A relationship driven by tech evolution
The changes that the CIO role has undergone in recent years have played an essential role in building this collaboration, which allows IT leaders to pass on their knowledge to the rest of the company, making them aware of the importance of integrating digital tools, and handling themselves skillfully among other specialists.
This has changed the relationship with the person in charge of communications, explains Mar Vilaseca Vilà, sales manager at multinational HR consultant Randstad Digital. “Historically, these roles worked in isolation, with the CIO focused on technology as operational support and the communications manager focused on the external and internal narrative of the organization,” she says. “But today, technology is a strategic pillar, and the success of many digital initiatives depends on effective collaboration between both areas. Now the CIO must ensure that technological solutions are understandable and useful, while the communications manager translates these advances into clear messages that promote adoption and generate trust.”
Support to the entire organization
Belén Graña, chief innovation officer at Spain’s ESIC University, says a recent restructuring has combined the innovation department with IT, so tech isn’t understood solely as digital tools but is applied to all levels of the organization. Overall, the evolution in IT has made those in charge become most knowledgeable about the organization, she says, since technology is something that crosses all departments. “They collect information from all processes, and connect them with other areas,” she says. This transversal nature is something CIOs and CCOs share, and, as such, both positions can help facilitate an organizational culture open to change and innovation.
