IT Leadership: 10 Ways the CIO Role Changed in 2020

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1. Business Continuity Is a Bigger Part of the Job

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Last spring, CIOs around the globe quickly discovered whether they had done an adequate job with their business continuity planning. In the past, these types of plans often focused on responding to natural disasters rather than health crises, and the pandemic stretched IT teams, requiring them to modify those business continuity plans on the fly .

Some large enterprises responded by setting up "war rooms" where they could monitor IT infrastructure and respond to changing conditions quickly. IDC believes this change is likely to continue. In its Worldwide CIO Agenda 2021 Predictions, it writes, "By 2023, CIO-led adversity centers will become a permanent fixture in 65% of enterprises, focused on building resilience with digital infrastructure, and flexible funding for diverse scenarios."

However, the firm also warns that not all IT leaders will succeed in their business continuity efforts. It adds, "Unable to find adaptive ways to counter escalating cyberattacks, unrest, trade wars, and sudden collapses, 30% of CIOs will fail in protecting trust -- the foundation of customer confidence -- by 2021."

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