CRN CEO Outlook 2026
via CRN
The one thing nearly every major tech CEO is putting at the top of their 2026 agenda? AI.
Their message is clear: Partners and customers that embrace AI now will be best positioned to capture the massive opportunities on the horizon.
Find out where CEOs like World Wide Technology's Jim Kavanaugh are placing their bets in 2026 and how they are relying on partners to help them tackle emerging technology opportunities this year.
What is the biggest market opportunity your company will tackle in 2026?
JK: I'm extremely bullish about this year. We achieved over 40% growth in 2025, and I see no signs of that momentum slowing. We continue to be disciplined students of AI and the opportunity for transformation as a result is tremendous. Despite constant discussion about an AI bubble burst, my perspective is that the growth trajectory is sustainable. At WWT, we are continuing to invest in supporting clients in their AI journeys -- from helping them solidify their data strategies, to understanding their AI use case portfolio, to ensuring their investments are driving meaningful business value. This involves not only the strategic aspects but also the infrastructure necessary to enable these transformations. The opportunity exists when enterprises fully leverage the potential of AI at scale. That's when we see clients create a flywheel effect on innovation and efficiency transformation. This is where we're focused for 2026 and beyond. This vision extends across all segments, including our recent acquisition of Softchoice. By integrating Softchoice's capabilities, we are better positioned to support our clients' AI initiatives and drive transformative outcomes across various industries.
What are the key technology investments you plan to make in 2026?
JK: We're deepening strategic partnerships with our key technology partners. NVIDIA has evolved into a multibillion-dollar partnership with substantial runway ahead, while our expanded collaborations with Cisco, Microsoft, Google, Dell, HPE, VMware and AWS represent significant investment commitments that enable comprehensive customer solutions. Second, we're making deliberate investments in innovation infrastructure, particularly leveraging our Advanced Technology Center and AI Proving Ground as an ecosystem where emerging technologies can be tested, validated, and scaled. This allows us to move beyond theoretical capabilities to demonstrate practical, production-ready implementations. This is further enhanced by our investments both internally and externally in AI solutions and AI-native development and engineering, ensuring we remain at the forefront of technological advancements. And we will continue to prioritize our people and their development by recruiting and training the industry's best talent. This includes both business strategists who can translate technology into business value and deep technical specialists who can architect and implement complex solutions. As technology rapidly evolves, clients value people who can simplify complexity and offer clear guidance. Relatedly, our culture at WWT remains a top priority. With all the technological disruption surrounding us, culture grounded in strong values remains the foundation that enables everything else. We will continue to invest in making WWT a great place to work for all and extending our culture of trust, collaboration, and customer focus.
What impact do you expect AI to have on your business in 2026?
JK: AI is the most transformative technology we've ever seen. We view it as an enduring investment, not a project. In 2026, we expect to see game-changing differentiation for companies that have made this serious commitment: significant improvements in efficiency and scale, alongside genuine innovation and competitive differentiation in the products and services they deliver to clients. We're leading by example internally and communicating to our clients -- from Fortune 500s to the public sector to mid-market companies and SMBs -- that AI needs to be led by an organization's highest leader. This means walking the walk to incorporate AI across our own business, utilizing our AI Proving Ground to upskill our talent and discover opportunities to improve WWT's efficiency, scale and innovation. This includes integrating assistants such as AI-powered coding assistants and proposal assistants to enhance our development and proposal processes, enabling our teams to work more efficiently and creatively. As a thought leader in AI coding assistants and models, we are committed to delivering transformational outcomes for our clients -- faster delivery, better quality, lower risk and stronger business agility.