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 »
Public Council Teleconference: Application Rationalization — Hidden Costs and Smart Decisions
November 17 at 11:00 am US/Eastern (GMT-5)
Join Honorio Padrón, of The Hackett Group, who will share the drivers for companies to tackle application rationalization and the results of research that define the hidden cost of complexity. Additionally, we will discuss key decision milestones—to start or not, holding the course steady and fulfilling expectations.
Virtual Desktop Cost-Benefit Analysis — Michael Jacobs, Catlin Group
The analysis contained in this presentation measures the cost of everything from the machines and licenses to the infrastructure for virtual vs. traditional desktop environments.
Honor your best senior team members - Apply for the CIO Ones to Watch Award
Get well-earned public recognition for your top up-and-coming team members, your IT organization and your enterprise. Award winners will be announced, publicized and feted in May 2010, great timing to help attract new IT recruits to your company.
Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »June 25, 2009 — CIO —
At barely 25 years old, the CIO profession is still young. We can't yet define a standard CIO career path, but we can identify some critical experiences. And working outside one's own country is one of them.
It may seem easy: Convince the family it's time to move, raise your hand for a plum assignment, pick up a copy of Saudi Arabia for Dummies and book your flight. But life as an ex-pat CIO can be harder than it looks.
Know your personal limits. In 1997, Curt Petrucelli moved from Pfizer's U.S. IT organization to run European IT in Brussels. "With the company globalizing, I realized that I could not compete for senior roles if I never left New York City," says Petrucelli, now U.S. CIO of AstraZeneca.
"My first step was to talk with my family about location," says Petrucelli. "This way, when opportunities arose, I could be clear about my availability."
Brussels proved to be the right fit for Petrucelli. He not only returned to the states with a broadened cultural perspective, he believes the experience was "one of the reasons I was hired for the AstraZeneca role."
Acclimate before you manage. "The first six months is a significant adjustment as your family acclimates and you do your new job and maintain ties back home," says Petrucelli. "If you plan for managing your time, it will help when the pressure hits." Ten years ago Pieter Schoehuijs left his job with IBM in the Netherlands and moved to Texas as Flowserve's IT director. Six years later, he became CIO of Engelhard, then BASF and then Church & Dwight in 2007. He's learned to leave time to adapt.
"The culture of your company will be grounded in the culture of the country," says Schoehuijs. "Arrive a few weeks early and get to know the culture before you start work."
For example, you'll want to learn the appropriate tone to take during performance reviews and how a particular country tends to handle letting people go. "There are cultural nuances that impact workforce management," says Schoehuijs. "If you don't get them right, you can cause problems."
Mike Capone, CIO of ADP, joined the company out of college and rotated through everything from product development to finance to IT before being selected for a team needed to integrate a large, overseas acquisition. He suggests CIOs rely on old networks as well as build new ones while they settle into a new job overseas.