Redefining the Role of the CIO

The technology industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, transforming nearly the entire business world as a result. It stands to reason that the role of the executive responsible for technology at large businesses also needs redefining. In short, the evolving duties of the chief information officer shift in tandem with the industry as a whole. Let’s examine the ever-changing role of the CIO or CTO in the modern business world. The emergence of AI combining with the continued adoption rate of the Cloud highlights some of these changes. Use these insights to better position yourself (and your company) to thrive during these exciting times.

How to Redefine the Role of a CIO?

New Technology Roles Join the C-Suite

To effectively lead the IT evolution, some enterprises simply added new tech-related executive roles to the C-Suite. Examples of these include the chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO) and the chief transformation officer (another CTO). The former example especially highlights the importance of AI to modern businesses. Raj Sharma, consulting vice chair at EY Americas, commented on the evolution of the tech executive role. “Technology such as AI is redefining business models, requiring organizations to make the seismic shift from a novice technology organization to a mature and trusted leader. As a result of this shift, we have seen an emergence of new technology-focused roles becoming more commonplace,” noted Sharma. Other emerging C-Suite roles include chief digital officer (CDO), chief sustainability officer (CSO), and chief experience offer (another CEO). The latter executive role focuses on leading divisions focused on providing exceptional customer experiences with technology. Additionally, some tech pundits feel the CDO effectively serves as a newer version of a CIO. This evolution makes sense, considering the digital transformation influencing nearly all aspects of business operations.

The Changing Role of the CIO

With other technology-focused executives joining the C-Suite, the role of the CIO obviously changes somewhat. They need to be open-minded with emotional intelligence to seamlessly delegate some responsibilities to the newer executives. As Sharma notes, “the most successful CIOs will work in tandem with other executive officers while maintaining ownership of the technology enterprise, including investment in emerging digital technologies to drive both revenue and organizational efficiencies.” While the C-Suite is becoming more crowded, traditional CIOs still have the opportunity to continue being successful leaders. After all, a more diverse and talented executive team offers significant benefits to enterprises and other large businesses.