As co-founder of The Research Board, an exclusive, IT-focused think tank established in 1970, Ernest von Simson watched time and again as corporate leaders took their companies through change and crises over three decades. During those years, he came to believe that steadfastness is the most vital leadership characteristic for success, as he demonstrates in his new book, "The Limits of Strategy: Lessons in Leadership from the Computer Industry".
CIO spoke exclusively to Hugh Banister, CIO at gas supplier Santos, about the challenge he faces in his role, what his average work day looks like and some of the IT projects Santos is working on.
Jim Hagemann Snabe was appointed SAP co-CEO in February 2010. Jim Joined the organisation in 1990 and has been a member of the Executive Board of SAP AG since 2008. He spoke with CIO about how he helps foster innovation.
Chris Patrick is the global CIO practice leader at executive recruiter Egon Zehnder International (EZI), and co-author with EZI Partner Steve Kelner, of a new online series for cio.com -- Your Leadership Portfolio -- which examines the key leadership competencies that IT executives must cultivate over the course of their careers to meet the future demands of the role. Patrick sat down with Rick Pastore, managing director of the CIO Executive Council, for a discussion on the evolving role of the CIO, the impact of the worldwide recession, and the progress IT leaders are making in meeting the expectations of the CEO.
Rob Smyth, CEO of Blue Reef, is a successful entrepreneur who has been in the ICT sector for almost 20 years. He has overseen Blue Reef’s strategic development, operations and strong growth since founding the business in early 2002.
Pieter Poll is Chief Technology Officer at US-based Qwest Communications International, which serves business customers nationally and residential customers in 14 western states with telephone, high-speed Internet, fiber-optic Internet and DirecTV services. The company is also serving as an agent for Verizon Wireless services. Poll talked about his career and the directions Qwest is taking.
John R. Wetsch, WISE program director from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is answering questions about re-entering the IT workforce, taking early retirement, work/life balance, the merits of a tech MBA, and the prospects for IT employment and the overall economy.
Dave Willmer, the executive director of Robert Half Technology, discusses finding a job in a deep recession.
In this Q&A, CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux confronts the IT skills shortage, misconceptions about IT careers and ways to connect unemployed workers with the thousands of tech jobs that are still available.
Whether you're seeking a new job or clinging to an existing one, persuading people of your value is going to be your key to success during this recession. In this Q&A, James Borg, author of "Persuasion: The Art of Influencing People," explains how to persuade people without being pushy.
Mark Hennessy speaks candidly on transforming the IT organization at IBM, fostering a culture of innovation, managing IT during the financial crisis, maximizing the value of social networking tools, and taking advantage of an imminent technological game-changer.
IT leaders were told to "do more with less" even before economic woes exacerbated the issue. Savvy managers have always kept their eye on the goal: demonstrating what IT can do for the business, so that it's not always viewed as a cost center. Last week, one IT manager explained her strategy.
Silicon Valley is the epitome of California's youth worship, geek-style. It's the stage where wunderkinds emerge and are feted: Yahoo's Jerry Yang and David Filo, Netscape's Marc Andreessen, Google's Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg -- all in their 20s when they hit it big. Going farther back, let's not forget Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who were 21 and 25, respectively, when they started Apple Computer.
Guido Sacchi, CIO and senior vice president at CompuCredit in the US, answers questions about dealing with "clueless" new hires, using one's advanced education to good effect and becoming the boss of your old team.
The question of what CEOs want from CIOs has been asked for as long as chief information officers have existed. On the face of it, the granting of a C-level role would appear to ensure that information leaders are regarded as strategic authorities by their ultimate bosses. However, reports of what status the CIO has in the organization remain mixed.
Bruce Marcus, the executive vice president and CIO of The McGraw-Hill Companies, answers questions about moving into leadership positions, dealing with a difficult boss and the impact of the economy on IT.
Michael Schrage has some advice, and it's not just for IT managers.
Social networking outlets such as MySpace and Facebook are offering new avenues of communication for corporations and governments, but are also presenting fresh challenges to CIOs deciding how best to fit them into their business processes. Dave Nikolejsin, CIO for the Government of British Columbia, discusses his own experiences thus far in the world of Web 2.0.
Why would a successful CIO leave one company to become co-CIO of another with only one-third the revenue and employees? Answer: The new company is Microsoft. Stuart Scott moved there in mid-2005 from General Electric, the US$160 billion, 319,000-employee behemoth where he had worked for 17 years, most recently as CIO of GE Industrial Systems. Then, about a year ago, co-CIO Ron Markezich was tapped to run Microsoft's budding managed services business. Scott has been Microsoft's sole CIO since then.
What factors give some technologies staying power, while others come and go? We put the question to Esther Dyson — technology pundit, investor, conference organizer, and all-around mover and shaker
