The role of the CIO is undergoing a profound transformation. Traditionally responsible for the reliability and security of information systems, CIOs are now expected to create business value, accelerate innovation, and drive digital transformation.
This shift is reflected in industry priorities. At its General Assembly on October 15, 2026, Cigref identified digital resilience, scaling AI, and managing technology vendor relationships as key strategic priorities.
Meanwhile, Gartner reports that 71% of surveyed CEOs believe their IT operating models are not fit for the AI era.
A shift in responsibilities seems inevitable. But it raises a fundamental question: as CIOs face growing pressure to deliver business value, how can organizations ensure that their technological foundations continue to receive the attention they require?
From IT Management to Value Creation
The transition toward product-oriented organizations is reshaping expectations for CIOs.
Success is no longer measured solely by system availability or cost efficiency. It increasingly includes user experience, time-to-market, solution adoption, and measurable business outcomes.
This evolution makes sense. It brings technology closer to business needs and encourages continuous accountability for delivered value.
But adopting a product-driven approach must not come at the expense of long-term operational reliability.
An innovative application cannot create sustainable value if its infrastructure is fragile, its security inadequate, or its operations increasingly difficult to manage.
Reliability is not a secondary product feature. It is part of the value proposition.
The Risk of Invisible Infrastructure
In investment decisions, some initiatives deliver immediately visible outcomes: launching a new product, integrating AI, or introducing digital services.
By contrast, upgrading storage systems, modernizing virtualization platforms, or strengthening disaster recovery capabilities rarely generates benefits that are as immediately apparent.
Yet these investments underpin the availability, security, and long-term sustainability of information systems.
When their value is not clearly demonstrated, they risk being postponed in favor of more visible initiatives.
Technical debt then becomes strategic debt.
Its consequences can extend far beyond infrastructure: delayed projects, rising costs, technology dependencies, and increased exposure to operational incidents.
The challenge is not to choose between innovation and maintenance, but to recognize their interdependence in investment decisions.
Bringing BUILD, RUN, and Product Together
Product-oriented operating models promise to break down traditional barriers between development and operations.
But delivering on that promise requires more than restructuring teams or adopting new terminology.
It demands shared accountability across the entire lifecycle: design, delivery, operations, modernization, and retirement.
At KAIRUN OFFICE, we believe three shifts are essential:
- Make resilience part of product value: availability, security, maintainability, and operating costs must contribute to performance measurement.
- Make technical debt visible and actionable: translate obsolescence risks and technology dependencies into business impacts that decision-makers can understand.
- Unify transformation governance: align product roadmaps, infrastructure modernization, and operational capacity within a shared strategic view.
This is precisely where program management and PMO functions can play a decisive role: making dependencies visible, supporting informed decisions, and maintaining alignment between strategic ambition and operational reality.
Conclusion: Value Depends on Strong Foundations
Tomorrow's CIO should not have to choose between innovation and resilience.
The role is evolving toward broader accountability: orchestrating value creation while preserving the technological capabilities that make it possible.
This transformation requires governance that treats products, infrastructure, and operations as interconnected parts of the same system.
Digital performance is not measured solely by what an organization can launch, but also by what it can sustain, evolve, and control over time.
One final question deserves consideration:
"As we focus on measuring the value of what we create, are we still measuring the value of what we preserve?"
KAIRUN OFFICE - Insights & Perspectives, October 2026.
References Cigref — Assemblée générale 2026 : Trajectoires numériques, compétitivité et performance(new tab)
Gartner — From IT Control to Technology Operating Model Orchestration(new tab)
Gartner — 2026 Strategic Roadmap to the Value-Optimizing IT Operating Model(new tab)