Top 10 CXO trends to watch in 2017

The C-suite will become more involved in cybersecurity, analytics, and IoT as we move further into the new year, experts predict. Here's what your company needs to know.

It's clear that 2017 will be a year of action for CXOs, as the C-suite starts to see delivery on the promise of new tech such as AI, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). However, IT executives will also have to contend with new trends in cybersecurity and increased consumer expectations, experts said.

Here are the top 10 CXO trends to watch for moving forward into 2017. 

1. The C-suite will be held accountable for cybersecurity

2. Analytics will go mainstream

3. AI and machine learning will evolve in the enterprise

4. Businesses will deploy big new solutions rapidly

5. CEOs will become generalists

6. More women will enter the C-Suite

7. Enterprises will adopt AR and VR

8. IoT will further dominate the enterprise

9. IaaS and PaaS solutions will grow substantially

10. The IT career path will become more defined 

In 2017, the career path in IT—from operators to CIO and beyond—will become more formally defined and established, predicts Bask Iyer, senior vice president and CIO of VMware. 

"IT practitioners who aspire to become future CIOs will have a clearer career growth path, including mentorship, certifications and accomplishments," Iyer said. "Furthermore, we will start to see more CIOs viewed as competitive candidates for CEO roles, especially in technology companies or those companies ready to be digitally transformed."

While today, about 75% of CIOs report to the CFO, that is likely to change, according to John Matthews, CIO of ExtraHop. "In 2017, expect the reporting structures and roles to shift as technology continues to expand its influence in the enterprise," Matthews said. "First, the lines that delineate that CIO and CTO role are increasingly blurry. With CTOs traditionally housed within product management and delivery, I expect to see the CIO role shift under this function in the years to come."