Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 10 | Page 46

FEATURE: STATE OF THE CIO ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The role of the CIO has evolved strategically over the years and continues to do so as technology innovates. We hear from a number of experts who discuss the transformative power of technology and how it is having an impact on the CIO’s responsibilities in today’s modern workplace. also seen CIOs transition away from IT management and into a more strategic role, considering how IT can add business value. “The role of the CIO has come a long way over the years. Previously, many business decisions were made simply with a calculator to add up income and subtract costs – so the idea of someone creating a technology ‘strategy’, let alone using machines to drive real business value, was ludicrous,” said Neil Barton, CTO at WhereScape. “Now, CIOs are vital. With the greater depth and breadth of data available, decision- making has become more complex. At the same time, many insights are needed in seconds, rather than days, weeks or months. A technology strategy must address that and a CIO that both understands the needs of business leaders and the support technology can provide, is critical.” Technology and the CIO s we continue to embrace digital transformation and innovation, the role of the CIO is continuously transforming. The CIO’s position became normalised in the 1980s, however, organisations have relied on IT well before the 1980s. Typically, roles such as this were filled by IT managers and IT leaders who often spent their days in data centres. Not only have we seen this role develop since the 80s, but as Todd Krautkremer, CMO at Cradlepoint explained, the past couple of years have had a major impact: “Over the last decade, especially the last five years, the role of the CIO has evolved as dramatically as the technology domains that comprise modern IT organisations. Now, the CIO has a broad purview – it can extend backwards in time to mainframe technology, or forwards to fog computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain. One of the main changes the role of the CIO has seen is that IT leaders and experts now have a place in the C-suite structure, which fundamentally reflects the growing importance of IT. More recently, we have “Today’s CIO is a true business leader; holding a unique vantage point within the corporation they serve. On the one hand, they are acting as a guide to the CEO on the business implications of digital A 46 transformative technology on the state of the CIO INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com