The events of the past few months have seen a whole new set of challenges for tech chiefs: managing their part of the business response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak meant IT leaders had to focus like never before on operational concerns.
They had to create secure remote-working strategies in a matter of days, often using any equipment they could lay their hands on – and in many cases they succeeded.
What’s already clear from this rapid response is that the coronavirus pandemic will have an immediate and lasting impact on both the level and make-up of technology spending and the role of IT chiefs.
CIOs might have proven their capability when it comes to helping the business work effectively in a crisis, but now they need to prove their value in the longer term – and delivering to that focus will mean a permanent shift in IT leadership.