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The Global Insight

Who was the first CIO?

Author

Christopher Davis

Updated on February 15, 2026

William Synnott and William Gruber first articulated the chief information officer term in their 1981 book Information Resource Management: Opportunities and Strategies for the 1980s. They viewed the CIO as a role that naturally evolved given the growing prevalence of technology resources in an organization.

When was the CIO position created?

The CIO emerged from prior IT leadership roles in the early 1960s.

Who is under the CIO?

“The top four reporting structures for a CIO are to the CEO, COO, CFO, and – at times – the CAO,” says Carol Lynn Thistle, managing director at CIO recruiting firm Heller Search Associates.

How do I get a job as a CIO?

Here are five steps I would suggest to build your CIO career path:

  1. Complete a bachelor’s in computer science or a related field.
  2. Get experience (and credentials) in project management.
  3. Find a specialty and build your technical credibility.
  4. Get real-world experience in IT governance and risk management.

What did the CIO fight for?

The Congress for Industrial Organization was founded on November 9, 1935, by eight international unions belonging to the American Federation of Labor. In its statement of purpose, the CIO said it had formed to encourage the AFL to organize workers in mass production industries along industrial union lines.

Who is higher CTO or CIO?

The CIO is typically inward-looking. They manage relationships with internal customers (users) and oversee the organization’s IT infrastructure. The CTO is more outwardly focused. However, it is becoming more common to clearly separate the CIO and CTO positions at larger organizations and software companies.

Does a CIO need to be technical?

CIOs don’t need to have an engineering or technology-related diploma, says Larry Bonfante, veteran CIO and founder of executive coaching and consulting practice CIO Bench Coach, but they do need an understanding of what’s possible and how to leverage technology.

Who makes more CEO or CIO?

Pay may rise with company size, but the differential between pay for CIOs and other executives is also greater at larger companies. A CEO at a small company (less than $100 million in revenues) earns more than three times as much as his CIO, on average ($489,600 versus $141,500).

Do companies need a CIO?

No, it’s not a definite requirement, but, yes, for many businesses that size, hiring a CIO would be a strong positive move. In this paper, we are going to examine what a CIO is supposed to do and what types of businesses can benefit from making this investment. And, yes, it’s an investment.

How many hours do CIO work?

CIOs generally work full time, and about one-third of them work more than 40 hours per week, according to the BLS.

How do I get my first CIO job?

What did the CIO do for African Americans?

The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), established in the mid-1930s, organized large numbers of Black workers into labour unions for the first time. By 1940 there were more than 200,000 African Americans in the CIO, many of them officers of union locals.

Why did unions become stronger during the Great Depression?

The tremendous gains labor unions experienced in the 1930s resulted, in part, from the pro-union stance of the Roosevelt administration and from legislation enacted by Congress during the early New Deal. The National Industrial Recovery Act (1933) provided for collective bargaining.

Is CIO better than CTO?

The CIO is typically inward-looking. They manage relationships with internal customers (users) and oversee the organization’s IT infrastructure. The CTO is more outwardly focused. Achieving business goals and delivering solutions that satisfy customers is a massive undertaking — success requires clear role delineation.

How many years does it take to become a CIO?

Once they enter IT, it usually takes 11 years or more to reach CIO. 30% have worked for more than five employers and another 30% have worked for four to five.