When the Freezers Fail: Why Cyber and AI Need Dedicated Leaders
In October, hackers took control of refrigeration systems at around 700 French supermarkets, raising temperatures overnight and leaving stores with spoiled food, lost stock and disrupted operations. Earlier this week, it happened again: a new wave of attacks hit supermarkets in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Estonia and several other European countries. In the US, the Pentagon is now investigating whether freezer failures that spoiled food at military base commissaries in August were also the work of hackers. Together, these incidents show how closely cybersecurity is now connected to everyday business continuity.
It also raises a broader question: does your leadership team have the specialist expertise and capacity to manage the technology your business increasingly depends on?
The Leadership Response Is Already Taking Shape
IBM’s 2026 CEO study found that 76% of surveyed organisations had a Chief AI Officer, compared with 26% in 2025. Meanwhile, ISC2 found that 59% of cybersecurity respondents reported critical or significant skills needs, up from 44% the previous year. And in Heidrick & Struggles’ latest global CISO survey, 60% of security leaders said they were actively hiring people with expertise in both AI and cybersecurity.
Together, these findings strengthen the case for planning specialist leadership needs early. For CIOs, CTOs, and HR leaders, that means identifying where dedicated cybersecurity and AI expertise would add capacity, defining how these roles will work together, and assessing the talent available internally and externally. Making those decisions before the need becomes urgent gives businesses more time to build the right team.
Where Specialist Leadership Adds Capacity
CIOs and CTOs already oversee extensive responsibilities across infrastructure, innovation, and transformation. As cyber risks evolve and AI becomes embedded in business processes, dedicated leadership in these areas can strengthen their teams and give each priority the focus it requires.
A Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) brings dedicated oversight of cyber risk, preparedness, and response, working alongside technology and operational leaders to protect the business.
A Chief AI Officer can provide direction on AI adoption, governance and responsible use, helping the organisation pursue opportunities while managing the risks of new tools and ways of working. The need for that direction is clear: in ISACA’s 2026 AI Pulse Poll, 90% of respondents believed employees were using AI in their organisation, yet only 38% reported having a formal, comprehensive AI policy.
Together, these capabilities can support existing technology leadership with deeper expertise, clearer accountability and greater capacity to plan ahead.
Preparing for 2027
For HR leaders and executive teams preparing for 2027, this is an opportunity to assess where specialist appointments could strengthen the organisation. Where these roles do not yet exist, defining their scope, reporting relationships and required experience is a practical first step towards hiring effectively.
At TXT International, we help businesses identify and secure the executive talent they need as their priorities evolve. If cybersecurity or AI leadership is on your agenda for the year ahead, we would welcome a conversation.
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Have any questions? We are always open to talk about your executive hiring needs, challenges, and opportunities, and discuss how we can help you.