Three years on since the introduction of ChatGPT and the continuing commoditization of artificial intelligence, Asia’s CIOs and CAIOs continue to face intensified AI pressures. Yet 79% of firms globally report inadequate GPU capacity for AI workloads – signalling critical infrastructure strain. Beyond hardware, fragmented data ecosystems threaten regional AI scalability.

Ben Canning, chief product officer at Alteryx, highlights the disconnect between AI ambition and operational data realities, urging APAC enterprises to prioritise foundational data integration over algorithmic hype to unlock sustainable AI value.

Given the importance of data in the function of AI systems, we have asked Canning to share with us his perspective on how data integration can spell the success or failure of AI adoption.

1. Briefly give us a state of AI adoption in Asia in 2025. What has worked and what has not worked? (second wave of AI adoption now)

2. What is the understanding of CIOs and CAIOs/Chief Data Officers when it comes to the relationship between data and AI? What about the rest of the C-suite leadership?

3. What makes APAC’s data-AI gap distinct from global counterparts, and how can it be bridged?

4. What metrics have proven data integration’s ROI in accelerating AI deployment?

5. How do regulatory variances across Asian economies impact integrated data strategies for AI?

6. How can APAC leaders better align their executive AI vision with legacy data infrastructure constraints?

7. Our topic is data integration as an enabler of successful AI adoption, given AI adoption trends, data sprawl, AI sprawl, governance issues, etc., what is your guidance for CIOs and CAIOs to ensure organisations are able to better data integration when it comes to AI adoption?

In 2025, Asia Pacific CIOs must optimise cloud value delivery amid a $250 billion market surge driven by AI and regulatory demands. With nearly 90% of enterprises adopting multi-cloud strategies, balancing hybrid cloud innovation and stringent data privacy laws is critical.

Addressing these challenges requires strategic focus on security, compliance, workforce capabilities, and data-driven decision-making to navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.

In this PodChats for FutureCIO, we are joined by Brett Wheeldon, VP, Solutions Consulting, Asia Pacific, SAP Concur, for his take on how CIOs can optimise cloud strategies for value delivery.

Questions:

Strategic Vision

Q1: How can integrated cloud solutions be designed to deliver seamless end-to-end operational excellence across enterprises? (orchestration/press for suite-based approach that focus on outcomes)

Productivity & Innovation

Q2: How can cloud automation be leveraged to enhance employee productivity and improve user experience?

Architecture & Scalability

Q3: What hybrid cloud architecture best balances enterprises’ needs for innovation, data sovereignty, security, and cost optimisation?

Secure Implementation

Q4: What strategies can ensure secure and compliant migration and management of workloads across multi-cloud and edge environments?

Q5: How should CIOs and CISOs address growing cybersecurity risks (e.g., AI-driven threats) in cloud/edge deployments?

Governance & Compliance

Q7: What governance frameworks are needed to comply with evolving data privacy regulations across APAC jurisdictions?

Data-Driven Sustainability

Q8: How can cloud data platforms be optimised to provide actionable insights that support sustainability and reduce carbon footprint?

Talent & Adaptability

Q6: How can we build cloud and AI skills internally or through partnerships to accelerate cloud value delivery?

Future-Proofing

Q9: What measures ensure workload portability/flexibility to avoid vendor lock-in while maintaining performance?

Q10: What strategy integrates AI capabilities within cloud infrastructure to drive innovation without compromising security/compliance?

Q11: Our topic is Optimise cloud for value delivery, what is your final advise for enterprises as they try to leverage technologies like AI and other solutions to optimise cloud for the best value delivery possible?

In 2025/2026, CISOs in Asia face the dual challenge of leveraging AI for innovation while safeguarding against its unique vulnerabilities. As generative AI reshapes the landscape, strategies must evolve to address risks like prompt injection and data poisoning. By prioritizing transparency, compliance, and a security-first culture, CISOs can navigate the complexities of AI integration and enhance organizational resilience.

In this PodChats for FutureCISO, we are joined by Reinhart Hansen, director of Technology, Field CTO APJ, Thales, who will help us navigate the AI imperative from the security perspective.

1. How can we identify and mitigate the unique vulnerabilities introduced by generative AI?, such as prompt injection and data poisoning?

2. What specialised AI security monitoring and detection tools should we deploy to reduce breach detection and containment times?

3. How do we ensure transparency and compliance with evolving AI regulations like the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics?

4. How can we secure AI systems (LLM factories) provided by third-party vendors and manage supply chain risks related to AI data access and processing?

5. How do we balance the business imperative to adopt AI-driven innovation with the need to defend against increasingly sophisticated AI-powered cyber threats?

6. How can we foster a security-first culture that promotes responsible AI use and equips security teams with the necessary AI expertise?

7. What investment priorities and cross-functional collaborations are essential to build a comprehensive and proactive AI security programme that aligns with business objectives?

8. Name top three recommendations that CISOs and their organisations should take as they lead their organisations into a more AI-immersed operating environment?

Asia is witnessing a shift from transactional execution to strategic business enablement, driven by digitisation, AI, and a focus on enterprise value creation. For organisations considering expanding backoffice and midoffice operations into shared services, the decision between prioritising scalability or resilience is now more critical than ever.

Expanding shared services in Asia offers cost savings, process standardisation, and access to skilled talent, boosted by AI and cloud technologies that transform them into strategic business partners. However, scaling risks operational resilience, and exposes firms to geopolitical, cyber, and talent challenges. Leaders—COOs, CFOs, CIOs, CHROs, and CMOs—must balance scalability with resilience by defining scope, integrating systems, managing change, ensuring data readiness, and aligning with ESG goals. Success depends on robust governance, workforce upskilling, risk mitigation, and maintaining customer experience to build agile, secure, and future-ready shared services.

In this PodChats for FutureCOO, Byron Fernandez, CIO at TDCX, shares his thoughts on how to balance scalability-resilience: the shared services conundrum.

1. Give us a state of the shared services market in Asia in 2025.

2. Which processes or functions are best suited for centralisation, and which should remain local?

3. Should leaders build a captive centre, outsource, or adopt a hybrid model?

4. How do organisations ensure data quality and readiness for migration?

5. Drawing from your experience, what governance structures and project teams are needed to manage the transition?

6. Our topic is on scalability vs resilience. How do leaders balance the need for scalability with the imperative for operational resilience?

7. At the beginning I cited risks that go with any change in strategy. What are the key risks—cybersecurity, regulatory, talent—and how will organisations mitigate them?

8. Still on the issue of people. how will leaders manage change and maintain employee engagement throughout the transformation?

9. CFOs have started to be more critical of investments. What financial investments and returns can leadership realistically expect over a multi-year horizon?

10. How does a shared services strategy support an organisation’s broader ESG and sustainability objectives?

11. What is your advice for organisations thinking to move to a shared services model?

In 2025, finance leaders in Singapore and Southeast Asia face a complex landscape shaped by rapid digital transformation, evolving regulatory demands, and heightened emphasis on sustainability. The rise of fintech innovations such as embedded finance, AI-driven personalization, and stablecoins is redefining financial services, while the pressure to attract and retain specialized talent intensifies amid skill gaps and workforce evolution. Against this backdrop, finance leaders must navigate shifting roles that have evolved from pre-pandemic stability through pandemic disruption to a post-pandemic era marked by geopolitical uncertainties and technological acceleration. Balancing organizational goals with personal leadership aspirations, building resilience, and preparing future leaders are critical priorities as they steer their companies through ongoing transitions. These dynamics prompt important reflections on leadership evolution, challenges, and role models relevant to senior finance executives in Asia today.

Song Yeow Chung, CFO of Old Chang Kee Ltd and ISCA council member shares his views and experiences on the topic.

1. Describe the finance leader’s role pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, post-pandemic, Trump 2.0.

2. As a finance leader, what has been most interesting to your during these periods of transitions?

3. In your view, what makes for a resilient and great finance leader?

4. What has been the most challenging aspect of the role in today’s environment?

5. What should future finance leaders do today to lead them to that future position?

6. How do you strike a balance between personal goals vs the company’s goals and aspiration?

7. As a leader, who for you is a role model to emulate/aspire to?

For CFOs overseeing finance operations across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe, building compliant, scalable finance functions in unfamiliar jurisdictions is a high-stakes challenge. Asset acquisitions, market entries, and decentralized operations demand more than technical expertise—they require navigating fragmented regulations, cultural complexities, and resource constraints while ensuring agility and compliance. From establishing local GAAP reporting to designing anti-fraud controls in multilingual environments, success hinges on balancing global standards with hyperlocal realities. As cross-border complexities grow and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, CFOs must ask: How do we future-proof our finance infrastructure to thrive in uncertain, multi-jurisdictional landscapes?

Joining us on PodChats for FutureCFO is Mr Oleg Koslov, head of internal audit at Modern Mills Company.

1. How can CFOs harmonise financial reporting and compliance across multiple jurisdictions, balancing global standards like US GAAP and IFRS with local tax regimes and regulatory requirements without overburdening local teams?

2. What strategies and controls are essential to ensure pricing, contracting, and anti-trust compliance in politically volatile or complex regulatory environments such as Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia?

3. How can CFOs leverage digital technologies, including AI and machine learning, to automate compliance processes (e.g., ESG reporting, transfer pricing documentation) and enhance finance operations while managing risks like data privacy and algorithmic bias?

4. What approaches best address talent recruitment and development challenges in regions with acute skill shortages or unfamiliar markets, ensuring culturally aligned, high-performing finance teams?

5. How should finance functions design agile operational processes-such as accounts payable/receivable and payroll-that can adapt to sudden currency volatility, sanctions, and geopolitical risks across diverse markets?

6. What role should regional or localised finance hubs play in balancing cost efficiency, regulatory expertise, and the need for centralised oversight versus local autonomy?

7. How can CFOs proactively manage multi-jurisdictional risks related to geopolitical uncertainty, economic volatility, supply chain disruptions, and evolving regulatory landscapes to safeguard financial stability and support growth?

8. What frameworks and best practices facilitate the integration of finance operations post-acquisition, especially when acquiring specific assets with limited transitional information, to build sustainable, compliant finance functions in unfamiliar jurisdictions?

In 2025, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and CIOs across Asia are grappling with an increasingly sophisticated ransomware threat landscape. The 2025 Veeam Ransomware Trends report reveals a concerning shift towards smaller, opportunistic groups that exploit vulnerabilities in larger enterprises, making rapid detection and response essential.

FutureCISO spoke to Ben Young, Veeam's CTO for APAC to discuss how AI is impacting the cyber threat landscape, most notably in the areas of ransomware and phishing, and what CISO's must revisit as part of their resilience strategy.

Questions covered:

1. Give us your summary of the 2025 Ransomware Trends & Proactive Strategies report.

2. How are ransomware groups adapting to law enforcement pressure, and what does this mean for mid to large enterprises in Asia?

3. How is the shift toward data exfiltration (vs. encryption-only attacks) impacting our incident response plans?

4. Are we prepared for the legal and compliance risks if we pay a ransom, given new regional/international regulations?

5. Do our backup and recovery strategies meet the "3-2-1-1-0" rule? Is this strategy still relevant in the era of hybrid data, AI everywhere, and digital-native workforces?

6. Are cloud-based backups and managed services a viable strategy for improving resilience?

7. How can organisations reduce dwell time for attackers between infiltration and detection?

8. Are current employee training program robust enough to prevent phishing/social engineering breaches?

9. Are IT and security teams aligned to ensure rapid response during an attack?

10. Should CISOs consider third-party incident response partnerships to reduce ransom payments?

11. How will rising cybersecurity budgets be allocated between prevention, detection, and recovery? Any tips on how CISOs can get the budget they need for the organisation?

Asia's CISOs and CIOs face a uniquely complex cyber landscape in 2025. The convergence of AI-driven attacks and deepfakes intensifies disinformation and social engineering threats, demanding adaptive strategies. Simultaneously, securing sprawling IoT ecosystems against supply chain vulnerabilities call for more adaptive, scalable and resilient solutions.

Regional disparities in 5G and cloud adoption create systemic resilience gaps, necessitating stronger public-private partnerships. Ethical deployment of autonomous response systems and safeguarding AI algorithms against poisoning are critical.

CISOs must also navigate stringent data localisation laws amidst a cyber skills shortage, balancing AI orchestration with upskilling. Quantifying the ROI of resilience investments in emerging technologies remains a key priority for justifying essential budgets.

Joining me on PodChats for FutureCISO is Sunny Tan, Head of Security Business for AMEA, BT Business

1. How has the convergence of AI-driven attacks and deepfake technologies reshaped the threat landscape, and what adaptive strategies must CISOs prioritise to counter disinformation and social engineering?

2. In what ways can blockchain architectures mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly in securing IoT ecosystems across Asia’s manufacturing and logistics sectors?

3. How do regional disparities in digital infrastructure—such as uneven 5G rollout or cloud adoption—create systemic risks, and what role should public-private partnerships play in bridging resilience gaps? (mention The Cyber Agile Organisation")

4. With AI-powered autonomous response systems gaining traction, how can CISOs ensure ethical deployment to prevent unintended escalation during cyber incidents?

5. What safeguards are necessary to secure AI training data and algorithms against poisoning attacks, particularly as organisations rely on machine learning for predictive analytics?

6. How can CISOs reconcile stringent data localisation laws in markets like China and India with the operational demands of multinational businesses seeking regional cloud solutions?

7. Amid a shortage of skilled cyber professionals, should organisations prioritise AI-driven security orchestration or invest in upskilling programmes to build human-machine synergies?

8. What metrics should CISOs adopt to quantify the ROI of cyber resilience investments, particularly when justifying budgets for emerging technologies like deception platforms or homomorphic encryption?

9. Final Advise for CISOs given the prevailing uncertainties in 2025?