A chief information officer, or CIO, plays an important role in organizations that use information technology. The role can vary from one company to another, but essentially the CIO is at the helm of ensuring IT strategies are in place and meet the company’s goals and objectives.
Defining a CIO’s role
According to Computer Weekly, a CIO isn’t just an IT director with a bigger budget. They spend their time completely differently. They’re concerned with how IT can deliver shareholder value while implementing IT strategies and service frameworks in line with company goals.
Delegation
Much of a CIO’s role is to delegate work within the IT department of a company. This will include the day-to-day delegation of IT operations to a technology department and specialist staff.
Evolving role
As information technology continues to evolve, so does the work of a CIO. Thirty years ago, a CIO would have been ensconced in dealing with technical projects, but in today’s organizations, they’re involved at a much more strategic level. It’s their role to innovate, motivate staff and ensure the IT budget is balanced.
As businesses embrace digital technology, the tasks that a CIO is faced with have changed accordingly. They need to have skills that stretch further than traditional technology management, and they must be willing to keep up to date with and adapt to relevant changing trends. These days, having legal knowledge is also becoming increasingly important in a CIO role.
Security procedures
Many firms understand the importance of security management in an IT capacity. They often need to make use of professional services such as https://www.promisec.com, who provide endpoint security management. This is reflected in the changing role of the CIO, who also needs to possess expertise in compliance, security and data recovery to safeguard company IT systems.
Collaboration
A CIO is not someone who works in isolation. They will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), along with other members of the leadership team. They are also likely to take an active involvement in recruiting IT staff members.
To fulfil the wide range of functions that a CIO undertakes, this role demands an extensive skill set. Aside from IT and managerial know-how at a high level, the CIO needs to have excellent teamworking ability, integrity, empathy and an optimistic approach.