CIOs now control the majority of organizational budgets and are second only to the CEO in terms of shaping and delivering business strategy, research from Citrix, a business unit of Cloud Software Group, has found. The study was based on interviews with 3,300 business leaders working in large- and mid-market businesses across the globe. Shaping Strategy As companies strive for success against a difficult economic backdrop, they are looking to tech leaders to act as strategic business partners. According to the data:

• 67% of business leaders say the CIO is now second only to the CEO in terms of shaping and delivering the business strategy.
• 64% of business leaders say the CIO has control of the majority of their organization’s budget.
• 73% of business leaders believe that having a vision for the future is important for being a successful tech leader in today’s working world.