A few days ago, the president of an important family business in our country shared, in an inspiring tone, that he had been lucky enough to be able to dedicate himself to his true passion, that when things are done with enthusiasm, that illusion is transmitted to the environment, and in turn that directing the talent of the people who make up his team made him really happy. Little more could be added. Often the figure of a CIO (or any other “C” type role related to technology) is associated with that of an expert in technical issues, a person capable of predicting trends, who You can talk about a large number of technological products, software and hardware, managing projects, dealing with budgets, increasing the competitiveness of companies, acronyms and many other things. Although this at first glance may seem like a certain challenge, currently it would be partly incomplete. The CIO role encompasses more aspects, demands and, in turn, many more passions. We could say that a CIO must have a large vocational position component; being passionate about his work, a born strategist, an ambassador of adding value, of bringing competitiveness to companies, and in turn contributing positively to employees feeling productive and happy. It is nothing new that, in In a current concept, a CIO is the right hand of the CEO, aligned with the company’s management and strategies at the highest level, being a born promoter of digital companies, of authentic Smart Factories, of companies in which technology It is a fundamental piece to achieve agility, speed of action and adaptation to changing environments. We are not so much facing a digital revolution, but that digital is advancing at a greater speed, even terminology such as “Agile” or “Sprint” remind us of such high speed.

A CIO is the right hand of the CEO, aligned with the direction and with the strategies of the company at the highest level.

The CIO as a great strategist and at the same time as a true passionate for adding value, for technology, for information security, for the rationalization of things and the economy (the current pay-for-service model makes it important rationalize fixed expenses), by people. A born defender of common sense, of negotiation, of change management, that quality data and its unification constitute the fundamental axis for making decisions, that people contribute value: that technology constitutes a differentiating value for a company. And all this together with being a person suitable for strong emotions, for dealing with many issues in parallel, a true inspirer and a person who spreads technology and its benefits at all levels. For a CIO, the passion for people (in regarding attraction, motivation and retention of talent), being surrounded by the most competent professionals, making people work in happy and more digital environments, taking care not only of the user experience but also never losing sight of the “ employee experience”, taking care of your team and people will become a true cornerstone; on an essential mission. Not as something learned in inspiring books, in magisterial conferences or in magical recipes, but as something that is truly born from the soul, which becomes the common denominator of the people who make up the organization; in the soul of the organization. That everything is aligned under that common denominator, since one is not exempt from falling into certain postures, in photographs (possibly retouched with Photoshop) of “Happy Companies”, where the important thing is to appear in rankings. Possibly today we are, partly fostered by professional social networks, facing a certain dose of “posture” on many levels. A CIO who tries to go out of his way to add value, for excellence, for managing projects properly, who is passionate about his work and that he transmits all of this, with endless motivating challenges, that tries to maximize his human team, making them enjoy and grow together, inspiring the team’s “soft skills”, possibly acting as a magnet for talent. Currently, the Technological talent, and not only technological talent, is a precious asset and you can be inspiring and attract talent, or you can become a kind of talent “scarer” where treatment can be improved, a lack of challenges, disappointments, not feeling valued technically or humanly, or many other factors contribute to this decapitalization of talent. A CIO without a great human team, both in terms of human and technical qualities, will have little room for action. The role of a CIO in a company is certainly exciting, and who knows if it is not very suitable for people who are not enthusiastic about it. In a way, the “strong emotions” (not leaving aside the role of CISO who enters fully into that chapter of strong emotions, whether it depends on the CIO or not), in such a changing environment where digital becomes key for any company, for its competitiveness and its continuity.By Antonio Ferre Albero, CIO of Plastic Forte