Dive Brief:

• Some enterprises are hiring chief integration officers to take on tasks like connecting cloud solutions with existing on-premise systems, Tech Republic reports.
• Currently, the title "chief integration officer" lacks a precise definition, and might include a number of different types of tasks, depending on the company.
• "If the CIO doesn't have the right skillset, a lot of times the CEO will look at creating a new role," said Matt Guarini, vice president and research director serving CIOs at Forrester, explaining why the role of chief integration officer is gaining ground in some areas.

Dive Insight:

Expert opinions vary on whether companies need a chief integration officer to successfully transition to the cloud. Many say a CIO with strong integration skills can achieve the same results in most cases.

But like other emerging roles such as the chief digital officer, some organizations are finding value in hiring specifically for these new roles. A company with a CIO who tends to focus on the backend and day-to-day management may find success in hiring a chief integration officer, while a company with more strategic CIOs may not need one.  

Either way, it’s clear that cloud is integral to IT going forward, so ensuring there is someone on board that can help manage cloud integration is critical.