Introduction
What's a CIO?
The CIO, or Chief Information Officer, is a job title for the
head of
the information technology group within an organization of significant
size. They often report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Chief
Financial Officer (CFO). The prominence of this position has risen
greatly in the recent years as information technology has become a more
important part of business. The CIO may be a member of the "executive
board" of the organization, but this largely depends on the type of
organization.
No specific qualification is typical of CIOs in general. In the past,
many CIOs have degrees in computer science, software engineering, or
information systems, but this is by no means universal. More recently,
it is important for the CIO to demonstrate leadership capabilities,
have a business acumen, a strategic perspective as well as possessing
technical skills.
Typically, here at SMECIO, we would like to officially term the CIO
as "a superhero" who touts and promotes the success of an organization,
using technology as his/her tool of leverage. An insignificant summary
of what this "superhero" might be required to do is as follows:
- Provide input and feedback in the overall business strategy and budgeting process, not only for I.T.
- Manage and safeguard key data, communications, hardware and software
- Help improve process efficiency and reduce cost using technology
- Be an active part of an executive team with a mission of profitability and productivity