What It Takes to Become a CIO Today
Show notes
In this episode of Data Analytics Chat, we welcome Saadia Khilji, Global Chief Information Officer at Coverys, a medical professional liability insurer that has served the industry for more than 40 years. Based in Boston, Saadia has spent more than 20 years in IT across financial services and insurance, including Travelers, The Hartford and MassMutual, leading different parts of the technology organisation before stepping into the global CIO role.
Saadia shares how her ambition to become a CIO took shape once she became an executive, and why a risky two-to-three-year move out of IT to shape C-suite strategy gave her an edge. She explains why IT should not be an order taker, why more than half of her time goes on work beyond running technology, and why CIOs will be held accountable not just for implementing AI, but for the ROI it delivers.
The discussion explores the capabilities future CIOs will need, letting go of the hero mentality, data-driven prioritisation, balancing quick wins with long-term foundations, building the right team, staying calm under pressure, and the one habit that will make aspiring CIOs stand out: connecting the dots.
00:00 Cold Open
00:59 Introduction to Data Analytics Chat
01:25 Introducing Saadia Khilji and Her Background
02:29 Did Saadia Always Want to Reach the C-Suite?
04:19 What People Often Misunderstand About the CIO Role
06:34 How Expectations on Senior Technology Leaders Have Changed
08:39 What AI Now Requires From a CIO
10:36 Stepping Outside IT to Learn How the Business Works
13:43 The Capabilities That Matter Most for Future CIOs
16:10 When to Stop Being the Expert in the Room
19:52 Where a CIO Should Focus and What Good Prioritisation Looks Like
22:00 Balancing Quick Wins With Long-Term Foundations
26:25 Building and Leading the Right Team as AI Reshapes Tech Organisations
31:38 The Hardest Part of Being a CIO
32:17 How to Stay Calm Under Pressure
36:01 One Thing Aspiring CIOs Should Start Doing Now
Connect with our guests:
Saadia Khilji, Global Chief Information Officer, Coverys: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadia-khilji-executivecio/
Thank you for listening!