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"Everyone is looking at us as CIOs to lead this AI transformation. It’s an amazing opportunity to step up and be a change agent."
Along with enterprise technology environments, AI is transforming the job of Chief Information Officer. No longer IT stewards, CIOs are trusted advisors, guiding the company through efforts to rebuild operations around AI.
For Workato CIO Carter Busse, who got into the industry with a goal of helping people, the ongoing disruption is a chance to show how radically technology can improve the lives of customers and employees. And it’s an opportunity for CIOs to prove their importance to the organization.
“CIOs always wanted to be part of the discussion with business partners, to be on par with our marketing and sales peers, and we've always had to fight for it,” he told CIO News. “Now, everyone is looking at us as CIOs to lead this AI transformation. It’s an amazing opportunity to step up and be a change agent. And if you don't do that, you are going to get fired.”
From ushering in the SaaS revolution as Salesforce’s first IT hire, to discovering the power of integration at MobileIron and making the promise of AI agents a reality at Workato, Carter’s career has kept him at enterprise tech’s bleeding edge. We talked with him about the opportunity in agentic AI, why it’s a make-or-break moment for CIOs, and how IT leaders can quickly prove their value to the business.
Show your passion
Heading into college, Carter had dreams of becoming a doctor. But by the middle of freshman year, he couldn’t get excited about counting fruit flies, or competing against students with perfect grades and test scores. Instead, he transferred over to the business school, and graduated with a goal to enter the IT industry.
But first, he had to break into it. For Carter, there was one really only one option: Andersen Consulting, which became Accenture in 2001. The company ran a celebrated training program, with a highly competitive application process. In fact, after struggling to land an interview, he sat in the lobby for three days straight. That show of tenacity ended up getting Carter a conversation – and ultimately a job. It also taught him a valuable lesson that he still uses in hiring today.
“I want someone who wants to work here, who is passionate about integration and AI,” he said.
