Recent research highlights that CIOs are increasingly recognised as key members of the senior executive team. Unlike other corporate disciplines, the IT leader is uniquely positioned to see the whole of an organisation's operations and their role encompasses a wide variety of expertise including change management, project delivery, innovation and partner management.

These days CIOs are much more actively engaged in setting strategy, enabling flexibility and change, and solving business problems, not just IT problems.

Given this background it is not surprising that CIO's want a place on the board, no longer satisfied with the traditional reporting lines via Finance. There is a growing number with joint titles - IT and Transformation Director, IT and Strategy Director, IT and Programmes Director.

The nature of IT is changing and it is not inconceivable that in future IT departments per se may disappear with the technical, delivery, innovation and analysis skills being incorporated into the main business functions.