Executive Summary
Just as previous technology and business shifts have changed the role of the CIO, the new, more consumer-oriented business models of the social revolution will spawn a new breed of business and technology leaders. These leaders will navigate a myriad of converging and disruptive technologies, align new initiatives to both business value and technology feasibility, and identify strategies to leverage existing investments to fund innovation.
In the new world, the traditional CIO is under pressure to respond as four personas of the new CIO emerge: Chief Infrastructure Officer, Chief Integration Officer, Chief Intelligence Officer, and Chief Innovation Officer. In a survey of 79 enterprise CIOs in 2H 2010, Constellation Research uncovered the priorities for these next generation CIOs.
Shifting to a Chief Infrastructure Officer and Chief Integration Officer role will be a smooth transition for most CIOs, but only a few with a business bent will grow into the Chief Innovation Officer role. On the flip side, many business leaders with a technology bent will evolve into Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Intelligence Officer roles. In each of these shifts, CIOs will have to reprioritize their project portfolios and develop new skill sets. Regardless of the shift, a new breed of CIOs will emerge to match the needs of the organization, taking a more business-focused point of view.