What's it like to be a consulting CIO?

Consulting & Professional Services Business Relationships

2.2k views1 Upvote7 Comments

Sort by:

CIO in Services (non-Government)3 years ago

Once you build up a diverse portfolio of clients it becomes really rewarding as you start to see the common pain points across industries/orgs. As these become obvious, it's easy to start to build response kits to them.

The main piece of advice I have to give is to make sure you have plenty of models and frameworks you can draw upon to solve problems.

Group CIO in Manufacturing3 years ago

Been a long-time CIO all my career. I have enjoyed the role especially since it involves the walk-the-talk part. This makes you more cautious about your consulting job as you need to execute what you advise.
Over a period we tend to get bored of the operational execution especially when it is repetitive. I have done 3 ERP implementations and do not enjoy it anymore. However, would love to consult on the same.
The role of a full-time CIO prepares you to be a good consulting CIO.

CIO and Digital Officer in Finance (non-banking)3 years ago

Consulting CIO provides more and a better exposure in terms better outlook from outside in view.Consulting CIO can support business from being exposed to certain strategic risks specially on digital transformations. Consulting CIO's role should specialist in areas where typically CIO's lack on like industry technology implementations and benchmarking locally and globally. Roadmap building and Change Management.

Vice President for Information Technology in Travel and Hospitality3 years ago

It’s a different experience that is both challenging and rewarding. Challenging in the sense that as a consultant you are considered as one who is external to the organization and may not truly understand the politics and culture within. There is a potential “autoimmune” resistance from long time insiders. On the flip side, being an external resource gives the organization a different insight and fresher outlook on what needs to be changed, improved, or sustained in the organization.

CIO Strategic Advisor in Services (non-Government)3 years ago

I have found being a consulting CIO to be very different from that of an operational CIO. It is a sliding scale and serving as a fractional CIO or interim CIO can provide some of the aspects you may have as an operational CIO. The tradeoff is finding the balance what drives/ interests you and the demand to tap into. Personally, I never planned to serve as an advisor or consultant but found that companies greatly value the advise I have been able to provide.

Content you might like

What does Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) currently struggle with the most at your organization?

Understanding customer requirements17%

Communication with other stakeholders63%

Visibility of workflow10%

Agile development practices7%

View Results

Does the business support your IT strategy?

Yes, 100%25%

Mostly62%

Not explicitly9%

Not at all1%

Unsure1%

View Results

What’s the best way to push back against a leader or peer who’s overzealous about adding AI where it isn’t needed?

We’re currently evaluating alternative Microsoft Licensing Solution Providers (LSPs) due to ongoing dissatisfaction with our current partner under our Enterprise Agreement (EA). As we look to make a change, we’re hoping to learn from others in the community who have navigated similar transitions. We’re particularly interested in your experiences with: • LSPs that provide more than just transactional value — Have you worked with an LSP that offered strategic guidance, proactive support, or added value beyond licensing fulfillment? • Partner delays due to LSP involvement — Have you encountered inefficiencies or delays when your consulting partner had to coordinate through an LSP? How did you address this? • Hybrid approaches — Has anyone adopted a model where the LSP handles licensing while a separate consulting partner provides strategic or technical support? How has that worked in practice? Any recommendations, red flags, or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated. We’re aiming to ensure we’re getting the best support and strategic alignment possible moving forward.

Does anyone ever find themselves in a situation where you need to delegate a task laterally, instead of down to a direct report? Curious how others handle having to make a request where success depends on needing to rely on a peer outside IT.