A great CIO or CTO is more than just a technical expert. They are strategic leaders who bridge the gap between business needs and technology solutions.
We heard from Jeremy Suddards, a Fortune 50 business leader, about what stands out to him in a good CIO / CTO.
Jeremy said:
"For me, what makes good CIO / CTO leader comes down to 2 key things.
Firstly, a leader who truly aligns the strategy & KPIs of the technology function to those of the business whether they be financial or operational. That means not only their personal objectives but also those of the function and the teams delivering the services.
This means that any technology strategy that underpins the business performance of today also supports, for example, the business in the coming 3-5 years. This may impact Quality, Velocity and Cost but the time horizon is absolutely key as this will determine what can actually be achieved in what time scale to deliver the expected results.
This also means ensuring that any expected benefits from business cases or investments are consistently being monitored and measured to ensure the benefits and value are actually being delivered. “Inspect what you expect.” Think of it as a Business Value Framework.
Secondly, a great CIO can measure the effectiveness and productivity of their own team as well as the services they are delivering to the business. Examples might include:
- Are we becoming more efficient in building applications both in code quality and story point velocity?
- Are we delivering better unit value by FTE or compute unit?
- Are our internal employees or external client NPS consistently improving?
A bad CIO trait for me would be a risk averse CIO who prizes stability over everything else. Of course nobody wants to encourage reckless change, but without constant transformation of our technology architectures, it is unlikely that we are delivering value for our stakeholders.
In my early career IT always ran faster than the business but in the last decade or two in most enterprises the business ran faster than IT. I truly believe with the introduction of Gen AI, technology will once again be able to run faster than the business..... if it chooses to!"
Executive Hires
Technology adoption and innovation is necessary for businesses to remain competitive.
CIO/CTOs play a crucial role in driving technological advancement and ensuring that it is aligned with the company's strategic goals. Studies have consistently shown a strong correlation between effective CIO/CTO leadership and a company's financial performance.
Companies with effective CIOs have 21% higher profit margins than those without. Gartner
Your Leadership Pipeline
Given the rapid pace of technological change and the increasing complexity of IT environments, it’s essential to get the CIO hire right. A poorly chosen CIO can lead to costly mistakes, security breaches, and missed opportunities.
Talent Locker’s deep industry knowledge and trusted network of senior leaders enables us to identify CIOs with the necessary skills, experience, and cultural fit to drive innovation and achieve your strategic objectives.
Get in touch with the team to discuss your specific requirements.