The Heller Report: Before You Hire a CAIO, Fix the CIO Mandate

The recent rise in chief AI officer hirings reflect a lack of confidence in CIOs, writes Ryan Pehrson, CEO of management and technology advisory firm Pharynos. Boards would do better to focus on clarifying executive responsibilities. He writes: “Companies that outperform on digital initiatives share a trait that has little to do with org charts or titles. They give the right leader a mandate that matches the scope of the problem, and decision rights that stick.”

Today’s manufacturing CIOs must sense and respond to risks and opportunities while creating flexible, data-driven supply chains that can adapt to AI, write Charley Betzig, Heller managing director, and Kerri Westberg, Heller senior principal, in this article for IndustryWeek. Ideal candidates can lead a supply chain transformation, can harness AI tools to consolidate data across multiple systems, and possess soft skills to lead change while demonstrating empathy for employees.

Look up into the night sky. There are many more visible objects, namely satellites, than there used to be. The orbiting crafts support internet and other communications networks; global positioning systems; earth imaging. There’s even, of course, space debris. Starting in 2021,  an Australian programmer and data visualization creator known as Clovelly Software has developed a website at “satellitemap.space” to show them. The visualization collects data feeds from a range of government and private sources to display hundreds of light points enveloping the Earth.

Heller was recently retained by Guardian Restoration Partners to recruit a Vice President, Systems and Technology. With a network of dedicated “guardians,” Guardian Restoration Partners helps property owners in crisis rebuild their lives after devastating events like water, fire, and mold damage. For this role, we identified Cort Neureuther, who most recently served as Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Outdoor Living Supply. Neureuther holds a B.S. from Clemson University and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Congratulations, Cort!