EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
SIMON WIJCKMANS , CEO , C / SIDE .
What ’ s in a name ? Or in this case , what ’ s in an “ I ”? The role of the Chief Information Officer is undergoing significant scrutiny , expansion and , within many organizations , confusion . Traditionally , the CIO has been the guardian of a company ’ s IT infrastructure – ensuring the security , efficiency and reliability of information systems . However , the pace of technology , particularly post-COVID , has seen the scope of the CIO ’ s responsibilities grow considerably . Those responsibilities have increased the pressure to usher in seamless and scalable technological transformations , turning the “ I ” in CIO into Innovation , whether implicitly or explicitly .
But the re-assessment of the role goes further . Again , because of the pace and breadth of technology advances , innovation can no longer be realistically confined to a single role or department . It has become a collective responsibility , one that must be embedded into a company ’ s culture ( hint : CIOs should lead that change ).
This need for collective responsibility raises the argument that the CIO , as a sole innovation leader , might already be an outdated concept . Instead , technology innovation should be driven by a collaborative effort among leadership — and be an integral part of all of their roles .
It ’ s also worth noting the emergence of the Chief Information Security Officer role is playing a critical part in the reassessment of the CIO role . Initially focused on cybersecurity , many CISOs have evolved into impactful change leaders across broader technology decisionmaking , adept at managing complex processes without hindering organizational agility . Despite the diffusion of
innovation responsibility , the need for a central figure to oversee information security and technological processes remains , and will remain , vital .
The CIO in this role – and really no matter what “ I ” actually stands for here – must be a strategic leader who not only understands the intricacies of IT systems ( the traditional role ) but also drives and encourages innovation in collaboration with other executives . This more hybrid CIO role requires a balance of technical acumen and visionary leadership . With technology advances over the past few years , many organizations ( especially larger enterprises ) are still playing catch-up on the latter .
Because of the pace and breadth of technology advances , innovation can no longer be realistically confined to a single role or department .
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