Gokongwei Group CIO Summit: Building the Future CIO Charter One Partnership at a Time

The era of purchasing a "data platform for a data platform's sake" is over. The modern Chief Information Officer (CIO) is rewriting their charter, moving beyond the role of a technology procurer to become a strategic business partner. This fundamental shift was the central theme of a dynamic panel discussion at the Gokongwei Group CIO Summit, where industry leaders unpacked the new mandate for IT leadership: co-creating the future, one partnership at a time.

The dialogue, featuring insights from thought leaders from Salesforce, ServiceNow, Databricks, Darwinbox and the Center for Creative Leadership, revealed that in a world of rapid technological change and economic uncertainty, the old transactional vendor relationship is no longer viable. The new model is one of shared risk, continuous value realization, and a relentless focus on tangible business outcomes.

From "What Have You Done for Me?" to "What Will We Do Together?"

The old narrative is familiar: a company buys a platform, and three months later, the business asks, "So, what have you guys done for me?" Kunal Taneja, AVP Field Engineering, ASEAN + GCR at Databricks, highlighted a crucial change in this dynamic, noting that enterprises are moving away from "big bang" transformations.

The solution lies in starting with smaller, high-impact projects that force a new level of accountability. This consumption-based approach requires a clear roadmap that pressures both the enterprise and the vendor to produce tangible results and scale success together. "My success is 100% tied to your success," Taneja stated, explaining that a small, successful MVP is what leads to a multi-million-dollar relationship, not a massive upfront commitment.

Speaking the Board's Language: Revenue, Cost, and Risk

Ultimately, for a CIO to be relevant in the boardroom, they must translate technology metrics into the language of the business. As leaders from both Darwinbox and ServiceNow noted, the board cares about three things: top-line revenue growth, bottom-line cost efficiency, and risk.

Chaitanya Peddi, Co-founder of Darwinbox, observed that IT and HR are often the two functions that struggle most to prove their value at the board level. "Whatever you say, you have to translate it into how you impact your revenues or how you impact your profitability," he advised.

Willie Hui, Head of Solution Consulting for Asia at ServiceNow, provided a powerful example. ServiceNow's own CIO transformed their internal IT program from a cost-reduction center to a revenue-generation engine. By showcasing their own successful implementation of ServiceNow to customers, they directly influenced sales, turning a cost center into a strategic asset.

The Continuous Value Loop: A Partner Stays with You

Historically, a business case with lofty ambitions—"increase cross-sell by 15%" or "cut contact time by 20%"—would be created, signed off on, and then promptly filed away. The new CIO charter demands a different approach. "How do you help create a continuous loop so that you can understand those metrics and consistently re-evaluate how you're doing?" Gavin Barfield Gavin Barfield, CTO, Salesforce ASEAN, asked.

This continuous re-evaluation equips the CIO for ongoing conversations about renewals, expansions, and price increases. It’s no longer a one-off justification but a living document that proves technology is an investment that consistently delivers value. This is critical, as a recent survey done by AIBP with over 900+ IT and business leaders across ASEAN enterprises revealed that nearly 55% of enterprises in Southeast Asia cite establishing a clear ROI on their AI investments as their number one problem.

Co-Creating in a World of Unfinished Products

The reality is that in the age of generative AI, no vendor has a truly "finished product." Technology is evolving daily. This creates a new imperative for partnership. The relationship vendors need with their customers is changing from 'this is a ready product, buy this, pay us a fixed fee,' to collaboration and working together. "Things may break. Things might need to be fixed. We need to co-develop," Barfield explained.

This requires a new level of trust and a commercial model built on shared risk and reward. It also demands that platforms be open and flexible. Recognizing that the "LLM of the future" is unknown, a modern technology stack must allow customers to bring their own models and data sources, ensuring they are not locked into a solution that could be obsolete in a year.

The Human Element: Leading the Change

This transformation isn't just about technology; it's about people. Diana Khaitova, Regional Director at the Center for Creative Leadership, reminded the audience that technology adoption is fundamentally about change leadership. 

Khaitova explained that boards are looking for CIOs who demonstrate three key leadership capabilities:

1. An enterprise-wide vision of how technology can shape the future.

2. The ability to influence the entire ecosystem to drive transformation.

3. A commitment to being a talent accelerator, developing the people within their function.

The new CIO charter is clear. It's about moving from transactional relationships to strategic alliances, from one-off projects to continuous value creation, and from being a technical expert to being a business leader who co-creates the future.