By Sonja Meijerink, Utilus
Last week, I attended CEO / CIO in Tech together with a few colleagues from Utilus. On paper, it was about leadership in IT. In reality, it showed something more fundamental: technology only works when it makes sense for the people who use it.
Yes, there were sessions on AI, digital transformation, and strategy. But what stood out were the conversations about people. About listening. About building trust. About how real progress only happens when people work together — across teams, roles, and disciplines.
One thing became clear: the line between CEO and CIO is fading. Where one used to “own the business” and the other “owned the systems,” real impact now requires shared understanding. Technology has become the business. That means the CEO needs to grasp how IT works. And the CIO needs to understand how people get their work done.
What we saw: many leaders are already making that shift. No innovation without empathy. No digital transformation without cultural change. No IT decisions without involving the people they affect.
That way of thinking fits how we work at Utilus. We help organisations future-proof their essential IT systems — the systems that keep the business running. These systems are often complex, deeply embedded, and not easily replaced. But they are critical. If you want real transformation, this is where the work starts.
We don’t promise shortcuts. Instead, we help clients move forward with clarity: by uncovering the real issues, defining non-functional requirements, and working in a way that’s transparent, honest, and constructive. Our approach is designed to keep things predictable — and adaptable.
CEO / CIO in Tech didn’t deal in hype. It dealt in reality. And that’s exactly where we prefer to operate.
The future of IT? It won’t be more technical. It will be more human.
Do the work.