July 31, 2025

From Full-Time Tech Exec to Interim CIO: 5 Key Steps for Making the Leap

From Full-Time Tech Exec to Interim CIO: 5 Key Steps for Making the Leap

Veteran tech executives are increasingly drawn to the flexibility and fresh challenges of interim and fractional CIO roles. Whether you’re seeking more control over your time, eager to solve complex problems at scale, or simply ready for a new phase in your career, the interim path offers an exciting opportunity to make a high-impact difference across organizations.

But making the leap from a traditional, full-time C-suite role to interim work isn’t as simple as updating your resume. It requires a mindset shift, new strategies, and a clear value proposition. In a panel hosted by Robert Jordan, CEO of InterimExecs, seasoned interim leaders Dominic Luzi, Tom Murray, and John Matthesen shared their hard-won insights on what it takes to succeed as an interim or fractional CIO. Here’s what you need to know.

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July 28, 2025

Boards Must Lead on Technology Oversight: From Risk to Strategic Growth

Boards Must Lead on Technology Oversight: From Risk to Strategic Growth

In an age of AI disruption, ransomware attacks, and cloud dependency, boards of directors face a new kind of fiduciary responsibility: ensuring that technology risk is understood, governed, and turned into competitive advantage.

Without active board engagement, companies risk falling behind—or worse, facing catastrophic loss. But when boards get technology right, it opens the door to innovation, security, and sustained value creation.

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July 20, 2025

Transforming Your Business Through Technology: Advice from Interim CIOs

Transforming Your Business Through Technology: Advice from Interim CIOs

“Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.”

— Steve Jobs

Technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, leaving many companies struggling to keep up. When systems are misaligned, talent is underleveraged, and business leaders are frustrated, it’s often a sign that technology is being managed in a silo—or worse, it’s actively hindering growth.

We spoke with two seasoned interim CIOs, David Mitchelhill and Kevin Malover, both members of the InterimExecs RED Team, about how they’ve guided companies through ERP overhauls, tech stack rebuilds, and aligning IT with business goals. Here are the biggest takeaways.

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July 9, 2025

The Ultimate Guide to Hiring an Interim CIO

The Ultimate Guide to Hiring an Interim CIO

Technology can make or break your business. Whether you’re navigating a high-stakes digital transformation, cleaning up an IT disaster, or preparing your company for sale, you need smart, decisive leadership. But what happens when your organization can’t wait six months to recruit the perfect permanent CIO?

That’s where an interim CIO comes in.

Unlike a full-time hire, interim CIOs bring speed, clarity, and deep experience — often stepping in after a CIO departs, during a crisis, or ahead of a major initiative.

This guide breaks down what every CEO, board member, or private equity investor should know about hiring an interim CIO—how to recognize when you need one, what they actually do, how they differ from CTOs and fractional executives, and what traits to look for.

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July 8, 2025

When Should You Bring in an Interim CIO?

When Should You Bring in an Interim CIO?

In today’s digital-first economy, the demands on IT leadership are immediate, complex, and high-stakes. Whether it’s leading a large-scale ERP rollout, navigating a merger, or shoring up cybersecurity, your organization can’t afford delays in critical IT decision-making.

That’s where a top-tier interim CIO can make all the difference. But how do you know it’s the right time to bring one in?

Below are the most common scenarios when engaging a part-time or temporary CIO is not just helpful, but necessary.

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June 27, 2025

What is the Role of an Interim CIO? 5 Common Use Cases

What is the Role of an Interim CIO? 5 Common Use Cases

In today’s fast-moving, tech-driven business environment, the role of the CIO is more critical — and more complex — than ever. Whether your organization is navigating digital transformation, merger integration, or large-scale ERP system upgrades, an Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) can deliver immediate, strategic value without adding long-term overhead.

(Learn more about our Interim CIO Services and Fractional CIO Services here.)

Unlike consultants or rising IT managers, a seasoned interim CIO brings deep operational and leadership experience. These executives are not only capable of taking on the same responsibilities as a permanent CIO, but they also offer a focused lens on change, transformation, and rapid results.

Here are 5 common use cases where an interim CIO can be a powerful asset to tackle high-impact technology initiatives, IT leadership gap coverage, or specialized project execution:

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May 13, 2025

CIO vs CTO: What’s the Difference — and Which Do You Need?

CIO vs CTO: What’s the Difference — and Which Do You Need?

In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven business world, knowing the difference between a Chief Information Officer (CIO) and a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is more important than ever. If your company is experiencing rapid growth, going through a big digital transformation, or bringing teams together after an acquisition, having the right tech leadership can be a game-changer for your strategic success. And sometimes, the smartest move is to bring in an interim CIO or CTO to provide the expert guidance you need without rushing into a permanent hire before you’re completely ready.

So, what are the key differences between a CIO and a CTO? And how do you figure out which skillset your organization actually needs ? Let’s break it down so you can confidently decide when it’s time to bring in a CIO, when a CTO is the right call, and when an interim leader might be the perfect strategic advantage.

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August 22, 2024

How the Right ERP Strategy Can Improve Your Business

How the Right ERP Strategy Can Improve Your Business

It’s a common scenario: A company invests big bucks in a massive ERP implementation only to watch the effort stall. Or worse, fail altogether.

Maybe the problem is the lack of planning or ERP software curation. Maybe it’s not thinking ahead for future needs. Or maybe it’s not having an experienced ERP implementation executive who can make that integration sing.

For all that goes into ERP implementation — ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is, after all, managing, streamlining, and tying together all essential business processes — strategizing every step should be a non-negotiable.

“ERP systems usually get replaced every seven to 10 years. I’ve been with some companies where they hadn’t replaced them for 25 years,” says Bruce Howard, an InterimExecs RED Team member and Interim CIO who has spent much of his career implementing ERP solutions.

“There’s a planning phase to bring all of the pieces together and make sure you’ve got a clear approach and clear people assigned. And then you need a methodology for the way you select systems and implement,” he says.

To better understand the components of a successful ERP implementation process and a clear look at how an ERP strategy can support business operations and better decision-making, we asked Howard and interim executives Tony DeLima and Alonso Vargas to walk us through the essential elements.

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August 10, 2024

M&A IT: The Overlooked Key to Deal Success

M&A IT: The Overlooked Key to Deal Success

PwC’s 2023 M&A Integration Survey found that just 14 percent of respondents reported achieving “significant success” in a merger or acquisition. The “secret sauce” to their M&A success? A whopping 88 percent point to the importance of IT integration.

Despite that, the fast-paced world of mergers and acquisitions often means that information technology concerns take a backseat to strategic business objectives during due diligence.

This oversight can be a costly mistake.

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May 24, 2024

Why Every Company Needs a Technology Roadmap

Why Every Company Needs a Technology Roadmap

In today’s world, every company needs to function as a technology company. eCommerce? Of course – without tech, there is no e in commerce. Auto manufacturers? You bet — carmakers spend at least as much time and energy on developing the software that runs their vehicles as they do getting the mechanics right. Healthcare? Absolutely — just ask the folks at Ascension Health, America’s largest Catholic hospital chain and the victim of a cyberattack that left nurses and doctors scrambling to take notes by hand and send patient orders by fax.

When every company is a technology company, it means that all key stakeholders, not just the IT teams, need a high-level understanding of the role technology initiatives play in achieving business goals from product development to strategic planning.

What is a Technology Roadmap?

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