Raj Iyer Discusses Army CIO Successor

The outgoing Army chief information officer said the next CIO should be someone who can bring in a fresh perspective and is capable of asking tough questions.

In an interview with C4ISRNET and the Army Times, Raj Iyer, who spoke at the Potomac Officers Club’s 3rd Annual CIO Summit in April 2022, said the next CIO may need to focus on providing oversight, which is necessary for the service’s modernization efforts.

Iyer, a past Wash100 winner, said that for these reasons, bringing in someone from the private industry would be an important consideration, C4ISRNET reported Thursday.

The outgoing Army CIO also questioned the efficacy of current law, which states that the Army CIO can only serve as an acquisition program adviser at best while only the acquisition executive can provide actual oversight. Iyer believes that there could be other models that would benefit the Army’s software acquisition efforts.

The official noted that better program oversight could improve contractor accountability while also pointing out that the service historically struggled with IT modernization program management. He said the Army is now in a better position to make more informed decisions about its contractors and programs.

The outgoing CIO did not mention any potential successors.

Iyer announced his departure from the Army in January through a LinkedIn post.