The Critical Role of the Chief Information Officer in Smart Management of Digital Transformation

Abstract

Organisations are increasingly attempting to digitally transform their business models. Effective management of these new-age business models requires specific skills. In this regard, among all the C-suite leaders, the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the most impacted. The role itself is getting transformed from traditional infrastructure and application management to becoming a strategic business partner. As a result, expectations from the CIOs have increased manifold though many organisations remain dissatisfied with the delivery of digital transformation. Thus, specific to CIO role perspective, both in practice and literature, there exists a gap between what is expected versus what is delivered. To address this gap, through this study in context of digital transformation (DT), the authors deliberate on how the role of the CIO is transforming, outlining novel responsibilities and vital leadership skills that will be perquisite to contribute effectively for the future CIO position.