| | October 20188CIOReviewCIOReviewChief Information Officers (CIO) have now been in the midst of the digital and business transformation that has been in the making in our world, for decades. CIOs, and by extension, the team of IT professionals we lead have not only been the enablers, but often, the ones who paint the picture of what is possible, and lead the way. These efforts have often resulted in new businesses coming into existence, spurring growth for the organizations we are leaders at, and in some cases, even the very survival of the organizations have been made possible through the transformations we have led, as every organization sorts out the opportunities and the negative impact of inaction in the digital revolution our world is now experiencing.The role of the CIO has evolved significantly in scope, importance, criticality, and in stature, in recent years. When a technology enabled company comes into existence or significant growth is being experienced with the help of technology, or the existence of a business is extended into the future with technology infusion and services we enable, the importance of the role is beyond question.Similarly, in this day and age, when phrases such as `data is the new oil' have come into existence, safeguarding the customers' data, the intellectual property of the organization, business intelligence that is being gleaned from the data for competitive advantage or to serve customers better, are vital to the interests of the business, more than ever. I would argue that there is even a moral obligation when measured in terms of the personal impact to the customers when their data is at risk for misuse, as we read about in these times, quite regularly. The criticality associated with safeguarding of all this important information cannot be underestimated. It is one of our core and primary responsibilities, even as every person in the organization shares this responsibility as well, by their actions or inactions.The stature, in this context, is always a function of how much an organization values the role and the contributions a CIO makes, which are often based on the results delivered. Commensurate with all this, CIOs are being rewarded in many ways, as deserving as all this is. Many CIOs may also be quick to acknowledge that this is a role that cannot always necessarily be compensated adequately in traditional terms alone. Somewhat akin to that of a teacher, nurse, firefighter, police and the like, at one level, this is noble work irrespective of any reward, since every individual and the entire organization is so dependent on our best work, expect it By Vincent A. Marin, CIO, Sidley Austin LLPOUR CALLING AND TIMEIN MYPINION
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