Despite this, the sport is far from a done deal for CIOs. While line-of-business personnel may perceive isolated digital solutions to address their operational issues, chief information officers possess the expertise to integrate diverse technologies and organizations effectively. Effective digital transformation necessitates a deep-seated collaboration between chief information officers (CIOs) and their line-of-business counterparts.
Nick Woods, Chief Information Officer at MAG, a leading UK airport operator owning and managing Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands Airports, emphasized the crucial role of outcomes in digital transformation. As he emphasized to ZDNET, the focus shifts to the partnerships and alliances being forged. As a CIO, achieving success is unlikely to be accomplished solely through individual effort. The organization must take ownership of its results.
As corporate reliance on successful digital transformations intensifies, CIOs must further emphasize their technical management prowess, necessitating the development of even more robust relationships with the CEO and other C-suite executives.
According to Vogel, speaking with ZDNET, chief information officers (CIOs) should establish partnerships with chief experience officers (CXOs) based on a franchise model where both parties co-lead, co-deliver, and co-govern digital transformation efforts. According to Gartner, a staggering 63% of digital projects achieve or surpass their intended outcomes when CIOs adopt a franchise model approach. Despite this, Vogel noted that just 12% of CIOs currently leverage a franchise model to develop digital offerings in tandem with their organization.
CIOs who successfully enable their organization’s colleagues to capitalize on the benefits of digitalization will likely earn recognition and value from their peers. According to Helen Fleming, Government Director of Search and Specialisms at recruiter Harvey Nash, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) who excel in their role may ascend to the top tier of an organization and assume higher-level positions such as Chief Operating Officer or even Chief Executive Officer. “CIOs are increasingly transitioning to serve as Chief Operating Officers, a move that signals a significant shift in their career paths.”
Fleming highlights Nash Squared’s significance, where CEO Bev White began her CIO journey, rising through the ranks to COO and MD positions. Subsequently, White held chief executive officer roles at various companies. In today’s era of digital transformation, a prudent approach to innovation has become the hallmark of successful CIOs, who wisely opt for cautious development as their roadmap to achieving exceptional heights.
