CIOs have long aspired to be seen as more than just operational leaders within their organizations. In the early 2000s and 2010s, there was considerable discussion about why CIOs were not being considered for boardroom roles or broader business leadership positions.
While the CIO role evolved significantly during the 2000s and 2010s, it remained largely disconnected from revenue generation, customer experience, and brand strategy. At the time, CIOs were
rarely included in board-level succession planning. The role was still predominantly seen as one focused on maintaining servers, datacenters, internal networks, and desktops.
So, when I proposed this month’s cover story on AI catalyzing the CIO’s path to a boardroom seat during our editorial meeting, it triggered an intense debate among our editors: was this a timely topic, or were we simply revisiting an old conversation? But the landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years. From customer experience to business model innovation, nearly every aspect of enterprise value creation is now tech-enabled. With AI at the centre of this shift, CIOs have become central to how organizations streamline operations, generate new revenue streams, and elevate customer experience.
They are no longer just responsible for technology—they now drive change, innovation, and help organizations remain resilient and competitive. As nearly every organization looks to build a comprehensive AI strategy, boards are increasingly turning to CIOs for guidance. AI is not plug-and-play. Its promise is closely tied to data quality, ethical governance, infrastructure readiness, and risk manage-
ment. CIOs, who sit at the confluence of data, security, and strategy, are not just relevant—they are the architects of tech-driven transformation. While not every CIO may actively seek a board seat, the moment calls for their presence. AI has changed the rules, and it may well be the opening that finally brings CIOs into the boardroom.