The invisible CIO: When doing it right is no longer enough

The CIO needs to have a strategic position to maintain leadership and control over transformational initiatives, such as those involving generative AI and agents. But before being influential, the CIO must first be visible — shedding light on a common paradox of IT leadership: the better a CIO does their job, the less they appear in the business narrative.

The paradox of silent success

In 2013, Barclays brought newly appointed Global CIO Shaygan Kheradpir into the executive committee for the first time with a clear mission: to accelerate digital transformation. In less than two years, he achieved spectacular results. Digital lending doubled and mobile banking grew by 56%. However, when he left the institution, his name and contributions barely surfaced, communicated almost as a side note. The technology had been implemented so well it became invisible.

A decade later, that paradox remains for many IT leaders. Generative AI and agents have put the CIO at the center of operations, but not necessarily at the center of conversations. According to CIO.com’s State of the CIO 2025 report, 40% of CIOs in the EMEA region report directly to the CEO, well below the global figure of 58%. Furthermore, as former CIO and technology leadership expert Mark Settle warns: “In the real world, however, a CEO reporting relationship may not translate into true political clout.”

In other words, even if the CIO advances in the organizational chart, there remains a risk that the CIO’s silent success will become normalized. But if the narrative doesn’t include the CIO, the organization loses direction when it comes to innovation. And the CIO loses their ability to influence. Therefore, they need to know whether they’re becoming invisible.

Signs the CIO is losing visibility

A CIO doesn’t suddenly become invisible; it’s a slow-burning phenomenon. This makes it difficult to detect and can become embedded in the company’s culture. Below, we present a set of signs that a CIO may be drifting outside the strategic space.

One of the clearest signs is when strategic innovation projects begin to be defined without the CIO in the conversation. Instead of leading, IT is assigned the role of implementing. In many cases departments such as Marketing, Customer Service, and Employee Support have launched, or even scaled, AI projects without involving IT until late in the process. According to the “Inside the C-Suite” study conducted by Foundry in 2024, only 48% of technology leaders actively participate in defining technological opportunities and decisions.

Another sign reveals a cultural legacy that persists in many organizations: The business doesn’t have a clear vision of IT’s contribution. There’s a perception that everything works, or that IT is involved in many projects, but it remains generic and undefined. Even if productivity gains or improvements in customer experience occur, these are internally labeled as implementation or optimization.

As a result, business results are not attributed to or connected with the IT department. Visibility is lost to other areas, because that’s where the impact is seen. This is an early warning of the displacement of the CIO, who is perceived less as a leader in the transformation and more as a supporter.

This diffusion of the CIO role is increasing with the gradual emergence of emerging roles in the organizational chart, such as chief digital officer, chief data officer, or chief AI officer, which may overlap with the CIO function. These positions are created with a clearly defined mission: to advance digital transformation, monetize data, or accelerate the adoption of generative AI. Furthermore, they are accompanied by a transformation mandate and a direct connection to the business. In this context, the CIO runs the risk of becoming associated with a more diffuse perception, as someone who operates in the background.

Fortunately, CIOs can reverse this dynamic. They have the space and capacity to establish themselves as leaders of the organization’s technology strategy.

Recovering the space of influence

Reclaiming that space doesn’t depend on launching campaigns or reorganizations, but on positioning oneself. To achieve this, we propose three lines of action: redefining indicators, building alliances, and leading the digital narrative.

Develop business KPIs accompanied by a story

The first element to review is metrics, as they are a cornerstone of IT visibility in the business. According to the IDC CIO Sentiment Survey 2024, only two of the top seven CIO metrics are linked to innovation or growth. New KPIs are needed, aligned with management priorities, such as revenue generation, efficiency, or time-to-market.

Furthermore, data alone is no longer enough; it must be accompanied by a narrative. For example, a 99.98% availability figure will have an impact if it links to the ability to sustain revenue during peak demand without interruption. It is this combination of metrics and narrative that makes the CIO’s results visible.

Create alliances with business units

At a time when innovation is digital, it makes no sense for the CIO’s involvement to be limited to delivering technology. True value emerges when the CIO sits with business units from the very beginning of each project and co-creates initiatives, contributing their full perspective and judgment.

For this to happen, an evolution in the relationship with the business areas is necessary, developing mutual understanding and building a foundation of trust. If the CIO takes the first step toward rapprochement, a space will naturally open in which he or she will be perceived as a strategic partner.

Leading the digital story

The CIO cannot delegate the organization’s technological narrative. He or she has a unique cross-cutting vision that encompasses systems, data, and processes. This allows the CIO to connect all initiatives through a coherent narrative.

This narrative isn’t just necessary for top management. It’s also required by investors and society, which needs to understand the rapid changes taking place. The CIO has a unique opportunity to project the value of IT beyond execution and establish their thought leadership.

The current context demands that the CIO deliver more than just results: It demands a visible presence. If the CIO doesn’t occupy that space, a void will be created, filled by other roles that lack the CIO’s perspective. The business needs the CIO’s role as a strategic interlocutor to advance solidly in AI and the digital economy.

Alberto Bellé is a principal analyst at Foundry Research in Spain.