Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »
Social Responsibility's Strategic Benefits
December 15, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)
Join Ed Granger-Happ, CIO of Save the Children, for a discussion of how creating an organization that is socially responsible improves staffing, retention, leadership development and overall corporate health.
Working With and Communicating to Your Board of Directors
January 13, 2009, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)
CIO panelists who will share tips and experiences working with their boards: Twila Day of SYSCO; Jeff O'Hare, West Corp.; Marc West, formerly with H&R Block.
IT's Role in Growing Mid-Market Companies
January 14, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET (GMT-5)
Mid-market Council members will share their companies' stories and challenges in driving or coping with growth. Panelists represent Veterinary Pet Insurance, Medicis Pharmaceutical, and Intrax Cultural Exchange.
Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »
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Average CIO Tenure Slips But Still More Than Four Years
Average tenure has slipped more than six months since 2007, but CIO job lifespan still exceeds four years.
November 11, 2007 — CIO — Stuart Scott, whom Microsoft fired as its CIO last week, is below average: He didn't make it halfway to today's typical CIO tenure.
Scott was in the job for two years, but CIO normal tenure these day stands at four years and five months, according to data collected from 558 heads of IT in our 2008 "State of the CIO" survey.
Trends in how long CIOs last might surprise some observers who believe executives turn over quickly in that position. Tenure spiked to five years in 2006 and 2007, according to our annual survey. But taking a longer view, time on the job has been steady since 2003, at just shy of four-and-a-half years.
Average CIO Tenure Since 2003
Average CIO tenure climbed from 2003 to 2007 but dropped in the 2008 State of the CIO poll results. (Data not available for 2005)
| Year | Average Tenure (Years) |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 4.3 |
| 2004 | 4.5 |
| 2006 | 4.9 |
| 2007 | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 4.4 |
Looking at net results over the past three years, the CIOs who have been in their current position a decade or longer decreased in the past year.
Been in the Job Long?
The percentage of respondents who have held their jobs for less than two years has climbed 7 percent since our 2006 survey.
| How Long Have You Been In Your Current Position? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 2 years | 2 to 5 years | 5 to 10 years | More than 10 years | |
| 2008 | 31% | 34% | 28% | 7% |
| 2007 | 27% | 33% | 29% | 11% |
| 2006 | 24% | 35% | 31% | 9% |
Full results of the 2008 State of the CIO survey will be released December 15. Between now and then, we are previewing our findings. We've already reported that CIO salaries and influence and rising and that IT efficiency may have little to do with IT budgets.
Other stories by Kim S. Nash © 2008 CXO Media Inc.
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Dell PC Deployment Optimization Model
A Smart, Navigational Approach to Data Center Automation
Putting Enterprise Communications on Autopilot
Best Practices: Blazing Fast Web Site Infrastructure
Improving Mobile Access to Data
Constructing Partnerships That Work
Grassroots Data Governance with SAP MDM
Turning information into a Competitive Advantage.
Want to Improve your Global Organization's Agility? Leverage the Power of ECM
The CIO's Guide To Harnessing Enterprise 2.0
Where's the CIO? -- The Missing Link in Your SOA Strategy
Resource Alerts
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Just the basics, please. Sometimes we all need a refresher or we need to make sure our team and our colleagues are all on the same page.
Over 25 tutorials on everything from business intelligence to virtualization.
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