The CIO Job Profile and Performance Model

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Coming in August 2026

 The CIO's chair has become an ejector seat. As demographic decline, budget shocks, cyber threats, and AI collide into a single polycrisis, colleges are asking their technology leaders not just to keep the lights on, but to make the institution survive. The CIO Job Profile and Performance Model gives presidents, provosts, CFOs, search committees, and CIOs themselves a clear framework for the role — four levels of leadership, sixteen competencies, and ready-to-use tools for hiring, developing, and assessing the CIO higher education actually needs. 

The book traces the CIO developmental journey through four maturity levels: the Informaticist, the Strategist, the Transformationalist, and the Integrative Ecosystem Architect. The model integrates 12 essential competency areas, including cyber law, financial stewardship, pedagogy, and AI governance. This framework helps institutions evaluate, develop, and align their IT leadership with their core mission. Ultimately, it provides a blueprint for creating "Blended Executives" who do more than manage systems; they also orchestrate resilient, human-centered digital environments that are crucial for a university's long-term survival and success.