What Are the Must-Have Qualities of a CIO?
CIO Dive, Thursday, October 29th, 2026
CIOs speaking at Gartner's IT Symposium say leadership, communication and trust matter more than technical depth for CIO success.
Reporting from Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, CIO Dive says leadership skills increasingly outweigh technical expertise as the CIO role ties more closely to business outcomes.
Bowdoin College CIO Michael Cato says the job centers on storytelling, strategy, relationships, understanding the C-suite, and setting a clear AI business strategy, while Oregon State Treasury CIO Jerry Walker highlights communication and executive presence built on transparency and trust.
Both credit dependability, problem-solving, and strong networks, including a personal board of directors.
Walker adds that separating real technology change from AI marketing hype is one of a CIO's biggest responsibilities.