Companies have executives responsible for finance, technology, operations and human resources. But who is accountable for ensuring people actually become more capable over time?

Companies have executives responsible for financial performance, technology, operations and human resources. Yet as artificial intelligence transforms work, one question deserves greater attention: Who is accountable for ensuring employees become more capable over time?

Not simply better trained or more productive today, but more adaptable, resilient and equipped to navigate tomorrow’s challenges. I believe this responsibility deserves a clearer executive mandate: the Chief Human Capacity Officer (CHCO).

The argument isn’t that every business needs another executive title. It’s that Human Capacity Development must become a strategic priority with measurable accountability.

Businesses routinely invest in upgrading technology, expecting each generation to become faster, smarter and more productive. But can we confidently say the same about our people?

I call this the Human Capacity Gap: the disconnect between advancing technological capabilities and the development of the humans expected to use them.

Research suggests this gap deserves attention. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that 59% of workers will require training by 2030. Meanwhile, Microsoft and LinkedIn’s 2024 Work Trend Index found that 75% of surveyed knowledge workers were already using AI, but only 39% of AI users had received training from their employers.

McKinsey’s 2025 global AI survey adds another dimension: only 21% of respondents at organizations using generative AI reported that their organizations had fundamentally redesigned at least some workflows.

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