What do CEOs want from their CIOs, and how can CIOs build on the power gains they've built up, even as everything around them is changing?
CIO magazine (US) tackled just that subject during a panel session at the CIO Leadership Conference, recently held in Boston. Michael Friedenberg, CEO of CXO Media (publisher of CIO), discussed the importance of CIOs as strategic business leaders and the changing role of the CIO with Rajinder (Raj) Gupta, executive director and adjunct professor Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management; Chris Patrick, partner at executive search firm Egon Zehnder International; Robert P Badavas, president and CEO, of staffing firm TAC Worldwide; and Steve Merry, CIO of the Sara Lee Corp.
They found five main keys to being a top-notch CIO today — and tomorrow.
One: Be a Strategic Business Leader
Much of the CIO traditional role is now merely table stakes. Technology itself will not set you apart; you need far more business expertise than CIOs of yesteryear did.CIO, Michael Friedenberg: What has changed about what CEOs expect from the CIO?
Raj Gupta: I have talked to 15 to 20 CEOs directly, and they are looking for someone who can be a trusted business partner. Of course the CIO has to keep the trains running, but CEOs want the CIO to be a senior leader such that, when you are together with the rest of the executive team, it's hard to tell you are the CIO.
Chris Patrick: CEOs want people who can connect the technology to their strategic intent. I have clients who are investing billions of dollars in IT. They want a person who can show the team the ROI from this investment.
Bob Badavas: At the end of the day, what CIOs are paid to do is take a full seat at the strategic planning table and be an integral part of the strategic decision making — which means they need to know what business they're in. Get out of the office and find out why people buy your product or service. IT is a strategic weapon. To find out how to use it, the CIO must engage with clients and the front-line distribution or sales organization.
Steve Merry: Technology is a given; we need to get value from that by removing the clutter and making it easy to use. Then we can sit with our business partners and take the business forward, focusing on things that make a difference — growth, innovation and acquisitions.
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Zones provide focussed content from CIO and leading technology partners.- White PaperView this webcast and discover the drivers for changing network design practices, why many organisations are changing their approach to network architecture and how enterprises should be moving forward with open architecture multi-vendor network solutions. Register now and learn how your business can maximize the business value of the enterprise network.
- White PaperJoin Lee Benjamin, a Microsoft Exchange MVP and Ryan Shipkowski, network administrator for Matthews, to discuss the process and ROI of implementing an email archiving solution, with emphasis on a case study from Matthews International.
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Discover how SOA can create smarter outcomes for your business.
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- How SOA is helping leading companies to become more agile
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CIO Live Podcast #79: Brent D Taylor, author of The Outsider's Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires Part II 05 October, 2007 06:00:00
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CIO Live Podcast #75: Panasonic Speeds Up Trans-Pacific File Transfers, Part I 07 September, 2007 07:00:05
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Data breaches rose sharply in 2008, says study 08 January, 2009 08:27:00
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With Gaza conflict, cyberattacks come too 05 January, 2009 08:03:00
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5 ways to secure your Blackberry 18 December, 2008 12:58:00
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Wireless VPNs: Protecting the wireless wanderer 18 December, 2008 11:04:00
Employees sipping café Java over their wireless laptops may think a VPN makes them safe and secure. With careful configuration, there's some chance they're rightEmployees sipping café Java over their wireless laptops may think a VPN makes them safe and secure. With careful configuration, there's some chance they're right.
Research software developer appoints Susan Dart to new Business Development Director role 08 January, 2009 09:08:00
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Fortinet Cures Mobile Phone “Curse of Silence/CurseSMS” Attack 07 January, 2009 16:30:00
SEAGATE SHIPS DESKTOP HARD DRIVE WITH WORLD’S HIGHEST AREAL DENSITY – 500GB PER DISK 06 January, 2009 15:34:00
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Best Practice in Building an Integrated Information Management Strategy
Discover the business value that creating an integrated information platform can bring. Learn how to provide consistent, accurate information to all stakeholders within your business network. Integrate vital data from disparate sources and deliver a trusted information foundation. Read on to uncover the stepping-stones to your new information management strategy.
