Governing Body Spotlight

Arx Gabrenas is the Global Chief Information Officer at Elevate Textiles, a $1+ billion global company, where he leads IT strategy and operations to drive growth, efficiency, and resilience across the organization. He began his career in a people-focused role as a counselor, later combining his passion for technology with his dedication to helping people and businesses succeed.  Arx started in IT as an individual contributor, gaining hands-on experience across multiple technology disciplines, and progressively took on roles with increasing responsibility.  Over his career, he has led enterprise-wide digital initiatives, optimized IT infrastructure, drove impactful innovations, and built high-performing teams that deliver measurable business impact while fostering collaboration and innovation.

A fun fact about Arx, he enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons. He says, “I get to be a member of a party where I help to slay dragons and save villages, which as it turns out, isn't too different from running IT.”

Learn more about the Charlotte CIO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

My path to becoming CIO started in a surprisingly people-focused place: as a counselor. Over time, I discovered I had a passion for technology and realized I could have a broader impact by helping both people and business through it. That journey led me to progressively lead IT strategy and operations in complex organizations, and today I focus on leveraging technology to drive growth, efficiency, and resilience while empowering teams to innovate and succeed across Elevate Textiles.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

One of my guiding leadership principles is building success through teamwork. In the CIO role, there is no single person that has all the expertise needed to truly serve the business completely. The complexity of technology is simply too great. That's why I focus on building and empowering a diverse team. It is our collective capability that allows us to adapt quickly, innovate at scale, and deliver meaningful outcomes.  

My goal is to create an environment where technology decisions are made with the business in mind, and where individuals feel valued, trusted, and connected to the bigger picture. When that happens, the team achieves success and accomplishes more than any one of us could alone.
 

What is the greatest challenge IT leaders face today, and how are you addressing it?

There is certainly no shortage of challenges in the CIO role. One that is front of mind right now is finding the right balance between innovation at speed while maintaining resilience at scale.  The business is moving faster than ever, and we have to deliver solutions that are both stable and transformative. I address this by investing in foundational capabilities that keep us resilient while at the same time empowering teams to experiment, take smart risks, and drive innovation. In many ways, it's about building trust that IT can be both the safety net that the business relies on as well as the launching pad that propels it forward.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?

I think the key to success for a new CIO is to listen before leading. It's tempting to jump quickly into transformation or bold decisions, but real impact starts with understanding the business deeply, building credibility with peers, and earning trust with your team. Once that foundation is in place, the role shifts to aligning technology strategy tightly to business outcomes... and that is where a CIO can truly move the needle.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

I measure success by the impact we create – both on business as well as on people. On the business-side success means delivering measurable value through technology by enabling growth, gaining efficiencies, reducing risk, and increasing resilience. On the people-side, success is when individuals feel empowered, grow in their abilities, and make impactful and meaningful contributions. An indicator of effective leadership is found when both the business and the people are thriving.
 

What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?

The value of Gartner C-level Communities lies in the combination of perspective, insight, and peer accountability. As CIOs, we face complex challenges in technology and business transformation. Solutions aren't "one-size-fits-all". These communities give me a trusted space to benchmark strategies and openly discuss what's working... and what isn't. That shared learning accelerates decisions, reduces risk, and ultimately helps me deliver greater impact for both the business and my teams.
 

Gartner C-level Communities Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.