CIOs could be future CEOs

Goa: What the future holds for CIOs? Will they be able to transform themselves to become CEOs? What are the career options they have? Concluding the CIOL ‘C Change’ event, Vijay Thadani, Managing Director, NIIT in his keynote address gave some insight on what CIOs are and what they should be.

Speaking at the occasion Thadani emphasized on four basic factors that include functioning of the CIO which he termed as ‘Third wave’, changing CIO role, CIO competency ethics and CIOs career roadmap.

Calling it a ‘Third Wave’, Thadani said gone are the days when CIOs used to be known as EDP managers and IS managers. But now that technology is playing a major role in every aspect of company’s business, these managers are now better known as CIOs.Also as the adoption of technology is increasing, the expectations are also high from today’s CIOs.

In today’s world they need to manage and co-ordinate decentralized information resources. Also it has now become imperative for them to manage information resources as a vital corporate asset. Managing end-user computing is also important as it serves corporations’ needs. Building systems to increase competitiveness is another major challenge for them, he added.

Second factor was changing role of CIO which is very much visible from the fact that from business data processing they have now moved to knowledge management. They have become more strategic than tactical. Their involvement in high-stakes decision making and problem solving has been increased. They are truly the agent for change that is happening right now in organizations.

Speaking on CIOs competency ethics, he said that today’s CIOs should be oriented towards 4Ps- process, people, plan and passion. Also their career road map more relies on the factors such as pioneering productivity efforts and on their prudent and impatient approach.

Following the right approach and in the right direction could lead CIOs to become the future CEOs as they are now more involved in the decision making processes of the company with technology playing major role to it.

CyberMedia News Service