Marcus Johnson
CIO
Childrens Home Society of Florida
Marcus Johnson, currently serving as CIO at Children's Home Society of Florida, is a distinguished technology transformation leader whose two decades of C-level experience and military service have earned him recognition as a 2025 ORBIE CIO Leadership Award Finalist and one of the Top 100 Technology Professionals for 2023. His remarkable journey includes a 20-year military career, rising from Infantry Medic to Major in the Signal Corps, leadership and executive positions in government, for profit and not for profit organizations. In an unexpected twist, Marcus served as a background actor in the 1990 military action film "Fire Birds" starring Tommy Lee Jones and Nicolas Cage. An accomplished author whose memoir "My Personal Desert Storm" was recognized as the Top Memoir for 2020, Marcus continues to lead transformative technology initiatives that bridge the digital divide while building and nurturing high-performing teams through his servant leadership approach.
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Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
My journey from military service to technology executive exemplifies the power of adaptability and diverse experience in leadership. After my 20-year military career, I successfully translated my expertise across an array of sectors—from county government to the Attorney General's Office, from multi-billion-dollar corporations to global ministries. Now serving as Chief Information Officer at Children's Home Society of Florida, I lead transformative technology initiatives that serve over 80,000 children and family members annually, drawing on my unique ability to "do more with less" honed through years of cross-sector experience.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
It isn't just about one for me, but it is about adapting and being flexible to constantly evolving conditions. My 20 year career in the Army has instilled seven values that I strive to live every day: (L)oyalty, (D)uty, (R)espect, (S)elfless Service, (H)onor, (I)ntegrity, (P)ersonal Courage. These values help guide my efforts towards continuous learning and empowering my teams towards a culture of value delivery as opposed to only serving as a cost center.
What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?
The greatest challenge I face is budget related when considering innovation, maintaining talent, and upskill training. As a nonprofit, even a large one such as ours, it is a significant balancing act with financing our programs, providing the services we offer to our communities, and financing the support functions that run the business. We work to address this by evolving our campaign and fundraising strategies while also building solid business use cases that will inspire and encourage our executive leadership as well as our business partners.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?
Success in a C-level role begins with authentic leadership rooted in personal values, demonstrated through consistent actions that build trust, foster engagement, and create an environment where teams feel valued and empowered to innovate. Effective change management is crucial during the transition period, requiring a structured approach that balances quick wins with long-term strategic initiatives while maintaining open communication channels and building strong relationships across all organizational levels.
The foundation for sustained success lies in a leader's ability to adapt to changing environments, encourage continuous learning, and maintain resilience while staying true to their leadership values—all while measuring progress through both quantitative metrics like employee engagement scores and qualitative indicators such as team innovation and proactive problem-solving capabilities.
How do you measure success as a leader?
I believe that successful leadership can be measured through quantifiable metrics such as employee engagement scores, team turnover rates, and productivity levels, combined with qualitative indicators like the team's ability to innovate, adapt to change, and proactively solve problems. A leader's success is further demonstrated through their commitment to continuous learning and development, which manifests in their ability to foster a culture of innovation, provide proactive support through coaching and mentorship, and create an environment where team members feel valued and empowered to grow.
What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?
I view Gartner C-level Communities as networks for senior executives to enhance their decision-making capabilities through access to proprietary research, peer-to-peer collaboration, and strategic insights. I believe that members benefit from an environment where they can validate strategies, share best practices, and forge valuable connections with other C-level executives who face similar challenges, while also gaining access to specialized professional development resources and leadership enhancement opportunities.
Finally, I view the communities as a resource to drive organizational success by improving executives' ability to navigate complex business environments, implement innovative solutions, and develop sustainable competitive advantages through the combination of strategic resources, networking infrastructure, and collaborative learning platforms.
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.
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