CIOCAN’s push to bring more CIO voices into board governance\” />
Lorraine Bauer, Executive Director of CIO Association of Canada, (left) and Shaun Guthrie, President of CIO Association of Canada. – Photo by Jennifer Friesen, Digital Journal
For senior technology leaders, influence in the boardroom is no longer optional. Decisions about growth, competitiveness, and risk now hinge on how well organizations govern technology.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that McKinsey & Company had deployed 12,000 AI agents to support consultants with tasks such as drafting PowerPoint decks, summarizing client interviews, and validating analytical reasoning. The change reflects a broader shift taking place across industries, where technology is moving from a support function to a driver of core business models.
Boards need CIO leadership at the governance table to evaluate both the opportunities and the risks of adopting enterprise-scale technology. Without it, organizations may move ahead with transformative tools like AI without fully understanding the strategic, operational, and ethical implications.
The CIO Association of Canada partnered with the Rotman School of Management to create the CIO.D designation as a direct response to growing board-level demand for technology insight. The program equips senior technology leaders to speak the language of governance, connect technology strategy to enterprise priorities, and lead change in ways that boards and executive teams can act on.
“These are leaders who already have deep operational and strategic experience,” says Lorraine Bauer, Executive Director of CIOCAN. “The CIO.D builds on that foundation by helping them bring governance insight into their leadership portfolio so they can make a greater impact.”
How big is the gap?
The NACD’s 2025 Public Company Board Practices and Oversight Survey found that while 62% of public company boards now set aside meeting time to discuss AI, fewer than 25% have fully integrated AI governance into strategic planning. This suggests many boards still treat technology as a separate issue instead of a core part of enterprise strategy. For CIOs, that gap is an opening to shape decisions that affect growth, competitiveness, and risk oversight.
Digital Journal’s national research shows that only 40% of Canadian employees say they work in innovative companies, and just 5% view their organization as a “Game Changer.” These leaders outperform peers on operational efficiency and talent retention, and are twice as likely to embed innovation into every decision.
For CIOs, that combination of governance insight and innovation leadership is where influence in the boardroom can have the most impact.
What the designation delivers
Bauer says the CIO.D designation gives technology leaders a shared foundation for governance conversations, which can be the difference between influencing enterprise strategy and being excluded from it.
“When you bring CIOs together from across sectors and regions, you want them speaking the same language and understanding each other’s challenges at a governance level,” she says.
The program blends faculty-led modules on finance, strategy, and governance with peer discussions that connect those concepts to real situations.
Bauer says the most valuable moments often come from candid exchanges about what works and what does not when managing board relationships, translating technology priorities into business terms, and leading change.
For CIOs considering whether it is worth the commitment, the potential payoffs are concrete:
Boardroom credibility: Present technology strategies in terms that drive enterprise decisions on risk, growth, and performance.
Peer-tested insight: Learn from executives facing similar governance challenges and apply their strategies to your own context.
Career positioning: Strengthen readiness for roles that demand both operational expertise and governance fluency.
A Canadian standard with global potential
From its launch, the program was designed for Canada’s governance environment and market realities.
“Being Canadian-focused is incredibly important to us,” Bauer says. “Offering this level of support within Canada to keep jobs in Canada, to keep talent in Canada — all of those things are essential to CIOCAN.”
The structure is designed for busy executives. CIOCAN runs the program twice a year, in fall and spring, with a five-week schedule followed by a study period and an exam. This cadence, Bauer says, allows leaders to plan participation alongside their other priorities.
Her long-term vision is to see Canadian technology leaders recognised as board-ready, with the governance insight, strategic perspective, and operational credibility to guide organizations through transformation.
For CIOs, that readiness is a credential, and it’s also sharpening skills that help shape enterprise direction when the stakes are highest.
This article is part of a Digital Journal series examining the CIO.D designation through interviews with program faculty, CIOCAN leadership, and recent graduates. Learn more about the Rotman-CIOCAN CIO Executive Leadership Program.
