Top reasons for high CIO turnover rates

IT directors tend to change jobs at twice the rate of CFOs, and almost three times that of CEOs. Several factors contribute to this, including lack of representation within top management teams, strategy bottlenecks, and curiosity of what else might be out there to advance careers. 

In the 2025 Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report, which surveyed 2,015 managers in 62 countries, global digital leaders say they expect to stay at one company for an average of 3.3 years. The figure varies from the honeymoon phase — three years or more — to when signs of burnout develop from those with several years’ experience — no longer than six months.

Italian CIOs, for example, are no exception. A lack of recognition and support, especially if the IT function isn’t integrated into the company’s strategic plan, and the desire to continue developing skills through new career paths are the main reasons they seek alternatives and, ultimately, leave current employers.

“It’s a good idea to change after a few years to develop your professional skills,” the CIO of an online services company says. “But other factors can also push someone to leave, like dissatisfaction being in a company that doesn’t truly want to undertake digital transformation, and only maintain systems. A CIO wants to pursue strategic projects, not negotiate licenses. I, too, see IT projects regularly cut from the budget at my company today. I’m demotivated and looking around.”

Unfortunately for many companies, IT is still seen as a necessary evil that should be invested in as little as possible, adds FHP Group CIO Fabio Mattaboni. “They think of IT as the cost of software licenses and PCs, server purchases, network contracts, and maintenance of programs. Few understand that IT can and should be used strategically for the benefit of the company,” he says.

But it can go both ways. Some companies lose confidence in the CIO as one from a medium-sized manufacturing company says. “In all management positions, you need motivation, the ability to pursue interesting projects, and see that the owners or board continue to invest,” he says. “If the company goes into management mode instead of innovation, the CIO loses enthusiasm.”

Recognized as strategic 

CIOs care about being understood as an integral and executive member deeply involved with strategy, with decision-making power over the IT budget.

“By definition, the CIO is someone who oversees innovation projects, not an IT manager,” adds the SME CIO. “A company that doesn’t want to innovate, but only adopt technology, undermines their role and demotivates them. In some cases, conflicts even arise with the owners or board over salary, which could be deemed too high.”

The Nash Squared survey confirms that for CIOs, almost half say the primary attraction to accept the role is an ambitious and rewarding project.

Conversely, not being recognized as strategic encourages abandonment. Sixty-five percent of global managers with the CIO or IT director title are part of the executive team, but the rest have no influence on decisions. And even when they have contact with the board, managers often fail to receive salary or IT budget increases.

Overall, nearly half of CIOs say they received a raise in the last year, while four in 10 maintained their salary remained unchanged. Those who saw their compensation increase by 10% or more have several things in common: their CEO is highly focused on technology rather than cost-cutting, AI is being implemented widely across the organization, and the company is hiring to grow its workforce.

Enabler of digital transformation

Mattaboni has personally experienced all these dynamics and has developed a refined interpretation of IT as a strategic function that works with the business to so it remains competitive.

In several instances throughout his career as CIO, Mattaboni has been called on to oversee significant transformations, leading not only with technology but also with managerial skills. And after three or four years, he moves on.

“The role is to manage projects that change the organization, with the support of the entrepreneur or CEO,” he says.

One company in particular was an international retail group. Management decided to adopt an integrated management system that, by centralizing purchasing, would streamline costs to give the company an edge.

“My job was to define the entire system, including controls, and guide the change management process for the people involved,” says Mattaboni. “This type of project, including the settling-in and integration phase, lasted about four years, and by then the company transformation was well underway.”

And that’s where motivation started to wane since he wanted to be a strategic manager, not an IT manager.

The balance between career and loyalty 

Investment, innovation, and trust are key to retain CIOs, says Helen Fleming, executive director for search and specialisms at global technology recruiter, Harvey Nash. “To ensure these managers remain motivated, the organization must continue to invest in technology, whether it’s upgrading infrastructure, enabling digital transformation, or supporting business growth through tech,” she says.

A culture of innovation involving emerging technologies must also be prominent to promote competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency. “These are all attractive elements for CIOs since their ambition is to work in an environment where they can have a strategic impact,” she adds.

On the other hand, retention is also a key consideration, says Fleming. It’s not advisable for a company to keep a CIO if such a high-level figure is no longer essential to the business. “Many of the CIOs I know have completed a transformative project and then left when their role was no longer essential,” she adds. “This self-awareness and the board’s ability to understand it can create a healthy transition from one job to another.”

But changing jobs to advance a career isn’t always an option, nor is it necessarily recommended. “At this management level, it’s also very important to demonstrate the ability to see projects through to completion and produce results with strategic value,” says Fleming.

So CIOs must find a balance between short-lived, yet achieved, projects, which might cast doubt on their ability to fully engage and create an impact, and unexamined loyalty to the same position. Experience at many companies in the same sector is a huge plus, because the CIO is often seen as the go-to person to solve problems, and the fastest way to reach a solution is to be familiar with similar situations over the course of a career. But this growth must occur gradually, without being resigned to complacency.