Top CIOs to Watch in 2020

Chris W. Bjornson

Chief Information Officer, Accenture Federal Services

Chris Bjornson has set a standard for excellence as an industry-leading global technology director, digital strategist and business leader across the federal landscape. In his 25 years with Accenture — the past seven as chief information officer for Accenture Federal Services — Bjornson follows the “Power of Three” methodology to manage expectations, priorities and execution down to three things at any given time, enabling him, his teams and his peers to stay on track and value focused.

Bjornson’s insight and innovations support federal clients while modernizing digital operations at AFS. He guided the firm’s enterprise resource planning suite to the Azure Cloud. During the pandemic, Bjornson spearheaded a smooth data center relocation and directed a full digital transition for thousands of AFS employees, despite his team working completely remote.

Bjornson also worked with the business to deliver a new project delivery suite to bridge previously siloed processes across finance, HR, and IT security, increasing revenue while cutting $3 million in costs. He has automated over 4,000 hours of manual work across those functions — saving over $200,000 in the first year.

Why Watch

Over the next 12 months, Bjornson will tap his expertise on behalf of AFS employees and clients to build new post-pandemic processes and opportunities. That includes transforming HR capabilities, expense management and cloud management, working with Accenture leadership to further opportunities for its people.