Connect with Advisory / Fractional Chief Intelligence Officer Heidi Hysell
In an era shaped by AI agents, ambient computing, and rapid organizational change, the Chief Intelligence Officer (CIO²) emerges as a transformative leadership role. Designed to unify machine and human insight, this function enables faster adaptation, sharper alignment, and long-term resilience. Here's how your organization can lead by design, not by default.
Why Now: AI agents are no longer emerging—they're embedding. They're shifting beyond tools and teammates. Most organizations aren’t ready. Data is everywhere, insights are fragmented, decisions are fragmented, and opportunities are lost in translation.
That’s where the Chief Intelligence Officer comes in.
Redesigned for modern enterprise, this role bridges strategic foresight, real-time execution, and organizational learning that bridges the gap between human and machine. It ensures your business doesn't just run faster, but runs smarter.
Key Responsibilities:
Organizational Intelligence
Identify where intelligence lives, how it flows (or gets stuck), how to unlock it and safeguard actions.
Example: Build dynamic intelligence maps that continuously track where critical knowledge resides, how accountability shifts across human and machine actors, and where gaps emerge with each new model integration or system upgrade.Human-AI Collaboration
Define how people and machines should work together—ethically, efficiently, and creatively—while identifying the gaps in how each interprets and applies intelligence.
Example: Redesign workflows that account for differences in context awareness, reasoning, and ethical framing to enhance decision-making—not just automate tasks.Real-Time Insight-to-Action Loops
Close the gap between data, insight, and execution across human and machine.
Example: Turn internal and external data into timely, trusted signals that drive behavior for every model release and agent interaction.Collective Learning
Foster a learning culture where knowledge compounds across agents, ecosystems, people, teams, and tools—while actively bridging the evolving intelligence gap between humans and machines. As AI models advance, human understanding must evolve with them through intentional knowledge sharing, adaptive training, and co-evolving systems.
Example: Codify wins and failures across both human and machine contributions, and build accessible learning loops that update as new models are integrated.
Why It Matters: We’re entering an era where the organizations that learn fastest, win.
The CIO² ensures it’s not just your tech that gets smarter—but your teams, your leadership, your systems. The whole organization.
The result? A business that adapts faster, executes sharper, and builds value with precision.
Job Description: Chief Intelligence Officer (CIO²)
Reports To: CEO or COO
Primary Objective: Build and lead an organizational intelligence function that drives integration of human and machine insight, enabling faster decision-making, smarter execution, and continuous learning across the company.
Core Functions:
Design and oversee organizational intelligence systems
Lead integration of AI agents and human workflows
Establish real-time dashboards and insight loops
Build frameworks for knowledge sharing and learning
Partner with Product, Ops, People, and Tech leads to enable adaptive strategy
Key Skills:
Systems thinking and knowledge management
Data fluency and AI literacy
Cross-functional leadership
Change management and workflow design
Strategic foresight and organizational learning
Team Structure:
May lead a small team of intelligence analysts, AI operations designers, and internal research leads
Collaborates closely with Chief People Officer, Chief Product Officer, CIO/CTO, and Chief Strategy Officer
Final Thought:
This isn’t a role for the future. It’s a role for now. As AI agents reshape the workplace and decision velocity becomes a competitive edge, the Chief Intelligence Officer gives your organization the capability to navigate complexity, stay aligned, and move forward with clarity.
Future Insights is here to help operationalize your organizational intelligence function. Want to prototype the CIO² role inside your company? Schedule a session with our fractional CIO² leader Heidi Hysell today.