CIO OPINION need for technology to drive Digital Transformation , sustainability and continuous improvement .
“ The CIO ’ s role is now heavily orientated towards identifying where change is needed , navigating how solutions can form , and owning the delivery ,” said Bunting . “ We have been successful working through where we need consistency through automation , where we need enriched data to make better decisions , and then how we use that data to target emissions reductions . We have lots of innovations in the pipeline and I have really loved trading knowledge on sustainability for technology with our sustainability experts . This type of multi-functional team working is fun , productive and we all benefit .”
As the economy recovers , demand will be unpredictable and uneven across geographies , industry verticals and customer segments . As a result , balancing supply with demand will be critical , especially while keeping costs and carbon output to a minimum . A further complicating factor is that the increasing use and reliance on our digital infrastructure makes cyberattacks more likely .
So , the big question is whether your ‘ old ’ CIO will be able to morph into the ‘ new ’ CIO , or whether you ’ ll need to embark on a search for a new one .
• Old CIOs were the trusted operators
• New CIOs are agents of change
• Old CIOs were responsible for IT budgets , availability , crisis management and software and hardware implementation and upgrades
• New CIOs still have these responsibilities with the addition of innovation , cloud adoption , transforming the workforce , protecting the organisation from cyberattacks and delivering against the business strategy .
According to IDG , as reported in its 2020 State of the CIO Executive Summary , 22 % of businesses surveyed expected their CIOs to take the lead on revenue growth initiatives . The ‘ C ’ in ‘ CIO ’ now truly means the CIO is a very senior member of the firm , with around 50 % reporting directly to the CEO . The job has become very strategic , with responsibilities and priorities related to innovation and business growth .
So , what does the new CIO look like ? What skills will be necessary for great performance ? The old CIO was a technology specialist . The new CIO is a business leader with appropriate skills to match , delivering a balance of business innovation and operational excellence . CIOs are no longer fighting for a place in the boardroom , instead , they ’ ve earned their rightful place there . p
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