Research reveals key concerns for Aussie CEOs – mastering tech tops the list

Australian CEOs are concerned with grasping and utilising disruptive technology, presenting a clear opportunity for the channel.

In partnership with The CEO Institute, Pronto Software recently released their research results, which reveal the top five concerns facing Australian CEOs in 2017.

Number one was the current economic and political environment (I think Trump and Brexit may have had something to do with this), followed by mastering disrupting technology, adapting to change, handling growth, and lastly, managing and retaining staff.

Almost half (48 percent) of CEOs acknowledge that technology will make or break their organisations' ability to grow in the future, but they are unsure about which technology will do so.

At Tech Leaders 2017 we spoke with managing director at Pronto, Chad Gates who says there still remains an inherent distrust for new technology among businesses.

"Investing in digital transformation is likely to be the biggest expenditure they ever make for the business, so they want to make sure they do it right," Gates says.

According to Gates, this presents an opportunity for vendors, as partnerships between reputable companies can put business decision makers' minds at ease – Pronto are long-term partners of Microsoft, IBM, Red Hat and Avalara.

"Our 2017 CEO survey shows the extent to which international events are shaping both the Australian business environment and the ways that organisations operate within it," Gates says.

"By implementing a strong technological solution and embracing disruptive technology that's flexible and reliable, CEOs and their teams can gain clarity regarding how their business is performing, and empower their teams to make better decisions.

Gates says technology can truly put the power back into the hands of leaders, helping them navigate their companies towards ongoing success.

"In my ongoing discussions with CEOs, technology is one element that can create consistency and accuracy in what many are finding an uncertain landscape," Gates says.

"The opportunity lies in creating assurity through a respectable service, something Pronto is proud of doing with our constantly evolving product.