Interim CIO
UK | Flexible / Hybrid
12-18 Month Interim Appointment
We are partnering with a highly successful, internationally operating professional services organisation to appoint an experienced Interim CIO.
This is a senior strategic leadership role for a commercially driven technology leader who can operate confidently at Executive and Board level, helping shape technology strategy, governance, investment and transformation across a complex international organisation.
The successful individual must come from a Professional Services background and understand how technology can enable commercial growth, improve organisational capability and create value across a distributed business.
The Role
Working closely with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and existing technology leadership, you will provide independent strategic advice and oversight across the organisation's technology agenda.
You will help shape the long-term technology roadmap while providing challenge and guidance around major investment decisions, transformation programmes, governance and emerging technology.
A particularly important element will be supporting and developing the existing technology leadership team, transferring knowledge and strengthening internal capability over time. This is therefore not a traditional operational CIO position and does not carry responsibility for the day-to-day management of IT services.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership across technology strategy, investment and transformation
- Act as a trusted technology adviser to the CEO, Executive Team and Board
- Ensure technology priorities are closely aligned with wider commercial and organisational objectives
- Provide strategic oversight across cyber security, technology risk, data privacy and governance
- Advise on significant technology investments, partnerships and sourcing decisions
- Support the evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies
- Provide strategic challenge and oversight across major transformation programmes
- Mentor and develop the existing technology leadership team
- Strengthen technology governance, decision-making and leadership capability
- Help shape technology standards and capability across a complex international organisation
The remit combines Board-level technology advisory with governance, leadership development and strategic oversight rather than day-to-day operational delivery.
AI & Emerging Technology
AI will be an important part of the organisation's future technology strategy.
We are therefore looking for someone with a strong understanding of the AI landscape, including the opportunities, risks and governance considerations associated with AI adoption.
You do not need to be a hands-on AI technologist, but you must be capable of advising senior leadership on where AI can create genuine business value, how organisations should approach adoption and investment, and how appropriate governance should be established.
What We're Looking For
The successful candidate will be:
- An established CIO, CTO, IT Director or equivalent senior technology leader
- From a Professional Services background – this is essential
- A commercially driven senior technology leader who sees technology as a business enabler rather than simply an operational function
- Experienced working with Executive Teams and Boards
- Strong across technology strategy, governance, transformation and investment
- Experienced in cyber security, risk, assurance and data privacy at a strategic level
- Able to demonstrate a strong understanding of AI, its commercial opportunities and the wider AI landscape
- Experienced in developing and mentoring senior technology leaders
- Comfortable operating across complex, international or distributed organisations
- An excellent communicator who can translate complex technology issues into clear commercial language
The underlying brief calls for significant CIO/CTO/IT Director-level experience alongside technology strategy, governance, cyber security, transformation, strategic partnerships and Board engagement.
The Opportunity
This is an opportunity to influence the technology direction of a significant international professional services organisation at a pivotal stage in its development.
Rather than simply managing an internal IT function, you will help shape how technology, governance, AI and digital capability can support a much broader international network.
If you are a commercially minded senior technology leader with a Professional Services background who enjoys operating at Board level and influencing strategy rather than managing day-to-day IT operations, we would be keen to speak with you.
To be find out more information on the role or have a confidential chat, please email Chris at clowden@weareninetwenty.com.