IT leaders are moving away from back-office technology positions and taking on higher-level business roles, according to a Korn Ferry survey reported by The Wall Street Journal.
For the survey, the executive search firm polled 199 CIOs, chief technology officers and chief digital officers at large companies about their perception of their job.
Eighty-three percent of respondents indicated their role was more strategic than it was three years ago, with two-thirds of respondents sitting on their company's executive committee, up from 55 percent who reported so last year.
However, 32 percent of respondents agreed their CEO "does not fully understand" the broader role IT leadership can play, and 38 percent expressed concerns their CEOs and board members see enterprise IT as a cost center, rather than a revenue generator.
Craig Stephenson, managing director of Korn Ferry's North America technology officers practice, told The Wall Street Journal IT leaders' roles will likely continue to grow to encompass a larger role in the business side of operations, as these employees are "well positioned to contribute to strategic growth by leading large and complex enterprise functions."