It’s clear that in the last two years, the global pandemic has created unique circumstances for CIOs. On the one hand, they are grappling with enabling remote workers and securing enterprise data, and on the other hand, CIOs must support accelerated digital transformation to both survive and thrive. Success in this emerging era requires new leadership, new technology investments, and new innovative processes. In this first episode of our 5-episode podcast, CIOs: The New Rising Rock Star, we start to explore why CIOs are in a unique position to own the new title of “Corporate Rock Star.”  “We use this term the new corporate rock star to reflect the fact that in the past CIOs often had a supporting role,” says Greg Douglass, who leads Accenture’s Technology Strategy and Advisory business. “They were a supporting player in the band, standing and maybe outside of the limelight, just doing their job and doing it well. But the combination of the pandemic and massive advances in cloud computing and data capabilities have really given CIOs a new position in their in their corporate structure.” In fact, Greg and his first guest, Kevin T. Hart, CEO at Segra and former executive vice president, chief product and technology officer for Cox Communications, believe CIOs are positioned to take charge and lead the way. The reason? Their unique tech expertise and holistic view across the business. “I've always said that the CIO role is one of the best seats in the house from a corporate perspective,” says Kevin. “And the reason is, you see the entire enterprise every single day. You're really involved; from quote-to-cash, and supporting sales, operations, finance, and HR. From that perspective, having to understand the functional goals and challenges across the company really helps prepare you for a bigger role such as CEO.” Listen in to learn all the details, including Greg and Kevin’s insights on how today’s CIOs can add add value and ensure success.