Attendees network during the CIO Association of Canada’s CIO Peer Forum in Ottawa. Photo by Jennifer Friesen,
You have the title, the budget responsibility, and the technology expertise. But when it comes time to secure board buyin for a major transformation, are you shaping the conversation or reacting to it? Can you connect technology investments to the company’s growth targets, risk profile, and enterprise vision in a way that influences decisions?
In 2024, 88% of Canadian technology leaders said it was difficult to keep pace with the accelerating rate of technological change. That same study showed nearly half (48%) added that the IT function lacks the governance and coordination needed to effectively support digital transformation.
That shift in demand has changed what boards expect from technology leaders. It’s no longer enough to lead systems or oversee technical delivery. CIOs are being called into conversations about mission, vision, and longterm enterprise strategy.
The CIO.D program, developed by the CIO Association of Canada in partnership with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management aims to support this change. Designed for senior technology leaders, it helps CIOs work effectively with boards and executive committees.
John Oesch, associate professor of organizational behaviour at the Rotman School of Management, says the role of technical leaders has changed significantly in recent years. It has moved away from being purely a support service, focused on leading technology and systems, and toward having a strategic voice in decisions about the business, the enterprise, the mission, the vision, and the strategic plan.
“There has been an evolution in the role of people who work on the technical side of corporations and large notforprofits,” he says.
The CIO.D program runs over five weeks and participants take part in twiceweekly virtual sessions, prereading, and case discussions led by Rotman faculty, industry experts, and experienced CIOs. The curriculum covers governance, finance, strategy, and leadership, with an emphasis on leading change and translating technology into enterprise strategy.
Graduates who pass the accreditation exam earn the CIO.D designation, a signal of governance readiness and a shared language for influence at the strategy table.
Why governance readiness matters now
’s national innovation research shows that only 40% of Canadian employees say they work in innovative companies, and just 5% see their organization as a true “Game Changer.”
The most innovative organizations outperform their peers on operational efficiency, strategic clarity, and talent retention, and their leaders are twice as likely to make innovation part of every decision.
For CIOs, that is a governance challenge as much as a technology one.
The CIO.D program builds the fluency to connect technology strategy to boardroom priorities, framing decisions in terms of risk, growth, and longterm enterprise value.
Surani Adamesco, senior vice president of IT at SiriusXM Canada and a graduate of the first CIO.D cohort, says she joined the program to gain a technologyfocused accreditation (more on her experience here).
“I was looking at all kinds of programs and courses and I found the CIO.D program,” she said. “Looking through all the different areas they covered, it was holistic and perfect.”
Adamesco said the program filled in gaps and reinforced the path she was on, a point that Oesch underscores as being fundamental to the course.
“The role of the CIO has evolved away from simply leading technology and systems toward having a strategic voice in decisions about the business, the enterprise, the mission, and the strategic plan,” says Oesch. “That shift means CIOs need a shared language, a common knowledge base, and the ability to lead transformation of people, not just technology.”
The 2024 Blue Ribbon Commission on Technology Governance reported that boards with a dedicated technology committee considered their governance of technology effective or extremely effective in 76 percent of cases.
Oesch says part of the program’s value is preparing participants to work with boards in ways that influence decisions and strengthen oversight.
“In this program, within the first 45 minutes they realize governance is everybody’s job and that they are a big part of it,” he said.
The program curriculum includes finance modules to equip CIOs to discuss cost, revenue impact, and ROI in business terms. Strategy sessions explore embedding technology into enterprise vision. Leadership components focus on managing people through change so transformations succeed. Cohort learning creates a trusted peer network across industries and regions.
A credential with national relevance
The CIO.D designation responds to a growing need for stronger technology governance across Canada. Industries are under pressure to accelerate transformation while meeting expectations for transparency, resilience, and digital risk management. Senior technology leaders are expected to guide these shifts with a blend of strategic, financial, and governance expertise that is not often developed through traditional career paths.
“We are not a skills program. We are a knowledge program because these people already have lots and lots of skills. What we want them to have is a more common knowledge base for leading strategic change,” Oesch says.
“If you are chasing the latest technologies and trying to keep up with cyber security and thinking about your people as an afterthought, it is going to be problematic because it is those people who are going to be doing the bulk of the work to make the transformation work and to keep cyber security tight,” he adds.
The designation also signals a shift in perception.
“When you’re sitting at the strategy table, you need to be able to speak credibly about how technology affects costs, revenue, and the broader strategic plan,” says Oesch. “If technology is not part of your big strategic plan, it certainly should be.”
Standardizing language and expectations across the role, Oesch says, helps CIOs bring a unified approach to the strategy table.
“These ideas won’t just be in someone’s head,” says Oesch. “They’ll be part of strategy papers, operational plans, and conversations across the top management team.”
For CIOs navigating rapid change, that shared language can be as important as any technical skill. It’s the foundation for influencing decisions, building trust, and leading transformations that work.
This article is part of a series examining the CIO.D designation through interviews with program faculty, CIOCAN leadership, and recent graduates. Learn more about the RotmanCIOCAN CIO Executive Leadership Program.
