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🎯Interactive Checklist

CIO 90-Day Onboarding Checklist

Structured action plan for new CIOs and CTOs covering the first 90 days.

30 items0%

Critical items (marked ★) carry 3–5× weight. Weighted score reflects priority completion, not just volume.

Phase 1: Discover — Weeks 1–4

Listen, observe, and build relationships before drawing conclusions.

0/12
Schedule one-on-one meetings with all direct reports within the first week.★ Critical
1.1
Meet with the CEO to understand expectations, priorities, and key challenges.★ Critical
1.2
Meet with peer executives: CFO, COO, CMO, and CHRO.
1.3
Review the IT budget: current spend, variances, and full-year forecast.★ Critical
1.4
Review all active IT projects and initiatives — status, budget, and risks.★ Critical
1.5
Inventory existing IT contracts, vendor relationships, and renewal dates.
1.6
Conduct an introductory town hall with the IT organization.★ Critical
1.7
Review the current IT organizational structure and identify talent gaps.
1.8
Understand recent major incidents, outages, and their root causes.
1.9
Review the security posture, recent vulnerabilities, and any active threats.★ Critical
1.10
Identify key business stakeholders and schedule listening sessions.
1.11
Document initial observations, impressions, and potential quick wins.
1.12

Phase 2: Decide — Weeks 5–8

Synthesize your findings and form a point of view on priorities.

0/10
Assess the IT operating model for effectiveness and fit with business needs.★ Critical
2.1
Evaluate the current IT strategy against business goals and market context.★ Critical
2.2
Identify 3–5 priority initiatives for the next 12 months.★ Critical
2.3
Conduct a deep-dive on the highest-risk projects in the portfolio.
2.4
Validate the cloud strategy and assess migration progress against plan.
2.5
Review data and AI capabilities, current state, and roadmap.
2.6
Assess vendor performance and the value of strategic partnerships.
2.7
Develop preliminary organizational changes if structural issues are identified.
2.8
Prepare a 90-day update presentation for the CEO and board.★ Critical
2.9
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for the IT function.★ Critical
2.10

Phase 3: Deliver — Weeks 9–12

Begin executing, communicating, and establishing your leadership rhythm.

0/8
Communicate your IT vision and strategic priorities to the organization.★ Critical
3.1
Establish a governance cadence: steering committees, project reviews, and board reporting.
3.2
Implement or refine the IT operating rhythm: standups, reviews, and retrospectives.
3.3
Deliver at least one visible quick win that demonstrates early impact.★ Critical
3.4
Finalize and communicate the IT talent strategy and any organizational changes.
3.5
Establish a technology roadmap aligned to the business strategy.
3.6
Agree on a cybersecurity improvement plan with the CISO and board.★ Critical
3.7
Present the 90-day review to the CEO and board with findings and priorities.★ Critical
3.8

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