How Trump’s policies have shaken America’s IT departments
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MENLO PARK, Calif.—Corporate technology leaders, responsible for the technical infrastructure that keeps America’s businesses running, said that early Trump policies have them rethinking the way they do business. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s annual CIO Network Summit in Menlo Park this week, tech leaders said the new administration’s approach to tariffs, AI governance, cybersecurity and immigration are all spurring talk of changes in strategy.
At the same time, many are watching Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency with quiet admiration. In some cases, they were jealous of, even inspired by, the sledgehammer approach to bureaucracy. “Might a shock wave break some of that up? Possibly," said Craig Martell, chief AI officer of software company Cohesity and former chief digital and artificial intelligence officer U.S.
Department of Defense. Craig Martell, chief AI officer at Cohesity and former chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at the U.S. Department of Defense, speaks at The Wall Street Journal CIO Network Summit in Menlo Park, Calif., Feb.
10, 2025. In other cases, they voiced concern about contracts and funding drying up and DOGE’s approach to cutting potentially valuable talent. “If we cut too deeply, too fast, I’m a little bit worried, so I might be more comfortable erring on the side of waste to make sure things don’t drop," Martell added.
Efficiency is something CIOs need more than ever to handle changes coming down the pipeline in terms of Trump’s tariff plans. CIOs said the tariffs are likely to raise prices on everything from laptops to computing chips even as IT budgets remain stagnant, forcing them to find efficiencies elsewhere. “Whether
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