EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR CIOS TO BECOME AGENTS FOR CHANGE BY PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE ?
CIOs now control the majority of organizational budgets and are second only to the CEO in terms of shaping and delivering business strategy , research from Citrix , a business unit of Cloud Software Group , has found .
The study , with respondents across the US , the UK , Australia , Brazil , Columbia , France , Germany , Japan ,
CIOs are expected to be agents of change but are still caught up with legacy infrastructure and transformation projects .
Mexico and the Netherlands , was based on interviews with 3,300 business leaders working in large and midmarket businesses .
As companies strive for success against a difficult economic backdrop , they are looking to tech leaders to act as strategic business partners .
According to the data :
• 67 % of business leaders say the CIO is now second only to the CEO in terms of shaping and delivering the business strategy .
• 64 % of business leaders say the CIO has control of the majority of their organization ’ s budget .
• 73 % of business leaders believe that having a vision for the future is important for being a successful tech leader in today ’ s working world .
“ Businesses are in a state of flux , and CIOs are right at the center . CIOs are expected to be agents of change but are still caught up with legacy infrastructure and transformation projects ,” said Sridhar Mullapudi , General Manager , Citrix , a business unit of Cloud Software Group .
“ Additionally , they must play a key role in navigating the current talent crisis , both by providing tools to maximize employee productivity and by leading automation projects .”
Therefore , today ’ s tech leaders find themselves caught between a ‘ traditional ’ CIO role – gatekeeping infrastructure and managing Digital Transformation projects – and a ‘ transitional ’ role – defining and refining workplace technology and driving business strategy .
Today ’ s CIOs are responsible for technology transformation to supercharge tomorrow ’ s world of work . The hardest part of that role is managing the introduction of new , game-changing technologies without losing the value of existing systems currently powering the business . Successful CIOs will invest in infrastructures that help them both manage the past and prepare for the future , as tech leadership is now intrinsically tied to organizational success , and CIOs must adapt to their role as change agents .
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