Digital transformation used to be synonymous with software upgrades, new platforms, and the occasional org chart shake-up. Having spoken to digital leaders across a range of sectors, from finance to FMCG and beyond in our Business Change Diaries, it’s clear those days are long behind us. The insights gleaned from each individual’s unique career path and experience in these interviews is a window into what transformation really looks like from the inside in 2025.

The answer? Well, change is no longer a linear journey but a living, constant state of flux. And the organisations that succeed aren’t just adopting new tech. In fact, they’re rethinking leadership, culture, and strategy from the ground up.

Thanks to one-to-one interviews with experts from John Lewis Money, The Premier League, Unilever and Anglian Water, each navigating the frontlines of business change daily, we’ve fleshed out the four learnings that came up most commonly.

 

1. The adaptive career is the new norm

Careers in digital no longer follow a neat, linear path. The leaders we interviewed have moved fluidly between industries, disciplines, and roles; sometimes by design, sometimes out of necessity. But across the board, it’s adaptability rather than tenure that defines effectiveness.

Paul Dawson, former Product Director at John Lewis Money, summed this up: “Applying things that are normal in one industry but game-changing in another - that’s where the value is.”

Today’s most effective leaders borrow ideas from beyond their sector. A marketing lead with a background in consumer goods may bring invaluable rigour to a media startup. A fintech strategist might apply agile principles to traditional retail. Businesses embracing this cross-pollination are actively recruiting for perspective and problem-solving skills over time-served credentials. In fact, we’re working with more and more businesses who seem to be embracing cross-pollination and leaving a preference/bias towards prior industry experience at the door. And we’re no different in our own approach to recruitment!

 

2. True transformation starts with people, not platforms

If there was one universal insight across all our conversations, it’s this: technology is only half the story.

Transformation is often mistaken for a software or tooling problem. In reality, it’s a people problem that demands cultural alignment, leadership buy-in, and a willingness to embed new ways of working at every level.

Sofia Sousa, Senior Product Manager for Data & Analytics at Unilever, told us: “You can’t just bring in a consultancy, get a new digital roadmap, and assume that’s enough. The internal team has to live and breathe the change.”

The more sustainable approach? Working with a partner is absolutely fine, in fact, often a partner can help bring order to your thinking and provide the latest thinking and frameworks. However, for the change to stick, the roadmap needs to feel almost ‘crowdsourced’ with initiatives being sequenced to ensure not too much change is made at once. Once implemented (e.g. new hires or structures) don’t just assume it is done, be prepared to iterate – just like we do with digital product delivery.

 

3. Digital is no longer a department

One of the most revealing patterns in our research was the widespread belief that “digital” as a standalone concept may already be outdated. Increasingly, digital is embedded across customer experience, operations, marketing, and product. In reality, across each faction digital is acting less like a channel and more like a strategic layer.

Dave Martin, Director of Data, Digital & Technology at Anglian Water, explained: “Digital allows us to engage and delight customers in new ways. In the future, edge computing will help us determine real-time actions.”

But to get there, organisations need to rethink their operating model. This means breaking down silos and viewing every digital touchpoint as an opportunity to create value. It also means ensuring measurement, investment and ownership are mapped against business outcomes, not departmental boundaries.

 

4. The AI revolution demands more questions than answers

Unsurprisingly, AI was discussed in just about every interview. What stood out wasn’t just the optimism around potential, it was the caution around implementation.

Everyone agrees AI can drive efficiency and personalisation. But many voiced concerns about data ethics, bias, and overreliance on black-box automation. As Ed Hornby, Head of Technical Delivery at The Premier League told us: “The risk is companies see AI as a magic bullet, without thinking about the unintended consequences.”

Cutting through the (vast) discourse surrounding AI and its adoption, experts agreed that a challenge-based approach helps avoid the trap of investing in “shiny things” that lack meaningful ROI. This means starting with the problem then determining whether AI is the right tool to solve it. It also opens the door to more responsible, transparent applications of the technology. We’re seeing businesses old and new come forward with ambitious AI plans – from mastering agents through to making it scalable – but, more often than not, there is a layer of trepidation about getting it right to overcome. 

 

Transformation: is it human enough?

Despite the diversity of organisations we spoke to when broken down by industry, there was still a clear golden thread running through every conversation: transformation is about people, with digital success hinging on us just as much as technological advancement.

Our experts agreed that the most future-ready businesses aren’t just tech-savvy. They move fast, but thoughtfully. And they understand that every new system or platform must be matched with the skills, mindset and organisational structures to make it stick.

 

To read the full report, visit: https://hello.tangent.co/the-business-change-diaries

 

This article originally featured in The Drum and is available to read in full here.