We asked chief information officers how they expect their role to change in 2016 and beyond. They said the âseat at the tableâ discussion is over, and that the CIO exerts greater influence inside the C-suite as technology permeates every line of business.  Many CIOs said they now shape corporate strategy, not just support it. While they still have a mandate to improve operating performance, keep costs down and drive productivity using technology, they also guide product development and user experience design.  âRegardless of industry, CIOs will have more responsibility directly to the customer,â saidÂ Bill Bradley, CIO at CenturyLink Inc.  While in the past viewed as mostly a technical position, âthe CIO…is now considered very valuable in the ability to bridge the gap between IT and internal and external customer needs,â said Erika Lance, CIO at Nationwide Title Clearing Inc.  As CIOs embrace a greater leadership role, âweâre not waiting for the business to askâ for new features or services, saidÂ Pam Parisian, CIO at AT&T Inc. âWeâre bringing them strategies for ensuring the best outcomes for our customers and for AT&T.â  To keep up with rapid changes in technology, CIOs noted a renewed focus on speed and the ability to deliver high-quality technology projects quickly. âMore than ever, there needs to be a greater focus on quality and speed of delivery,â saidÂ Paychex CIO Mike Gioja.Â AndÂ Colin Boyd, CIO at mining firm Joy Global Inc., echoed the sentiment: âSay goodbye to the giant ERP implementation projects.â  Shifting to a more agile architecture will require CIOs to re-think how they operate across the enterprise. Instead of shepherding the IT shop to build technology to solve a particular problem, CIOs now manage large âecosystemsâ of internal technology organizations, corporate business units and external partners.  âSuccessful CIOs will need to be more effective at managing the holistic technology and data environment regardless of who âownsâ the resources,â saidÂ Yvonne Wassenaar, CIO at New Relic Inc.  Stuart Sackman, corporate vice president of global product and technology at Automatic Data Processing Inc., predicts traditional CIO organizations and corporate R&D departments will start to merge under a single leader. âThis will help increase efficiency by allowing projects to be seen from start to finish under the same strategy and leadership,â he said.  At any rate, more CIOs see themselves as drivers of digital transformation inside their companies. And the rest of the C-suite is starting to pay attention. âThe âseat at the tableâ thing is the old CIO,â saidÂ Clay Johnson, CIO at GE Power. âIf youâre not there already, youâre not part of this transformation.â
Looking ahead to 2016, CIOs say a focus on the customer is paramount, even as they continue to manage a broader technology ecosystem and maintain their focus on speed and agility.