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      Canada’s digital future is advancing quickly, increasing the urgency of the decisions executives make today

      The role of the tech executive is more interconnected with business leadership than ever before. With technology changing and evolving at such a rapid pace and becoming an increasingly critical driver for growth for organizations across Canada and around the world, IT leaders have a heightened opportunity to help organizations drive greater ROI from their tech investments.

      It’s an opportunity every tech leader grapples with.

      How do you target tech investments to align with business goals? How do you keep IT and the broader workforce upskilled and knowledgeable about technology advancements? How do you measure ROI from emerging tech like AI, post-quantum cryptography, and Web3, in ways that are meaningful to the business?

      This whitepaper introduces eight strategic execution imperatives that outline where leaders should focus to unlock value in 2026. Each imperative reflects what we see across Canada’s market today and is supported by data from the 2025-2026 KPMG Global Tech Survey. Together, they provide a practical guide to help leaders shift from ambition to action and deliver results that endure.

      Ready to take your tech strategy to the next level? Connect with our team.

      Key findings

      Canadian organizations recognize the potential of AI and have set ambitious goals, yet many still struggle to achieve expected returns. One of the primary reasons is that technology decisions are still made in isolation.

      Animated circle statistical graphic showing 56% Graphique statistique en cercle animé montrant 56% 56%

      56% have made strategic AI investments with active use cases returning value.

      But only 31% are deploying AI at scale across the enterprise, where ROI becomes much stronger.

      Animated circle statistical graphic showing 27% Graphique statistique en cercle animé montrant 27% 27%

      27% of Canadian respondents identify as innovators or early adopters, while 59% consider themselves fast followers and 14% slow followers.

      Animated circle statistical graphic showing 97% Graphique statistique en cercle animé montrant 97% 97%

      97% plan to expand and strengthen their tech ecosystems and partnerships to gain the expertise they need.

      Animated circle statistical graphic showing 77% Graphique statistique en cercle animé montrant 77% 77%

      77% plan to increase their data and analytics budgets.

      Animated circle statistical graphic showing 30% Graphique statistique en cercle animé montrant 30% 30%

      In two years, Canadian leaders expect more than 30% of full-time equivalent capacity to come from the digital workforce, including AI agents, RPA bots, and low-code bots.

      Animated circle statistical graphic showing 53% Graphique statistique en cercle animé montrant 53% 53%

      53% acknowledge that efforts to maximize speed or cost efficiency have resulted in trade offs that negatively impact areas such as security, scalability, or standardization.

      Today’s technologies operate as a connected ecosystem: data and analytics enable agentic AI, blockchain reinforces security, and XaaS models complement digital twins to improve efficiency. When leaders consider these capabilities together, they uncover new opportunities to solve business problems, enhance customer experiences, and mobilize new lines of business.

      Technology in and of itself cannot create value. It can only create more time to help the people in organizations find new ways of operating and explore new lines of business. The IT C-suite is at the forefront of driving this value across our organizations.
      Sanjay Pathak

      Partner and National Leader, Technology Strategy and Digital Transformation Services

      KPMG Canada

      The 8 imperatives

      Canadian technology leaders understand that AI will define the next era of competitiveness. The insights we see across organizations, supported by survey data, reflect both strong ambition and a clear need to evolve their AI approach.

      Recommended actions:

      • Strengthen and modernize data foundations
      • Shift from “How do we start?” to “What are we trying to achieve?”
      • Embed AI to drive revenue, not only efficiency
      • Scale pilots into enterprise programs
      We all know and have experienced how enterprise change is hard, but AI offers the greatest opportunity we’ve seen in decades to build a culture of experimentation. When leaders give their people permission to test, learn, and iterate, you transform AI from a source of uncertainty into a powerful engine for curiosity, creativity, and long-term competitiveness.
      Safdar Mahmood

      Chief Technology Officer and Partner, Advisory

      KPMG Canada

      Canadian organizations have invested heavily in building strong data platform and technology foundations. Data literacy is generally high, as is maturity in security, and operational reporting. While these strengths support operational performance, they are not yet translating into next level business value creation.

      Recommended actions:

      • Elevate data from transactional use to product-oriented value
      • Break down silos and build integrated, accessible platforms
      • Reimagine risk as an enabler of data-driven innovation
      To transform the organization not only from a productivity perspective but also a revenue perspective, you need to make commensurate investments in data quality, data strategy, and data governance. Emphasize focus on right-sizing data investments that align to ambition, and do not cut corners.
      Sanjay Pathak

      Partner and National Leader, Technology Strategy and Digital Transformation Services

      KPMG Canada

      Canadian technology leaders recognize the importance of cloud as a foundation for modernization, but the next phase of value creation requires a shift from rapid adoption to intentional architecture. The focus for 2026 and beyond must be on simplifying and rationalizing hybrid environments, strengthening governance, and designing cloud models that support agility and optimize cost.

      Recommended actions:

      • Design hybrid and multicloud models with purpose
      • Retire or refactor legacy systems to reduce technology debt
      • Use AI to optimize cloud for performance and cost
      • Establish FinOps practices that connect cost to performance
      It is commonplace for Canadian organizations to use hybrid cloud models that include on‑premises legacy systems that drain resources. Cloud providers are becoming more innovative in how they offer their pricing structures, giving Canadian organizations the chance to modernize their legacy systems and manage their technology debt more efficiently. It requires strong discipline to review systems regularly and ensure they are running as efficiently and cost effectively as possible to drive ROI.
      Amardeep Johar

      Partner and National Service Line Leader, Enterprise Solutions

      KPMG Canada

      Across the country, a host of challenges has prompted deeper discussion about Canada’s digital sovereignty, including how organizations can maintain control over critical digital infrastructure, data, and services to protect national security, economic interests, and cultural values. Achieving complete sovereignty is not realistic in the near term, but setting practical goals is both possible and necessary. At the same time, strengthening cyber resilience is equally important as threats continue to escalate.

      Recommended actions:

      • Set practical goals for digital sovereignty
      • Work with partners to advance sovereignty objectives
      • Maintain strong controls and core risk priorities
      • Continue to strengthen cyber resilience to build trust and confidence
      We have come to a point where technology can accomplish things that were science fiction only a few years ago, but without the right guardrails, the risks multiply just as quickly. Strong governance and strong security practices are no longer optional. They are essential for building resilience and maintaining trust.
      Kareem Sadek

      Partner, Advisory, Emerging Tech Risk Leader and Cryptoassets & Blockchain Co-leader

      KPMG Canada

      As organizations look to 2026 and beyond, leaders will need to place greater emphasis on building the right skills, creating safe spaces for experimentation, and redesigning the work and workforce in a purposeful, AI‑enabled manner.

      Recommended actions:

      • Invest in skills that unlock new value
      • Treat change management as a strategic enabler
      • Create environments that encourage experimentation
      The use of agentic AI means employees who do not have the skills or experience gained over years or decades to manage teams will now need to manage the work of agentic AI. They will be expected to upskill quickly as the technology is implemented, which is a significant talent challenge organizations need to address. Everyone could soon be an “Agent Boss.”
      Lewis Curley

      Partner, People & Change Practice

      KPMG Canada

      Innovation continues to be an area where many Canadian organizations are reactive rather than proactive. While they experiment and have emerging technologies on their radars, innovation efforts often lack the governance, structure, and long-term discipline needed to translate early ideas into sustainable value.

      Recommended actions:

      • Establish clear governance and ownership for AI and digital innovation
      • Use structured criteria to identify and prioritize use cases
      • Move from reactive to proactive innovation planning
      • Balance risk with experimentation
      • Treat sustainability as a long-term differentiator

      In 2026 and beyond, leaders will need to strengthen their ability to balance discipline with strategic ambition. Investing in technology today and waiting to realize ROI in the years ahead remains one of the most effective paths to long-term competitive advantage. Short-term ROI tends to produce tactical results, while long-term ROI, grounded in strategy and clear measurement, produces lasting transformation.

      Recommended actions:

      • Define value beyond efficiency
      • Use formal frameworks to link investment discipline to business outcomes

      Partnerships have long been a strength for Canadian organizations and, compared to global peers, Canada consistently demonstrates a strong ability to collaborate with external partners to advance innovation. However, most of these relationships have historically been transactional and focused on vendor support rather than co-creation.

      Recommended actions:

      • Pursue multiparty innovation through consortium models
      • Leverage government incentives to reduce innovation costs
      • Cast a wide net for intellectual property development
      • Find points of convergence across industries
      We have seen throughout history that in times of crisis, businesses can successfully align behind the wider societal and governmental objectives. We are at that point again in Canada and across the world. If businesses and government collaborate and partner on innovation with discipline and based on shared values, we can achieve our goals and share in each other’s success.
      Ven Adamov

      Partner, People & Change Practice

      KPMG Canada

      About the research

      This report is based on a sample of 150 Canadian technology leaders whose perspectives were captured in the KPMG’s 2026 Global Technology Survey. Research was conducted in 2025. The tech executives are representatives from eight industries.

      • 90% of respondent organizations have revenues of between $1 and $10 billion
      • 77% have between 1,000 and 9,000 employees
      • 65% report annual tech investments of between US$50 million and US$250 million

      Explore the full whitepaper

      Want to dive deeper into the findings and insights? See below for more details on the recommended actions for Canadian tech leaders and more Canadian findings from the 2026 Global Tech Survey.

      Download PDF

      The top 8 execution imperatives for Canadian tech leaders to unlock value in 2026

      A overview of key findings informed by KPMG’s Global Tech Survey
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