I was ruminating on David Armano's new role at Edelman, as EVP, Global Innovation & Integration (details here). Armano describes his new role as 'doing what keeps your business on the front line'. There's been a rash of Chief Innovation Officer / Director of Innovation roles within agency groups and holding companies. Indeed, I myself argued strongly for the (at the time) unusual title of Executive Director of Innovation at BBH, back in early 2010. But do we really need them? If so, why? And what do they see as their value to creative businesses?

I asked four of the most prominent and respected of this new mutation of communications professional to try and capture what their role is in a tweet-length summary. This is what they said.

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Edward Boches (Chief Innovation Officer, Mullen)

Opening minds. Inspiring change. Creating unexpected connections. Dissecting cool stuff + re-applying. Sharing. Experimenting.

Saneel Radia (Head of Innovation, BBH New York)

Help BBH NY do what we aren't currently doing but want to. Criteria: make clients & talent happy, be credible.

Faris Yakob (Chief Innovation Officer, KBS&P)

Asking Why? And What If? Instead of How? + When? - Hopeful midwife to new *kinds* of ideas.

Rishadt Tobbacowla (Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer)

Help drive future competitive advantage. Seek fresh insightful connections.

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What do you think? Does your agency have a CIO? If not why not? If so - who is it, and what value do they add? Smoke & mirrors? Or Pirates & Pioneers?

Would love to hear your comments; I'm on a panel next week in NYC about Innovation (details here) and am keen to take the temperature of people in the industry.