice president for sustainability and carbon, framed the issue as a question of opportunity for the next generation. According to Fortune, Kohli said leaders should consider whether future workers will have the same chance to reach their potential as current leaders have had.
The forum discussion presented that challenge as one of management rather than technology alone. Fortune reported that leaders need to align teams, clear organizational obstacles and rework companies so employees are able to use new tools successfully.
That means investing in training, encouraging managers to support adoption and putting governance in place, according to Fortune’s account of the discussion. McCann said culture will change only if leaders begin acting now instead of waiting for it to shift on its own.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.