Commvault, a leading provider of cyber resilience and hybrid cloud data protection solutions, highlights a growing consensus among UK business leaders: it’s time to introduce a Chief Trust Officer (CTrO) to the C-Suite. The study sheds light on evolving boardroom priorities as companies increasingly face challenges in safeguarding their reputations and maintaining stakeholder confidence.

The findings reveal that 7% of respondents admit no single executive currently holds full accountability for trust-related responsibilities, with duties fragmented across COOs, CISOs, and CIOs. This fragmented approach underscores the urgent need for a dedicated leader to unify efforts around customer trust, regulatory compliance, and security management.

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Trust Becomes a Strategic Imperative

Trust is emerging as a central concern for businesses. Supporting this, additional research from Commvault and GigaOm shows most UK organizations recognize the immediate necessity for modern resilience and defense strategies—and equally, for a focus on trust.

“Resilience is no longer just a technical issue,” said Danielle Sheer, Chief Trust Officer at Commvault. “A data breach today can simultaneously be a headline, a legal challenge, and a board-level crisis. Leaders must protect not only infrastructure but also investor confidence, brand reputation, and careers. Trust is an evolving enterprise priority, directly tied to customer expectations and organizational requirements.”

Key Priorities and Skills for the CTrO Role

When asked about the focus areas for a CTrO, business leaders highlighted customer trust and reputation management (31%) and the ability to respond swiftly to crises such as data breaches or disinformation campaigns (30%). These priorities reflect the complex and multifaceted nature of digital trust.

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The research also identified the skills deemed most critical for the role:

  • Deep expertise in data privacy and regulatory frameworks (28%)
  • Proficiency in AI governance and the ability to communicate complex technologies to diverse audiences (27%)
  • Strong capability to build and maintain stakeholder trust (27%)

AI, Cybersecurity, and Regulatory Pressures Accelerate Demand

The survey, which included 1,000 UK C-Suite executives from companies with annual revenues exceeding £100 million, found that 97% see the CTrO role as urgently necessary to strengthen trust in data, technology, and governance. Key external pressures driving this need include the rapid adoption of AI (37%), evolving cross-border data regulations (34%), and ongoing cybersecurity threats, including ransomware (34%).

As organizations navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape, the CTrO emerges as a pivotal role—bridging technology, governance, and stakeholder confidence in ways that directly impact business resilience and long-term success.

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