Information is power: the new face of the CEO?
Forward thinking businesses today are considering expanding their CEO succession pipelines to include their technology leadership. And their reasoning is sound. After all, we are at a pivotal moment right now, with technology running through every facet of the business world and organizations across the market considering themselves to be tech or digital companies first and foremost.
Tech-enabled CEOs fare better – and can better help their companies survive – in this climate of adapt or fail.
Even a generation ago, the idea that a CIO or CTO would progress to the CEO role would have been a non-starter, with CIOs providing more back-office support than future-forward innovation and revenue generation. However, CIOs today have earned their place at the business leadership table, and businesses in turn recognize the strategic value they contribute.
So, should more CIOs be considering the CEO track? In the words of one Executive Vice President, we spoke with: “It will happen. It is just a matter of time.” To provide insights and guidance into this potential new avenue for CEO succession planning, we spoke to senior figures across our network at both Board and executive committee level and tapped into the expertise of our leadership team.
