The recent restructuring at National Australia Bank (NAB) is typical of a change in role that is likely to impact many CIOs. The NextGen project at NAB, started in 2008, is an enterprise transformation initiative.

In the moves, NAB has effectively split the CIO role in two (The Australian headline said National Australia Bank abolishes CIO role in reshuffle):

• Adam Bennett, whose previous role was CIO, is now executive general manager of enterprise transformation, but also retains the IT strategy responsibilities from the CIO role. [The Wall Street Journal pointed out that the bank see this as a promotion for Bennett]
• Day-to-day management of IT is now handled by Denis McGee, with the title of chief technology officer.

Bennett and McGee, and all technology staff, report to Gavin Slater, who is the group executive of Group Business Services.

There are two key changes which convince me that changes like this will be more common in the future:

1. The first is that change management programs that are making a significant difference to the nature and capabilities of an enterprise are increasingly labelled as enterprise transformation. In other words, the complexity and architectural nature of this type of change is being recognised at a holistic, enterprise level.
2. Secondly, the role of IT is steadily changing. In the past IT was the builder and owner of applications, networks and infrastructure. In the future the main role for senior IT management will be to coordinate and orchestrate services, across networks and infrastructures that become more and more a public utility.

For additional discussion on this topic, see:

• The Rise of the Chief Digital Officer
• Reflections on the Evolving Role of the CIO