Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) Certification Practice Exam

What is the role of the CIO in aligning IT and business?

1. To enforce compliance

2. To act as a bridge between IT and business

3. To manage all technical operations

4. To oversee account management

The correct answer is: To act as a bridge between IT and business

The role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in aligning IT and business is fundamentally centered on serving as a bridge between these two critical domains. The CIO is responsible for ensuring that the technology initiatives of an organization are directly aligned with its business strategies, objectives, and needs. This alignment facilitates effective communication and collaboration between IT and other departments, helping to ensure that technology investments drive business value and support strategic goals. By acting as a bridge, the CIO effectively translates business requirements into IT capabilities, ensuring that technology solutions not only support existing processes but also enable innovation and improvement. This involves understanding both the operational and strategic aspects of the business, as well as the potential impacts of technology, allowing the CIO to make informed decisions that contribute to achieving the organization’s objectives. The other options, although important roles in an organization, do not encapsulate the primary purpose of the CIO in crafting synergy between business and IT. Compliance enforcement, managing technical operations, and overseeing account management are all relevant but more specific functions, whereas the CIO's broader mandate is to foster alignment and collaboration across the organization. This comprehensive view helps the CIO to support the overall mission and direction of the business through effective IT strategy and governance.