The New Roles
Head of AI Governance. AI Compliance Officer. AI Ops Lead. AI Ethics Committee. In 2024 these were futuristic; in 2026 they’re standard hires at mid-size and larger orgs.
Reporting Lines
Governance often reports to Chief Data Officer or Chief Information Security Officer. AI Ops reports to CTO/CIO. Ethics Committee reports to board with CEO coordination. Structure varies; clear reporting matters more than specific chart.
Decision Authority
Governance owns policy — what AI can be deployed where, with what controls. Ops owns execution. Ethics weighs novel cases. Clear RACI prevents paralysis and ad-hoc decisions.
Scale Triggers
100+ AI-adjacent employees: need dedicated AI Governance function. Customer-facing AI: need Compliance Officer. Regulated industry: need both plus legal AI specialist. Plan structure before you hit the pain.