Insights from RevOps Leaders: Aligning AI with Strategy from the Start

At SBI’s 2025 Spring Regional Summit, a select group of revenue operations leaders gathered for a focused Growth Forum hosted by Seamus Ruiz-Earle, Founder and Managing Director of SBI Technology. The session brought to light a consistent and pressing question: how can RevOps leaders move from AI ambition to action and do so in a way that aligns tightly with their company’s business strategy?

This question highlights the reality that most organizations are still early in their journey to deploy artificial intelligence at scale, despite significant executive interest and discussion.

A Clear Shift Toward AI as a Strategic Lever

SBI’s recent research shows that CEOs are no longer treating AI as an experimental side project. Instead, they’re elevating it to a strategic imperative with expectations to drive productivity and revenue performance in 2025 and beyond. Yet execution gaps remain. While nearly all CEOs believe in AI’s potential, only a fraction report meaningful progress.

That same gap surfaced during the Growth Forum. While enthusiasm for AI is high, many RevOps leaders are still in the stage of “building the case,” working to gain cross-functional alignment, secure executive sponsorship, and identify the right use cases to prioritize.

Gaining Executive Buy-In: Still the First Hurdle 

A recurring thread in the discussion was the challenge of gaining buy-in from executive stakeholders. As Seamus pointed out, aligning AI investments to tangible business outcomes, like increasing seller productivity or improving forecast accuracy, is crucial. In order to get AI right for increased commercial productivity, AI programs must begin with a clear business use case and measurable ROI expectations.

Many RevOps leaders are finding traction by positioning AI as a force multiplier to enhance current workflows. This framing helps reduce resistance and opens doors for pilot initiatives tied to real KPIs.

Aligning AI to Business Strategy, Not the Other Way Around 

The discussion emphasized the importance of aligning AI efforts to the broader commercial strategy rather than pursuing tools in search of problems. Participants discussed the need to tie RevOps technology investments directly to top-line outcomes. This means anchoring AI adoption in strategic priorities such as easing buyer friction, accelerating funnel progression, and scaling with fewer headcount additions.

A Familiar Stage of Maturity 

Ultimately, the session reinforced that most RevOps organizations are navigating a familiar maturity curve: from curiosity, to experimentation, to scale. The question isn’t if AI will impact revenue operations, it’s how quickly teams can integrate it in a way that earns executive trust and delivers business impact.

For practical guidance on building your AI roadmap, download our guide on Getting AI Right for Increased Commercial Productivity.