Where chaos meets clarity in the world of IT.
There are days when I need to cut teams, kill projects, challenge peers, or walk straight into a meeting where I know I’ll be the villain. That’s not me—at least not the “me” most people know. I’m all the way wired for empathy. I tend to overthink and I lose sleep when things I care about go wrong .
So I did something that saved my sanity and – I hope – made me better at my job: I built a character, I became the Punk CIO.
(more…)The Shadow Climber: Always present, never accountable. Moves up quietly in the shade of others’ work.
We all know one. The executive who always shows up in success photos — but never in the post-mortem. They don’t do the work. They align. They share insights. They (only) talk to important people. A lot.
(more…)This isn’t innovation. It’s theatre. These are the personas who weaponize buzzwords, overbuild everything, and buy their way into complexity. If you’ve ever wondered why your transformation looks busy but goes nowhere—this is why.
As CIOs, we spend our days solving complex problems, driving change, and keeping the machine running. But under all the roadmaps, metrics, and escalations, the real challenge is more human:
How do we lead with clarity, not just control?
What follows isn’t a framework. It’s a mindset. A few principles that keep me grounded when the noise gets loud and the pressure builds. Call it an inner OS — punk in attitude, mindful in practice.
These aren’t people—they’re patterns. The recurring personas that clog progress, delay outcomes, and make IT leadership a psychological endurance sport. You’ve met them. You might still be fighting them. Here’s your field guide.
If your people are bypassing IT, they’re telling you something. Listen before you lock them down. Shadow IT is a signal, not sabotage. People bypass central IT when your processes are too slow, your tools are irrelevant, or your governance makes “yes” feel impossible.
No matter how shiny your tools, how agile your methodology, or how clever your strategy — if your team pyramid is broken, your operating model is unsustainable. It’s the quiet killer of productivity, culture, and cost-efficiency.
I sit in another meeting, watching the usual GenAI hysteria unleash: the business leaders are in full sprint mode, like there’s no tomorrow —“We’re late!” “We need AI everywhere!” “We’ll fall behind, and become obsolete” “We’re going to lose customers” and—who knows—maybe even collapse into complete irrelevance… well, wait a minute!
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Behind the Firewall: Notes of a Punk CIO 
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