Video: The rise and rise of the CIO

What is a CIO?

A Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a corporate executive responsible for the information technology and information systems that support enterprise goals. The job title is used widely around the world in business and in government and in charitable and non-profit organisations.

What is the role of the Chief Information Officer?

The role of the CIO is to help to set and lead the technology strategy for an organisation, in concert with the other C-level executives. As such one of the many roles of the CIO it to provide an executive-level interface between the technology department and the rest of the business.

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What is the difference between a CIO and an IT director?

IT directors tend to be focused on day-to-day operations, while CIOs are outward-facing and more concerned with strategy and leadership. Some IT directors, in fact, report to CIOs, especially those working for large, multi-national organisations at a country or regional level who sit beneath a global peer. Not all organisations will have a CIO: smaller businesses use the job title IT director for their head of technology. Indeed, when it comes to technology executives, the picture concerning job titles is often far from clear.

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What is the difference between a CIO and a Chief Technology Officer?

Generally the CTO will report to the CIO, although not always. The roles of the CIO and CTO, and the relationship between the two, will vary by organisation.

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