What is a CIO role?

A Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the most senior technology executive in an organisation. In the past, the key responsibilities for a CIO were focused on the management of the company’s IT operations – but in a rapidly evolving digital world, the role is becoming a more strategic business leadership position.

CIO responsibilities may include:

• Setting IT strategy in line with business goals
• Managing IT resources
• Analysis and integration of new technologies
• Approving hardware and software
• Leading IT teams
• IT policies and strategies
• Overseeing systems and procedures
• Purchasing decisions and vendor negotiations

As more businesses deploy a digital-first strategy, CIOs are becoming responsible for driving digital transformation. In their changing role, CIOs will be required to turn digital potential into corporate strategy while articulating the technology in an understandable way for the C-suite. Skills in leadership, communication, influence and strategic thinking are becoming more important than a CIO’s technological expertise, as they must understand the capabilities of their organisation and reskill teams to meet their new challenges.

CIOs need to respond quickly to changes, trends and the needs of their organisation. They analyse the benefits of new technologies in line with wider business goals, before preparing employees for the introduction of new systems. A CIO will usually be responsible for leading a large team, and must be able to work effectively with leaders across the enterprise – CIOs are required to guide their organisations through change, educating employees about the benefits of moving away from its legacy systems.

As CIOs navigate their organisation’s digital transformation journey, many will attend CIO events to learn from their peers, share experiences and discover new solutions to the challenges they face in their role.