CIO OPINION
Mohamed Taha Benssiba, Senior Director and AI specialist, Middle East and Africa, Oracle
Shaik Asif, Regional Sales Director Acceleration,
EMEA and APJ, Riverbed
Managing and observing enterprise performance provides CIOs and IT administrators with key insights into system health.
have expertise in root cause analysis. Familiarity with tools for observability, deep packet inspection, and real-time analytics is key, says NETSCOUT’ s Fahmy.
Additionally, strong problem-solving abilities, crossfunctional communication skills, and a proactive mindset are essential for navigating complex, distributed environments. As infrastructures become more dynamic and data-driven, professionals must also stay current with evolving technologies and security practices.
“ Ultimately, success depends on the ability to translate technical insights into actions that protect and optimise business performance,” adds Fahmy.
While technical and analytical skills remain valuable, the barriers to entry are lowering thanks to modern performance management platforms now embedded with Generative, predictive, and Agentic AI. These tools surface insights, recommend actions, and even automate workflows, reducing the need for deep technical intervention.
“ As a result, value increasingly comes from strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to interpret insights in a broader organisational context,” says Riverbed’ s Asif. Skills in project management, regulatory compliance, and data governance are equally important, helping teams align performance efforts with business goals and compliance needs.
“ It is no longer just about knowing how systems work. It is about knowing what to do with the insight,” continues Asif.
“ Skills in behaviour-driven monitoring, real-time threat detection, and ethical AI integration are nonnegotiable. Also, the ability to collaborate across departments and co-create solutions aligned with specific industry goals is just as important,” says SoftServe’ s Kanafani. p
Fadi Kanafani, General Manager Middle
East, SoftServe
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