The more corporate IT leaders, the greater the need to coexist

On a global average, CIOs hold 1.8 different positions, according to Foundry’s State of the CIO 2025 survey. So while some see themselves strictly as CIOs, others take on CTO, CISO, chief innovation officer, or COO duties. Responsibilities for data and AI management are increasing as well, so roles of CDO and CAIO are part of the CIO orbit, too.

In larger companies, these positions are more independent, where the CIO is supported by other tech positions, so collaborating effectively with colleagues and managing relationships without encroaching on territory are growing skills required by the modern CIO.

The CIO’s team

The State of the CIO 2025 survey also finds that half of respondents have a CTO working alongside them while CISOs are now common in nearly a third of companies, and 22% also have a CDO on the executive team. But only 14% so far have established a CAIO position.

CTOs, chief innovation officers, and CDOs typically report to the CEO, as do CAIOs, while CISOs report partly to the CEO and partly to the CIO. While many of these new roles don’t fall under a direct reporting structure to the CIO, their technology budgets remain part of overall IT spend. The only notable exception is the CAIO, who in half of cases oversees a separate budget.

Alessandro Ghizzardi, CTO of web agency and system integrator Softec, explains how the CIO deals with internal and client infrastructure, and also has CISO duties, while the CTO deals with delivery and project management.

“Coexistence depends on the speed at which we move,” he says. “Development must not slow down infrastructure and vice versa. The two parties are essential for the go-to-market process and should collaborate not hinder each other.”

But timing is crucial, he adds.

“In a UX project, for example, I’m responsible as CTO to prepare the project and testing, but then there’s the infrastructure that supports everything, which the CIO takes care of,” he says. “We have to proceed in tandem, without slowing down the infrastructure. On the other hand, in a vulnerability assessment, if an immediate patch is needed, the infrastructure takes precedence over delivery.” 

A team effort

As in many rapidly evolving sectors, technology has required greater specialization and focus on specific areas, like healthcare, says Gabriella Vacca, a former CIO and CTO of large media groups. “With specialization, professional figures have emerged who act as bridges between the various specialized areas of medicine and adjacent studies, such as the mind-body connection and environmental influences,” she says. “Something similar has happened in technology leadership where specialized figures have been formed, both in individual technologies and at different leadership levels.”

While in the past the CIO was sufficient to cover various technological roles, the CTO emerged to focus more on external products and services, and it was quickly understood that the two roles have common and connecting elements. 

“The CTO tends to be more focused on products and services for the end customer and may not even have operational responsibilities,” says Vacca. “These are the obligations of the CIO, who handles processes, efficiency, and cybersecurity. Over time, the two roles have overlapped and new roles have emerged.”

But irrespective of title or position, all of these roles need to communicate with each other, work as a team, and that the same model is disseminated throughout the business. Vacca says technology must be managed as a business for the business, in that business principles must apply to technology, and technology must serve to manage and grow the business. Technology, after all, creates value only if well managed by the CIO and CTO, and when effectively used by the business or external users.

Orchestrating successful collaboration

As senior positions in the technology sector multiply, companies must find ways to bring together the knowledge and experience of these digital leaders, and create connections that ensure innovation delivers business value. And a growing CIO priority is to orchestrate successful collaboration. 

“Digital leaders need to be less siloed and adopt a collaborative, consultative approach,” says Ankur Anand, CIO at tech recruiter Nash Squared. “In the past, the CIO, CDO, and CTO might compete for influence. Now, success lies in finding strength in collaboration.”

An example is Mariangela Colasanti, head of innovation at BWH Hotels Italy & Southeast Europe. In her role, she heads the innovation department and oversees the group’s growth, participates in strategy, and liaises with internal stakeholders from various operations and tech areas. As a result, the company has built a solid organizational foundation and is very focused on a transformation that supports and strengthens business development. 

“Our key stakeholders are guests and hoteliers,” explains Colasanti. “In the innovation team, we select and design digital tools to provide for hoteliers and their guests, with the goal of improving the experience along the entire customer journey. We also offer tools that help hoteliers operate more efficiently, by analyzing data and performance to optimize revenue, streamline operations, and improve guest satisfaction.”

When I and T become one

In the case of environmental management services company AVR, there’s no CIO, as the function is represented by CTO Pierangelo Perdomi.

“Historically at AVR, the IT department hasn’t had a name consistent with modern corporate terminology,” he says. “The reference figure was the IT manager. Since my arrival in 2022, however, both the department and the CTO role have been given full license, granting this function a broader and more strategic scope that reports directly to the CEO.”

The textbook distinction between CIO and CTO, he adds, indicates that the CIO is the function that focuses on internal efficiency and management of the existing IT infrastructure, with the aim to optimize business operations. Then the CTO leads the R&D of new technologies, contributing to product and service innovation, and competitive advantage.

“In the case of AVR, a full-fledged market has been created called the Technology and Engineering Business Unit, with a mission not only to streamline the internal infrastructure but to promote technology products and services to external clients, naturally in proportion to the size of our group,” he says.

An emerging figure

Another managerial role taking shape is called the fractional manager. In big companies, the CIO may be unable to manage large-scale projects, so a fractional manager steps in to serve as project or program manager for a single project or related projects. Their role is limited, and the CIO maintains oversight while operational functions, internal team relations, and supplier and consultant management transfer to the fractional manager.  

“In these cases, collaboration with the CIO works well,” says former CIO and current fractional manager Roberto Zanna. “There’s no friction. In fact, it’s the CIO who seeks the fractional manager’s support, assigns tasks, and acts as a sponsor for the project.”

Overall, he adds, managerial roles surrounding the CIO are destined to grow because European regulations and tech advancements are multiplying responsibilities and specializations, and the CIO can’t do everything. So collaboration remains the key, which depends on strong harmony within the management team, and a clear definition of each individual’s scope of action and autonomy. It’s a different story in much smaller companies, however.

“It makes no sense to talk about CIOs in some companies,” Zanna adds. “Very small companies often don’t have this role, and as a fractional manager, I sometimes step in to introduce strategic digitalization issues and engage more effectively with the business. A fractional manager is like a part-time CIO or a full-fledged IT and digital advisor as they handle multiple clients and work with different companies on different topics. This way, they meet certain needs by having a highly senior manager without the expense of hiring an employee CIO.” 

To peacefully coexist with a manager arriving from outside, natural resistance to change must be overcome. That’s especially the case in SMEs. But in larger businesses where IT managers with more technical than strategic skills are present, the part-time CIO must make it clear that he or she isn’t there to replace the IT manager, but to assist and then step aside. In short, that person is there to help the manager gradually become a CIO and advance their interpersonal and role skills to become a more modern leader.