Your CIO may now wield more power than ever before
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A clear majority (67%) of business leaders say the CIO is now second only to the CEO when it comes to shaping and delivering business strategy, if Citrix’s research is to be believed.
Leadership skills can also now become an increasingly important part of what was once a primarily technical role; 73% of business leaders surveyed said they believe “having a vision for the future is important to being a successful technology leader” in today’s world.
But more responsibility isn’t without its downsides: Nearly half (46%) of C-level tech leaders surveyed said they’re delaying retirement because they’re afraid there’s no one to replace them.
Challenges to come
Citrix spoke to 3,300 business leaders working in large and medium-sized companies in the US, UK, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the Netherlands.
These fears may make sense in light of their current responsibilities, as 60% say their role is to make sure everyone in the organization has the technology they need to work effectively, and half say they be involved in solving technical problems for employees.
In addition, CIOs have a greater impact on their company’s financial future than ever before. 64% of those surveyed say that the CIO controls the majority of their organization’s budget – even surpassing CEOs in this regard.
But despite this increased influence, many CIOs struggle with the same classic set of issues: 67% said legacy systems and technical debt are a major challenge in their role.
Commenting on the news, Sridhar Mullapudi, CEO of Citrix, stressed how CIOs “must play a key role in navigating the current talent crisis, both by providing tools to maximize employee productivity and leading automation projects.”
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