The role of a chief information officer (CIO) primarily focuses on managing and implementing information technology for an organization. They are the company's chief technology officer and are tasked with aligning the organization's IT infrastructure with its business priorities. In addition, they work closely with vendors and other company executives to create and implement strategies. The CIO role is highly technical, and requires a strong background in computing, software design and development, and project management. A chief information officer must have a basic understanding of technology, but is not expected to be an expert in all systems. He or she must have excellent management skills to oversee dozens of IT employees and teams. Additionally, he or she must have strong communication skills to effectively communicate with other executives in the company. A CIO's role involves using technology to improve the business, usually by incorporating new technologies. While the CIO is the key player in the company's IT department, the CIO's role is not limited to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department. A chief information officer's role involves overseeing a company's information technology departments. In addition to an IT background, the position also requires strong communication and management skills. As the boss of the IT department, the CIO must have excellent business skills to effectively deal with different types of people. In addition to technical skills, a CIO must be good at managing a diverse team of employees. And because the CIO has to manage several teams and dozens of employees, the CIO must be comfortable dealing with people of different backgrounds, including business executives.