Chief information officers gained influence during the Great Recession but, globally, 43% plan to be in new jobs in the next 24 months, according to a survey by Harvey Nash, an information technology services and staffing firm.

More than half of CIOs sit on operational boards at their companies, the highest since the survey began in 1998. Additionally, more than 70% would consider a salary freeze or cut to improve their organization's financial stability, the survey found.

However, on a global basis, 43% said they expected to be in new jobs in the next 24 months. For U.S.-based CIOs, the percentage is 38%.

"Mounting evidence suggests that the recession has had a disproportionate impact on salary and job satisfaction for some CIOs," said Robert J. Miano, president and CEO of Harvey Nash USA. "The gap between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' appears to be widening and could point to a significant migration of CIO talent in the coming years."