The CIO reports to the CEO. In some cases, this specialist may report to the vice president, who controls the administrative work in the organization and the entire back office (divisions that do not bring in real money). There are companies in which the CIO reports to the financial director or the head of the administrative department. However, it is worth understanding that such a hierarchy is not so effective, since the tasks of modern CIOs are not limited to supporting the business or administering it.
According to a study conducted by Deloitte, 33% of specialists at this level report to the CEO, 22% to the CFO, 11% to the COO, 9% to the chief (global) CIO. The remaining 25% do not have a single boss.
Thus, the traditional scheme, in which the CIO reports to the head of the organization, is not used in all companies. For many companies, cost control is a key task. Because of this, the specialist is forced to report to the financial director in order to justify the need for funding his department.
According to research turkey email list conducted by Harvey Nash and KPMG, among large organizations the traditional scheme is followed in only 17% of cases. For SMBs, the figure reaches 45%.
Powers of the CIO
The number and nature of issues that a CIO can independently resolve depend on the list of his/her powers. This affects the efficiency and speed of completing assigned tasks. Let's consider the most complete list, consisting of powers that are required for productive work of a CIO:
Simplified access (for appointments, etc.) to the CEO (or his chief deputy)
This is necessary to be able to quickly tell the manager about the existing problems and offer solutions. The company's top officials must be in touch with the CIO. Otherwise, the specialist will not be able to effectively develop the organization.
Ability to make personnel decisions related to subordinates
It is best if the CIO can independently increase or change the subordinate organizational structure. At the same time, the appointment and dismissal of employees are very responsible tasks. If the CIO has the authority to form a staff and move subordinates within the department with a minimum amount of approvals, then it will be easier for him to perform his tasks. The specialist will have the opportunity to quickly form a team consisting of effective workers.
Making personnel decisions
Source: shutterstock.com
The ability to independently form and “protect” your IT budget
The CIO must be able to provide the subdivisions under his control with the necessary financial resources. This applies not only to activities to support the IT infrastructure and information systems, but also to tasks related to the implementation of new projects. The less the CIO depends on other departments and managers in this matter, the better the financing of the IT sphere in the company will be.
However, it is worth considering that the financial support should not be too large. Otherwise, the CIO will have to bear responsibility for the budget spent. It is best if business units independently "protect" the budget for their projects, and the IT department acts as the budget holder. This will increase the likelihood of receiving the required resources for development. In addition, the interest of business units in achieving the goals set within the projects will increase.