UX Leadership and Reporting Structures
Nearly 3-in-10 senior UX leaders report directly to the CEO – showcasing UX teams’ ability to influence organizational AI strategy at the highest levels. While CEOs top the list at 29%, UX leaders also report to:
The fact that only 7% of UX leaders report to their CMO illustrates how UX has largely escaped the marketing function. In fact, half of senior UX leaders either report to the CEO or have dedicated design leadership.
This executive access translates directly into AI strategy involvement. When organizations consider UX's role in their AI initiatives, 45% position it as a critical enabler of AI use cases, while 31% see UX as a core driver of AI innovation. Combined, this means over three-quarters of organizations expect UX to play a central role in how they implement and leverage AI capabilities. Only 20% relegate UX to a supporting function, and just 3% envision no role at all.
UX teams with executive access are better positioned to influence AI strategy
This suggests a virtuous cycle: UX teams with executive access are better positioned to influence AI strategy, which in turn creates opportunities to demonstrate the enhanced value that AI-augmented UX can deliver to business outcomes.
Process Efficiency Leads AI Transformation Expectations
