Chief Information Officer equals Business Partner… Business Strategist

The role of the Chief Information Officer has evolved. The CIO doesn't just keep the lights on anymore.

Generative Artificial Intelligence

Zero Trust Architecture

Quantum Computing

Look at the list above. Each item is different. Each item is covering different areas of the information technology (IT) department and requires different knowledge and skillsets to make advancements within these areas. All these projects will require learning, collaboration, and execution from across the IT team. All of these are under the purview of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and all these projects affect every internal and external facing part of the business.

What other C-level executives have brand new, never thought of before, products and services materialize around them that they need to analyze, learn, and then decide if integrating it into the daily lives of the business staff is for the good of the organization? Not many.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a very dynamic position. It may be the most dynamic position in the organization.

Gone are the days of the CIO being nothing more than an Information Technology (IT) Director sitting in the dingey basement of the organization assigned with keeping the network operating and troubleshooting computer problems. That would be the days of “Keeping the Lights On.”

Gone are the days of the CIO being overlooked as an executive and/or constantly asking senior leadership to be a part of the executive committee – trying to gain a seat at the table.

Now, the CIO is sitting at the table, and it is necessary to have him at that table. The CIO needs to be able to share his voice and he needs his colleagues to hear him. Technology is advancing fast, has been advancing fast, and the CIO has the knowledge and the know how to advance the organization by using new technology. Although he is a leader within his department, he cannot do it on his own, he needs buy-in from other members of the executive team, buy-in from organizational leadership, and then he requires partnering and working with the other C-level executives to determine how to use his knowledge to advance the organization.

Some common examples might be:

• Working with the Chief Human Capital Officer to create a more streamlined onboarding and performance management process or helping to to decide staffing needs based on AI workforce augmentation;

• Working with the Chief Marketing Officer to put in a Customer Relationship Management system with AI agents that can assist in event planning and the development of marketing materials;

• Working with the Chief Operating Officer to see what areas of efficiency can be created across multiple offices by looking at the organization as a whole;

• Working with Sales and Product Management teams to see what products can be created using new technologies and how to best reach new customers and encourage return customers.

The CIO’s new role is so much more than it was when it was first envisioned.

With all the new technologies that are out there and everything that keeps being released…. Your organization, whatever kind of organization it is, is now a technology company. New technologies are affecting the workforce, and you need to be prepared for them. The organization needs to be ready and to be ready, the CIO should be looked upon as a business partner, a business strategist.

Business strategy is just another tool that the CIO has that the business can use to cultivate a forward thinking technologically advanced operation.

The CIO has eyes into and staff working in the inner workings of the entire organization (think application roll outs, business analysis, data flows and data requirements as just a few examples). He has the job of making the organization as efficient and operationally advanced as possible. The CIO portfolio consists of a large, knowledgeable, diverse team that extends across the organization:

• IT Governance

• Application Development and Maintenance

• Cybersecurity

• Infrastructure – Data Centers, Cloud(s), Network (Logical & Physical)

• Data Management

• Privacy

• Continuity of Operations/ Disaster recovery

• Accessibility

• Customer System Support (Help desk)

• Artificial Intelligence

• Device Management

When considering your organization’s strategic plan, think of what the CIO currently needs to be aware of and add that into the planning. Current, 2025 CIO thoughts area about:

• Quantum Computing

• Hackers

• Artificial General Intelligence

• Internet of Things

• Emerging Technology

• Business Strategy

• Product Development

All of this can appear to be a guy spinning multiple plates, but managed right, and with the right staff, this is a smooth knowledgeable operation that elevates the business.

The CIO can use the information from his departments to aid the business in generating strategies, skills, and tools that will reduce operating costs, increase customer satisfaction, and provide an overall competitive advantage.

It is clear that the CIO has undoubtedly become a more prominent figure in the re-creation of any organization’s makeup. If they haven’t, then the organization is missing the voice of a key strategic leader that can help them advance. There are many different skillsets in the Office of the CIO, covering many duties that are securing your network, updating your infrastructure, developing new tools, and working with emerging technology to create a more efficient operation. The leader of this department holds insights from across the business that can assist in providing a competitive advantage. CIOs know what new technologies are applicable to the organization and they know that it is their job to enhance, support, and keep the organization secure. The CIO does more than “keep the lights on”, the CIO is your business partner.

Where does your CIO sit in the makeup of your organization and how have they helped create a competitive advantage?