Indeed, relatively few CIOs are equipped for the demands of a digital world — and those who are not are increasingly at risk. “As more applications and infrastructure get moved to the cloud, IT leaders whose main job is to keep the lights on will be fewer and farther between,” argues EY’s Tom Velema, EMEIA IT Advisory Leader. These traditional elements to the role remain vital, but there is also a need for CIOs to be faster and more reactive in supporting innovation and growth. Bob Sydow, his counterpart in the Americas, agrees: “This is a major shift for CIOs, away from their historical focus on running an efficient IT center and toward a focus on innovation. Some are able to make that shift, but others don’t have that ability.” Opportunities ahead for CIOs in IT-intensive industries 5 Previous research revealed that about two-thirds of all CIOs (64%) are generally happy in their roles, but almost half of them (31% in total) want to move into bigger CIO roles, with a broader remit and greater influence over the rest of the business. For these CIOs, digital can provide this opportunity — at least for those who are able to recognize and adapt to this shift. This is especially apparent in a core set of sectors — including technology companies, banks and life sciences firms — that already spend a high proportion of their revenue on IT. Accordingly, this study focuses on these IT-intensive sectors as they contain the companies that are most likely to have already begun their digital transformations. Born to be digital | 9