HOW TO BE A CRITICAL INFLUENCER AND CHANGE CHAMPION

The smart CIO will ensure that a right balance is struck between the various priorities and initiatives picked up for the short and long term. New tech will unveil the greatest capability in the hands of the CIO to take on the challenges of the future, feels Ajay Vernekar, Chief Information Officer, SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

- Sunil Rajguru

What is the role of the cio in the bfsi sector and how has this role evolved?

Today’s role of the CIO is an invaluable seat in the board room, a critical influencer—a change champion. In the past few decades, the importance of the IT function has undergone a radical change. The past had seen IT Head’s, as mere service providers playing an operational role of implementing business requirements. The task was largely limited to creating the technical implementation plan and keeping a track of various projects along with the IT teams and vendors. The CIO was most often not part of any business decisions, or any strategic or annual plans decided by the company, and there was practically little or no opportunity to contribute to the tasks impacting outside IT functions.