By Ken Spangler, Adjunct Faculty, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
For decades, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) role has been an important part of enabling enterprises through technology. The job to deliver technology that supported business operations, kept systems running, and provided the tools for people to do their work more effectively was critical and grew larger in scale as technology capabilities and risks continued to accelerate.
While that role of enabling the enterprise is still important today, in the modern digital era much more is required. After all, almost no one would argue that in most enterprises today, technology is the business–which is why as the CIO role expanded to be even broader and more important, a more modern title has emerged: the Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO).
From Support to Transformation
The CIO era was about enabling. The CIDO era is about transforming.
As digital technology reshapes every industry, the CIDO is no longer just managing IT systems. CIDOs are leading enterprise-wide digital transformation. The conversation has shifted from “How do we enable the business with technology?” to “How do we transform the business because of technology?”
The stakes are higher, and the opportunities are greater.
Business and Technology: Two Sides of the Same Coin
In the digital era, the boundary between business and technology has disappeared. You can’t separate the two. “Business is the technology, and technology is the business” is an often used phrase in many businesses today.
That reality means CIDOs must build deep partnerships with every part of the organization. Success doesn’t come from technology in isolation. It comes from business and technology leaders working hand in hand to create new value, new capabilities, and new ways of serving customers.
The Leadership Imperative
Being a CIDO isn’t about technical expertise alone. It’s about leadership–setting the vision, clarifying the strategy, and driving transformation across the enterprise.
The best CIDOs are transformation experts. They major in change. They communicate clearly, partner broadly, and inspire people to see technology not as a cost center, but as the engine of business growth.
Final Thought
The move from CIO to CIDO is more than a change in title. It’s a shift in mindset–from enabling to transforming, from supporting the business to leading it.
If you embrace that shift, you won’t just be running IT. You’ll be shaping the future of the enterprise.
Ken Spangler is the former Executive Vice President & CIO of FedEx Global Operations Technology, where he led large-scale technology transformations and enterprise innovation across one of the world’s most complex logistics networks. The only executive to serve as CIO for each of FedEx’s major operating companies, Ken spearheaded global initiatives in AI, IT strategy, and enterprise business agility. Now an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University, he brings more than 37 years of executive technology leadership to the classroom, helping the next generation of digital leaders align innovation with strategic impact.
Learn from leaders like Ken Spangler in the Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO) Executive Education Program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College.