In the rapidly evolving IT landscape, the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is pivotal in navigating the challenges of digital transformation, as highlighted at the CIO Trend 2016 event hosted by IDG Sweden. The event, attended by around 80 IT leaders, emphasized the need for CIOs to balance long-term strategies with agile, short-term actions to stay competitive, especially as startups increasingly challenge established companies. Automation is a significant trend, with IT services and even manufacturing moving toward fully automated processes, exemplified by the rise of "lights out" factories and automated platforms like AWS and Azure. Security remains a top priority, with a growing emphasis on comprehensive IT-security strategies as more data migrates to the cloud, necessitating solutions like Identity as a Service (IDaaS). The discussion concluded that service-driven solutions are increasingly influencing choices in planning, automation, and security.