techskills and CMI Collaborate to Embed Digital Capability in Leadership Qualifications
techskills and CMI Collaborate to Embed Digital Capability in Leadership Qualifications
Embedding AI, cyber security and data skills into management and leadership training across the UK
As organisations across the UK continue to evolve through digital transformation, the expectations placed on leaders are changing rapidly. Fromartificial intelligence (AI) tocyber security anddata-driven decision making, today’s leaders must be equipped not only to understand technology, but to lead through it.
In response to this shift,techskills has partnered with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to embeddigital capability into management and leadership qualifications, ensuring they reflect the realities of a modern, technology-driven workplace.
This collaboration marks an important step in aligningleadership education with industry needs, helping to prepare managers at every level to confidently navigate digital change.
Employer-led collaboration shaping future leadership skills
At the heart of this work is a clear principle:industry must help define what leadership looks like in a digital economy.
Working in collaboration with CMI, techskills convened a series ofemployer-led working groups, bringing together industry experts to define thedigital skills and capabilities required for modern leadership.
This was not a theoretical exercise, but a deliberate effort to capturereal-world insight and translate it into structured, industry-informed specifications that can shape leadership education at scale.
AsSteve Taylor, Strategic Data Lead at the National Fire Chiefs Council, reflected:
“Leadership in the tech sector can be difficult because it’s easy to get into the technical detail of the job and forget to put the people first. Developing a set of standards that guide leaders towards taking their people along with them is a very important piece of work, and one I was proud to be involved in.”
His perspective highlights a growing challenge: ensuring leaders can balance technical understanding with people-focused leadership in increasingly digital environments.
Embedding AI, cyber security and data into leadership qualifications
Through this employer-led process, techskills developedindustry-informed specifications across three key areas of digital capability: artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security and data.
These specifications establish a framework for the knowledge, skills and behaviours leaders need to confidently navigate digital change, and have informed the development of content withinCMI’s new management and leadership qualifications at Levels 3, 5 and 7.
These programmes include:
- Level 3: Managing AI Adoption — focused on practical application and team readiness
- Level 5: Leading AI Transformation — driving organisational change and return on investment
- Level 7: Strategic Leadership of AI — addressing governance, ethics and long-term strategy
By aligning these specifications with real-world leadership responsibilities, the collaboration helps ensure that leadership qualifications remain relevant to the demands of an increasingly digital workplace.
Bridging the gap between technical expertise and leadership capability
A key insight from the working groups was the need to better connecttechnical knowledge with strategic leadership decision-making.Professor Robert Black, Director of the UK Cyber Leaders Challenge, highlighted this challenge:
“Too often cyber qualifications are stove piped for those in technical roles and not aligned to the strategic and leadership aspects of an organisation’s decision making. I was delighted to work with TechSkills and CMI to help ensure management and leadership upskilling in cyber, AI and data reflect their real implications for organisations.”
This was further reinforced by the importance of developing practical, real-world confidence in digital capability:
*“Data touches every role, not just the technical ones. Building confidence in working with it is essential when the pace of change never slows. I was able to share my experience from a large, fast-moving organisation and come together with the CMI development group to support learners. Helping seed not just core data skills, but the curiosity, problem solving, and relationship building that turn data capability into real impact.” ***– Daniel Wilson,Data, AI, Skills & Social Responsibility UK Impact, Amazon
The importance of embedding specialist expertise into leadership development was also highlighted by Associate Professor Ismini Vasileiou:* *
“Embedding specialist expertise in AI, cyber security and data into management and leadership qualifications is essential to prepare leaders for the realities of today’s digital world.
Effective leadership now requires not only strategic and people skills, but also an informed understanding of digital risk, opportunity, ethics and resilience. By bringing this expertise into qualification development, CMI is helping to ensure that future leaders are better equipped to make confident, responsible and forward-looking decisions in increasingly complex environments.” **– Associate Professor Ismini Vasileiou,De Montfort University, and Founder/ Director, East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster****Zeshan Sattar, Commercial Director at The Cyber Scheme, added:
“Embedding cyber security expertise into leadership qualifications is essential for effective governance. Leaders do not need to be technical specialists, but they must be able to understand risk, challenge assurance, and take accountability for cyber resilience within their organisations.”
Shaped by industry, across sectors
The employer working groups brought together professionals from a wide range of industries, ensuring the specifications reflect how digital skills are shaping leadership across sectors.
These included:
- Technology and digital services
- Financial services and fintech
- Public sector and government
- Professional and business services
- Infrastructure and telecommunications
Participants contributed expertise across:
- Digital transformation and technology leadership
- Cyber security and risk management
- Data and AI strategy
- Technology governance and innovation
- Senior leadership and operational management
The working groups also included contributions from senior industry professionals such as**Mayank Jain, **Senior Product Manager at Infosys Limited (UK), bringing practical insight into how digital capability is applied within large-scale global organisations.
This breadth of experience ensures the framework is grounded inreal organisational challenges and workforce needs across the UK economy.
A shared commitment to future-ready leadership
Reflecting on the collaboration,Nicola McGinley CMgr FCMI, Senior Product Development Manager at CMI, said:
“We were excited to partner with techskills to develop new content that ensures managers and leaders have fundamental literacy in AI, cyber security and data, complementing CMI’s leadership and management expertise and reflecting the needs of today’s organisations.”
Lorna Willis, CEO of techskills, added:
“Technology is now embedded in how organisations operate, compete and innovate. That means leaders across every sector need the confidence and awareness to engage with technologies such as AI, cyber security and data, not just at a technical level, but as part of strategic decision making.
This collaboration with CMI demonstrates the value of bringing industry insight directly into curriculum development. By working together, we can help ensure that leadership education evolves alongside the digital economy and equips managers with the understanding they need to lead organisations responsibly and effectively in a technology-driven world.”
Shaping the future of leadership education in the UK
This collaboration highlights the growing importance of industry-led skills development, where employers, professional bodies and the education sector work together to shape relevant, future-focused learning.
By convening employers and translating their expertise into structured specifications, techskills continues to play a leading role in supporting the development ofdigitally capable leaders across the UK workforce.
Click here to learn more about CMI’s management and leadership qualifications.
