The recession is still exerting its influence on CIOs, according to a survey by Harvey Nash and PA Consulting Group, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. The majority of IT leaders polled said they expect to play a larger role in strategic decisions in the year ahead, and the top skills considered necessary for the job these days are influence and communication.

According to the survey, "CIOs and IT directors are gaining the right to help shape the next phase of growth by helping their companies through this unprecedented time of global economic turmoil."

Of the 2,655 IT leaders across the globe who responded to the survey, 44 percent said they report directly to the CEO or CFO.  CIOs remain focused on cost-cutting and increasing operational efficiency, but at the same time they are seeing more opportunities to deepen their knowledge of the wider business environment.

On a less positive note, CIO job satisfaction has fallen 4 percent from a year ago. Forty-three percent of CIOs anticipate moving to a new job within two years.  

For more:
- see the Harvey Nash CIO Survey 2010
- see the Harvey Nash survey announcement

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