AI is no longer a question of “if,” but of readiness

This article is an excerpt from Riviera Partners’ Future of Tech Leadership 2025 report, based on insights from more than 1,000 senior technology leaders. Download the full report for complete data, charts, and frameworks.

The strategic importance of AI vs. the readiness reality

AI has moved from possibility to priority. In our survey of 1,038 senior tech leaders, 62% said AI is “very important” to enterprise strategy in the next 12–18 months. Yet when asked whether their leadership was prepared to execute at scale, only 58% agreed.

This gap between ambition and readiness is defining the next era of tech leadership. It’s no longer enough to experiment with copilots or pilot projects; companies need the structures, leaders, and cultural scaffolding to sustain AI adoption.

Not all industries are approaching AI readiness at the same pace. Tech companies are the most likely to fall into the very low readiness tier, with 38% struggling to put the right foundations in place.

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“Only 2% of companies are structurally AI-ready.”

The AI organizational readiness crisis

Riviera’s proprietary Organizational Design Readiness Index quantified just how underprepared most companies are. The findings:

Only 2% of companies rank as “high readiness.”
77% fall into low or very low readiness.
Venture-backed and privately held firms are most exposed, with 42% and 49%, respectively, in the very low readiness tier.

Where companies are falling short

When asked what’s holding them back, leaders pointed to three consistent gaps:

Change management & execution discipline (42%)
AI fluency across leadership (35%)
Strategic agility (35%)

These aren’t purely technical barriers — they’re organizational ones. Without strong executive discipline and clarity of ownership, even early adopters with sophisticated AI pilots struggle to scale effectively.

High-readiness companies show what’s possible

While rare, companies that scored high on the Readiness Index offer a roadmap. Compared to their peers, they are:

3x more likely to create AI-specific executive roles (64% vs. 21%)
Far more likely to report a Chief AI Officer (72% vs. 21%)
Implementing more hiring and team development strategies on average (2.5 vs. 1.2)

FAQ: Why readiness is the new differentiator

Every company is buying AI tools, but few are building the leadership and organizational muscle to use them effectively. As a result, a competitive divide is opening: Companies that experiment vs. companies that execute.

What is AI organizational readiness?

A company’s ability to align leadership, org structure, and strategy to scale AI effectively — not just pilot it.

Why do only 2% of companies qualify as high readiness?

Because most lack executive AI fluency, clear ownership, and disciplined change management practices.

How can C-suite leaders improve AI readiness?

By creating AI-specific roles (like CAIOs), centralizing hiring, and ensuring board-level alignment on organizational redesign.

This article is an excerpt from Riviera Partners’ Future of Tech Leadership 2025 report, based on insights from more than 1,000 senior technology leaders. To explore the full findings, charts, and frameworks, download the complete report here.

Want to know where your company stands? Take our AI Organizational Readiness Quiz to get your custom score and see how you compare to peers across VC, PE, and public companies.

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