The prospect of a CIO occupying the corner office once seemed remote. But as digital technology becomes increasingly woven throughout the fabric of businesses, more IT leaders are looking to level up.
Sixty-seven percent of CIOs aspire to be CEOs, according to research Deloitte conducted in 2025. A peek in the rearview mirror shows this course has been charted for years.
The rise of cloud and mobile platforms helped IT departments blast through the traditional barriers as they facilitated digital transformations. AI marks tech’s next revolution, garnering the attention of the entire C-suite.
The playbook for CIOs to become CEOs includes the standard fare, such as driving a digital transformation or managing a P&L. Count an entrepreneurial spirit and keeping an open mind among the leading leadership attributes.
IT leaders-turned CEOs shared their experiences that helped them reach the top of the leadership mountain, as well as what it takes to stay there.
CIOs targeting CEO roles must widen their aperture
A career arc that includes roles as CIO of big brands The Walt Disney Co., Microsoft, and the US federal government set the foundation for Intrusion CEO Tony Scott, who has run the cybersecurity software maker since 2021.
Scott says that CIOs are uniquely positioned to lead companies because they, along with CFOs, have the best visibility into how organizations operate and, in particular, how they digitize business processes. What CIOs do to accelerate such transformations while reining in costs is the next step.
The holistic view was one of the catalysts that led Scott to focus more on cybersecurity, an area where IT has traditionally lagged and the “bad guys always seemed to have the upper hand.” Eventually and after much deliberation he agreed to helm Intrusion, whose reputation-based signature detection IP and talent impressed him.
For aspiring CEOs, the willingness and ability to delegate tasks to trusted staff is critical, Scott says. Mastering the business strategy and all its nuances is also key, as CEOs must also know where and when to “pivot” if necessary. Keeping a wide aperture for what is possible is critical.
Moreover, once CIOs-turned-CEOs occupy the top spot they must take care not to lean into IT overly much, or try to be a “gap filler” for things missing across the organization. That leads to a major time drain that will preclude CEOs from effectively steering the business.
Bridging the gap between strategy and implementation
CIOs who have been around the block a time or two see the gaps. At some point, they decide to fill them.
Identifying gaps in today’s leading tech consultancies spurred Michael Matthews to launch Vexital, a boutique advisory designed to bridge the gap between business strategy and technology implementation.
“Companies don’t lack for people, talent, dollars, or ideas,” Mathews says. “They lack clarity and understanding around who they are, what they do, and why they’re doing it.”
Matthews, who held CIO roles at Tennant and Deluxe, set out to build a solution architecture playbook that matches strategic intent — “the why” — with the work on the ground — “the how.”
Transforming Deluxe to a digital payment provider that could enter new markets with scale and pace was foundational for Mathews, who says he had to help the company overcome its fear of cannibalizing its bread-and-butter business — the paper check.
At Vexital, Mathews is helping companies with their own technical challenges, such as working with a medical devices company to reorganize its product roadmaps to reach profitability.
Mathews’ advice for CIOs who want to be the head honcho one day: Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks — not unlike what a CIO does when he or she tackles cybersecurity threats, new technologies, or competitors.
Moreover, one of the hallmarks of good leadership is “pulling people up with you” by training talent to help advance their careers, which strengthens the company as well, he says.
Embracing the entrepreneurial spirit
CIOs who make good CEOs benefit from an entrepreneurial spirit, sometimes to the point of never being truly satisfied, says Phil Newmoyer, a partner at Acacia Advisors.
This attitude propelled the former CIO of Toys “R” Us and Serta Simmons Bedding to launch AI analytics software maker Provoso AI, for which he served as co-founder and CEO.
“People that go into new ventures and growth and want to build something — that is in their DNA,” says Newmoyer, who recalls building ventures as far back as high school.
CIOs running IT for large enterprises in particular are well positioned to take the next step because they’re already running a business within a business — with a multimillion-dollar budget.
Even so, he says IT leaders must have a thick skin and be prepared for failure, noting that a peer launched five ventures, three of which failed. CIOs have the safety of their corporate comforts; CEOs, not so much.
“Building a business with your own sweat and capital is a different level of pressure and commitment and ownership,” Newmoyer says. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”
On the positive side, success brings the immeasurable reward of knowing you built something with your own two hands, he says.
The CIO whisperers say…
Consultants have their own ideas about what makes CIOs sound CEOs. Navigating the tradeoffs between the risks and value of outcomes and the growth orientation tied to those operations is a critical factor, says Anjali Shaikh, program leader for Deloitte’s Global CIO Program.
Shaikh also says that while the tech mandate has grown beyond the IT department to include every C-suite function, accountability remains largely centralized with the CIO. That, she says, positions IT leaders to have influence at the highest levels.
Deloitte data suggests this course has been plotted for years, with 65% of CIOs now reporting to CEOs, up from 41% a decade ago.
Regardless of whether IT leaders remain CIOs for the course of their career or level up, every C-suite leader faces the same challenge today: The “D” word.
“Every business is being disrupted,” Vexital’s Mathews says. “Whether you make coat hangers or you make software, you’re being disrupted.”