Report urges companies not to under-estimate role of CIO

15:15 4th December 2008

A report jointly produced by Deloitte and Cranfield School of Management has revealed that businesses need to invest in a chief information officer (CIO) to remain competitive in the current market.

The survey found that the position of CIO was not fully understood by many companies and therefore had not been filled.

Data protection is an increasingly important issue in light of the explosion in identity fraud and data loss, highlighting the need for an information officer to be represented in senior management so that he or she may roll-out IT training and strategy.

Chris Edwards from Cranfield School of Management commented: "The role of the CIO is transitory; it has a clear beginning, middle and end. Our research has identified five states of information and technology leadership, only three of which will require a CIO."

He added that it was more important than ever for businesses to work out a personal specification for the CIO role to suit their business needs and recruit someone who fits that profile.

Cranfield School of Management was founded in 1967 and is a leading exponent of management research.