Resilient Leaders Elements and Global CIO Forum Announce Strategic Partnership to Develop CEO-Ready CIOs

Resilient Leaders Elements (RLE) and Global CIO Forum's (GCF) today announced a strategic partnership to deliver leadership development programmes to GCF's global community of more than 48,000 Chief Information Officers.

Rachel Cooper, Co-Founder and CEO of Resilient Leaders Elements (RLE™) with Venkatesh Mahadevan FBCS, Global Board Member of GCF

The partnership supports GCF’s commitment to strengthening leadership capability across its community and aligns directly with the recent GCF conference theme, “The next CEO is in the room.” It recognises the expanding role of the CIO as an enterprise leader and the growing pipeline of future CIOs preparing to step into senior leadership roles.

Through this collaboration, RLE will deliver a suite of leadership development programmes designed for both emerging and established CIOs. The programmes will focus on building resilience, adaptive leadership capability, decision-making under pressure, and the transition from functional excellence to enterprise-wide leadership impact.

Rachel Cooper, Co-Founder and CEO of Resilient Leaders Elements, said:

"CIOs are increasingly expected to lead across strategy, culture, risk, and organisational performance. That expectation does not begin at appointment; it develops well before. This partnership with GCF allows us to support both emerging and experienced CIOs with leadership development that is practical, evidence-based, and directly relevant to the realities they face. We are delighted to be working together to help develop leaders who are genuinely ready for the next level."

Venkatesh Mahadevan FBCS, Global Board Member of GCF, commented:

"Our community includes CIOs at different stages of their leadership journey, from those stepping into the role to those already operating at board and enterprise level. Partnering with Resilient Leaders Elements enables us to provide leadership development that supports this full spectrum, helping emerging CIOs prepare for the role while supporting existing CIOs as they broaden their influence and step into CEO-level leadership."

The partnership will see leadership development initiatives rolled out across the GCF ecosystem, providing members with access to structured programmes, practical tools, and insight into how leadership behaviour and organisational culture drive sustainable performance.

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About Resilient Leaders Elements

Resilient Leaders Elements (RLE™) is a global leadership development organisation with a clear mission: preparing people to lead with confidence in uncertainty. Built on 25 years of research and real-world application, we make world-class leadership development available to all through the Resilient Leaders Development Programme (RLDP™), consultancy services, and accredited training for leaders across all sectors.

As thought leaders and trusted design and delivery partners in resilient leadership, we combine the wisdom of our global consultant community with data-led intelligence from our RLDP™ database, built by leaders, for leaders. Our 2026 vision focuses on expanding powerful partnerships and delivering insights that transform how leaders navigate complexity and change.

Through the four core elements: Awareness, Leadership Presence, Clarity of Direction, and Resilient Decision Making, we've accredited over 200 consultants across multiple countries and established ourselves as leaders in building resilient leadership capability.