What are they doing that makes them stand apart? What precautions are they taking for the coming years? And what can we borrow from their winning strategies?<\/p>\n
Based on a recent 300-leader survey, those top winning strategies fall into four main categories:\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Playing offense with efficiency<\/li>\n
- Investing in technology to consolidate, automate, and save resources<\/li>\n
- Prioritizing employee engagement<\/li>\n
- Planning for long-term customer retention<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Based on those findings, we did some digging into CIOs leading the charge. They\u2019ve got insights on these strategies, wins we can learn from, and careers we think everyone should be paying attention to. <\/p>\n
Here are seven of those powerhouse CIOs\u2014and some relevant thoughts from them about these vital strategic priorities:<\/p>\n
\n\n\nThe Top CIOs of 2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- John Kish<\/a><\/li>\n
- Azunna Anyanwu<\/a><\/li>\n
- Nancy Avila<\/a><\/li>\n
- Erika Carrara<\/a><\/li>\n
- Lori Beer<\/a><\/li>\n
- Dr. Chandragupta Gudena<\/a><\/li>\n
- Arthur Hu<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
What\u2019s in a Title?<\/h2>\n
Similarly to Forbes<\/a> and their top CIO list, we\u2019ve taken some liberties with who we\u2019re calling CIOs. Instead of titles, we\u2019re more concerned with roles and responsibilities. This is why some of the people on the below list have multiple titles or don\u2019t hold the title of CIO at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019re also choosing to highlight\u2014not rank. These are people doing standout work, but that doesn\u2019t mean they are the only<\/em> people doing standout work.<\/p>\n
Want some inspiration from the best PMOs? Check out our list of the top PMOs of 2023<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n
Playing Offense With Efficiency<\/h2>\n
Efficiency is critical for CIOs and similar roles as they manage complex technology environments and big budgets. But how are leaders ensuring IT operations and projects are efficient? And how are they optimizing costs and resources?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at a few in our list who are answering those tough questions:<\/p>\n
John Kish<\/h3>\n
\n![\"ClickUp](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ClickUp-Styled-Headshot-John-Kish.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCompany<\/strong>: Equity Trust Company
Title<\/strong>: CIO<\/p>\nA leader in the self-directed account industry, this spring Equity Trust named John Kish<\/a> as their Chief Information Officer. With over 20 years of experience across industries such as automotive and medical\u2014and the strategic mindset that comes with that wealth of experience\u2014we\u2019ve got our eye on John\u2019s commitment to innovation on both the business and technology side of things.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a recent interview<\/a>, he spoke on a point that we believe is key for those focused on efficiency. John explained his specific outlook on his efficiency strategy by saying:<\/p>\n
\n\n
[Make sure] you have a solid problem definition\u2026A lot of folks don\u2019t spend the time they need to spend on defining the problem. Maybe it gets defined too small, maybe you start solutioning before you really understand the problem\u2026Think about: how can my solution hit three or four key strategic objectives, not just one or two tactical objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
John Kish<\/cite>,\u00a0<\/span>CIO at Equity Trust Company<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Azunna Anyanwu<\/h3>\n
\n![\"ClickUp](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ClickUp-Styled-Headshot-Azunna-Anyanwu.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCompany<\/strong>: Aprio
Title<\/strong>: CIO<\/p>\nWith a 20+ year career in the industry, Azunna Anyanwu<\/a> has focused on delivering solutions and advising executives and corporate boards on technology. Now, he\u2019s the strategic leader behind IT operations, cybersecurity, and infrastructure at Aprio\u2014a business advisory and accounting firm with 20 locations, nearly 2,000 team members, and 50+ countries served. <\/p>\n
In 2022, he was the AOTMP<\/a> IT Management Professional of the Year.<\/p>\n
On the efficiency and technology side of things, Azunna\u2019s assessment of what CIOs are working with might ring particularly true. As he says in a recent LinkedIn article<\/a>:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\n
\u201cWhen I start a new role or client project, I frequently find that the team has a shared mailbox or free\/barebones incident management system to manage requests for support via email\u2026I also discover that the information needed to assess the state of the environment is scattered across various tools and systems<\/strong> (e.g. network-shared drives, intranet, note-taking tools, siloed applications, etc.), or worse, does not even exist. This makes it particularly difficult to identify recurring issues, risks and vulnerabilities or develop a plan for enhancing the effectiveness of the IT organization and environment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Azunna Anyanwu<\/cite>,\u00a0<\/span>CIO at Aprio<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n In other words: Just as our recent report found, consolidation, automation<\/a>, and saving resources via the right technology are paramount challenges to tackle when taking on a new project or coming into a new CIO role.<\/p>\n
Investing in Technology<\/h2>\n
To maintain a competitive edge, leaders in the technology space have to continually invest in technology to drive business value. Whether it\u2019s driving growth, future-proofing, mitigating risks, or improving efficiency, prioritizing technology is top of mind for these leaders. <\/p>\n
Nancy Avila<\/h3>\n
\n![\"ClickUp](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ClickUp-Styled-Headshot-Nancy-Avila.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCompany:<\/strong> McKesson Corporation
Title<\/strong>: Executive VP, CIO, and CTO<\/p>\nNancy Avila<\/a> is another powerhouse with more than two decades of experience to draw from as she leads a team responsible for the technology that keeps McKesson\u2019s vital healthcare services running smoothly. At the height of the COVID crisis, it was McKesson\u2019s e-commerce platform that U.S. regulators chose to distribute vaccines to pharmacies across the states. <\/p>\n
And it was Nancy\u2019s team that scaled distribution by 1500% in just 90 days<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We love what she has to say about how investing in technology impacts very real outcomes for very real people on the receiving end of our services and products. From a recent interview<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\n\n
\u201cThe other piece [of the role of CIO] is how we optimize our internal operations and platforms in terms of\u2026automation and functions. [And] I think the most strategic piece\u2026is how do we work across the company and build the right technology to enable our key\u2026strategies. Our infrastructure touches our patient\u2026[this is] such an \u2018ah-ha\u2019 moment. When our network is down, cancer patients can\u2019t get an infusion. We have to be always on\u2026We transact more orders in pharmaceuticals between the hours of five to nine than Amazon. So when you think about that impact\u2026when infrastructure is down, our healthcare is impacted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Nancy Avila<\/cite>,\u00a0<\/span>Executive VP, CIO, and CTO at McKesson Corporation<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Prioritizing Employee Engagement<\/h2>\n
Employee engagement might not always be first to mind with business technology<\/a>, but it can be one of the most crucial aspects of a thriving organization. Many technology leaders look to collaboration tools<\/a>, devices, and training software<\/a> to boost workforce productivity and give employees the right tech to enhance their work. <\/p>\n
Here are a few leaders investing in employee engagement through technology:<\/p>\n
Erika Carrara<\/h3>\n
\n![\"ClickUp](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ClickUp-Styled-Headshot-Erika-Carrara.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCompany<\/strong>: Wabtec Corporation (Fortune 300)<\/p>\n
Title<\/strong>: Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh Tech Council\u2019s CISO of the year Erika Carrara<\/a> is a cybersecurity, compliance, privacy, and digital systemic risk expert with over 20 years of experience under her belt. She\u2019s currently CISO and VP at Wabtec\u2014a Fortune 500 company with a presence in 53 countries. <\/p>\n
Erika is also a Native American, veteran, the Executive Sponsor of Women of Wabtec, and a strong advocate for gender diversity and other DEI efforts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019s also a great example of understanding the role employee engagement and education play in keeping companies and systems secure. As she said recently in a Digital Directors Network interview<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\n\n
Culture will eat strategy for breakfast. That\u2019s the saying, and I\u2019ve never seen anything be more true and relevant\u2026Humans are involved in roughly 85% of the technological transactions that happen daily across the globe. Securing the human element is absolutely imperative<\/strong>\u2026You can throw a lot of money at technology and deploy it well, but, you know, we\u2019ve got Jane and Bob over there\u2026click[ing] on a link and let[ting] the bad guys in. Year-over-year with Wabtec, before I stepped into this role, security awareness training completion was under 20%\u2026it\u2019s now over 89%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Erika Carrara<\/cite>,\u00a0<\/span>VP and CISO at Wabtec<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Lori Beer<\/h3>\n
\n![\"ClickUp](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ClickUp-Styled-Headshot-Lori-Beer.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCompany<\/strong>: JPMorgan Chase<\/p>\n
Title<\/strong>: Global CIO<\/p>\n
This powerhouse CIO is head of JPMorgan Chase & Co.\u2014a leading global financial services firm with $2.6 trillion in assets. Lori Beer<\/a> appears on many industry lists, including Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance and Most Powerful Women in Banking. <\/p>\n
Lori makes those lists for many different reasons\u2014specifically her industry prominence, her management of a $15 billion budget, and her commitment to raising other women in STEM. With 57,000 employees on her tech team and a stellar track record, she\u2019s also a great source of inspiration for those who want to improve employee engagement.<\/p>\n
We are particularly struck by her focus on clear, strategic employee communication that centers company strategy. As she said in a recent interview<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\n\n
Make sure you have a clearly aligned vision and mission. We make sure that first and foremost people understand our business strategy and the four lines of business we operate [and] how technology enables, supports, and protects those lines of business\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Lori Beer<\/cite>,\u00a0<\/span>Global CIO at JPMorgan Chase<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n This focus on engaged, informed employees also feeds into success with the customer retention and technology pieces of our strategic puzzle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat translates into\u2026how we deliver engaging customer experiences [and] how we make sure we\u2019re modernizing our applications, infrastructure, and data,\u201d Beer added.<\/p>\n
Planning for Long-Term Customer Retention<\/h2>\n
Customer-facing technology investments like mobility, personalization, and omnichannel improve satisfaction and loyalty. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll see CIOs speak to the power of technology to help keep their customers longer.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chandragupta Gudena<\/h3>\n
\n![\"ClickUp](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ClickUp-Styled-Headshot-Dr-Chandragupta-Gudena.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCompany<\/strong>: PBMares LLP<\/p>\n
Title<\/strong>: CIO<\/p>\n
With a rich background in consulting, advisory, and operational roles, Dr. Chandragupta Gudena<\/a> stepped into his current role in 2021 and has been developing and implementing FinTech strategy and technological transformation ever since. <\/p>\n
In a recent chat with ClickUp, Dr. Gudena explained how digital transformation has become a major focus for many CIOs. He added there\u2019s a growing need to reduce technology debt<\/a>, manage the abundance of created data, and avoid disruptions to standard business practices across the org.<\/p>\n
\n\n
As we work through a transformation, there is an inflection point for digital literacy that creates a sudden need for resources, which requires the uncanny analysis of the project and resource commitments we\u2019re investing in. This is where critical<\/strong> planning tools<\/a> and platforms play a pivotal role in sustaining and accelerating the digital transformation of your products and services<\/strong>. It has a literal impact on how clients consume and experience those products and services.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Dr. Chandragupta Gudena<\/cite>,\u00a0<\/span>CIO at PBMares<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Arthur Hu<\/h3>\n
\n![\"ClickUp](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ClickUp-Styled-Headshot-Arthur-Hu.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCompany<\/strong>: Lenovo<\/p>\n
Title<\/strong>: SVP, Global CIO, and Services and Solutions Group CTO<\/p>\n
With 14+ years at Lenovo, Arthur Hu<\/a> has built a strong career leading global IT teams across the value chain and earning big wins for the company along the way. Before Lenovo, this industry heavy hitter spent eight years at McKinsey after graduating from Stanford with a B.S. and then M.S. in Computer Science.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not just the incredible companies and universities on his resume that led us to include him on this year\u2019s list. It\u2019s the insights he\u2019s been sharing that help frame how CIOs should be thinking about the end customer.<\/p>\n
Arthur added context to this idea in a recent interview for CIO Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n
- Azunna Anyanwu<\/a><\/li>\n
- John Kish<\/a><\/li>\n