Why AI Strategy Is Becoming a C-Suite Skill

AI Strategy Is Now a C-Suite Priority

AI isn’t just creeping into your workflow, it’s restructuring what business is.

And while many teams are still stuck in the pilot phase, the smartest leadership teams are already asking:

👉 Where do we gain leverage from AI?

👉 Where does it reduce cost, increase margin, or create a strategic moat?

👉 What do we need to change, operationally and culturally, to make that real?

This is no longer an IT conversation.

AI fluency is becoming a core C-suite skill.

PART 1
💡 Why the Shift?

There are a few reasons behind this strategic elevation, and all of them are pressing:

✅ Customer expectations have changed—fast.

AI-driven personalisation, 24/7 support, instant recommendations, and seamless service have gone from “nice-to-have” to basic expectation.

According to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer report, 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations instantly. AI makes that possible.

Consider the BBC’s recent move last week: they’ve signed a £40 million contract with Serco to upgrade audience services by integrating AI. The plan? To group similar viewer complaints, generate smart responses at scale, and free up human agents to focus on high-sensitivity issues. The goal isn’t just efficiency, it’s relevance, responsiveness, and resilience.

✅ Leaders are under pressure to do more with less.

Budgets are tight. Hiring is frozen. But targets haven’t moved.

In PwC’s 2024 CEO Survey, 45% of global CEOs said their business won’t survive more than a decade on its current trajectory and cited tech transformation as their #1 lever for survival.

✅ Boards want clear, compelling answers.

“What’s our AI strategy?” has replaced “Are we using AI?”

It’s now being asked alongside:

• “Where’s our growth coming from?”

• “What risks are we exposed to?”

• “What capabilities do we need to build—urgently?”

PART 2
The Opportunity (If You’re Paying Attention)

The most forward-looking executives aren’t just adding AI tools to existing workflows. They’re asking:

• What parts of our operating model could we redesign—AI-first?

• Which decisions can be augmented or offloaded to intelligent systems?

• How can we shrink the distance between insight and action?

They’re not chasing a silver bullet.

They’re building systems: data pipelines, AI-powered workflows, governance structures, and AI-literate teams who can scale impact safely and strategically.

This is how you move from superficial automation to structural advantage.


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FINAL THOUGHT


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Matt Jonns

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ABOUT MATT

Matt is the Founder and CEO of The Lightning Group, a product and AI innovation studio helping businesses build, scale, and future-proof their digital products.

With a decade of experience in venture building, product development, and investment, Matt has worked with startups and enterprises alike to create high-performing digital platforms. Today, The Lightning Group specialises in AI-powered product development, AI agent & copilot design, and corporate venture building, enabling businesses to leverage AI for smarter customer interactions, automation, and growth.

Under Matt’s leadership, The Lightning Group has launched and invested in over 40 companies, bridging the gap between startup agility and enterprise-scale in the new AI era.

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