Big-Picture CIOs Moving Up and Out

On the move CIOs continue to grow into executive-level positions outside of IT.

Medical products manufacturer Vital Signs promoted its CIO, Alex Chanin, to COO and Joe Bayern, a one-time CIO of Snapple, was named president of energy-drink maker Boo Koo Holdings. Barbara Desoer, who most recently served as Bank of America's chief operations and technology executive, was appointed president of the company's consumer real estate business. And last June, Mike Kistner was promoted from COO of travel services provider Pegasus Solutions to CEO.

Kistner, who began his career as a programmer, attributes his rise to two main factors: his ability to solve business problems and the mentoring he received from Harvey Jewett, former CEO of Super 8 Motels.

While with Super 8, Kistner was able to move into business operations by demonstrating an ability to apply the analytical skills he honed as a software developer to leading the hotel chain to run its call center, corporate travel department and other functions more efficiently.

When Kistner became Super 8's EVP of operations, he says he expressed concern over his understanding of the functions he was managing. Jewett's advice? "Determine objectives and put together plans to execute and be successful."

Kistner recommends that IT managers who aspire to move outside of IT "look at the big picture" and understand their company's real business objectives today. Business problems don't always need to be solved with technology. "Focus on what it takes to drive business forward as opposed to what it takes to drive IT forward," he says. "They aren't necessarily one and the same."

-Meridith Levinson