The CIO 100 transforms

The CIO 100 for 2012has just gone live on this title and like the CIO’s in it a major transformation has taken place in the way it operates. 

The key word is transformation. The editorial team of CIO UK believe that organisations will need to embrace transformation of they are to have a place in the 2012 economy and beyond. If organisations want to transform and survive they will need to ensure they take advantage of every opportunity technology offers them. 

Therefore they will need CIOs who are, in the words of our number one CIO Trevor Didcock at easyJet, “change junkies”. 

In the latest CIO 100 the top 20 all exhibit a strong transformational agenda in their recent track record some have already been snapped up by rival organisations as a result. The top 20 and into the leading 30 CIOs have influence with the board, executive or change committees in their organisations. From interviewing many of them, I know that they thrive on this ability to advice, influence and enable organisations to be better through technology. From the leading 30 to the 100th listing the editorial team has assessed CIOs on their responses to our questionnaires on how transformational they have been and their future plans. 

The aim of this listing is to be a benchmark for the CIO community. I know of one CIO who features in this listing who attended our CIO Summit last November and from the presentations by their peers went back to their organisation and requested a seat at influential meetings and committees. The organisation gladly welcomed them. 

I hope that all in the CIO 100 and those who were not able to commit entries will use it to assess the transformation projects, board level influence, business, technology, leadership and communication skills the leaders clearly have. 

Which brings me to thank all whose involvement has created this new CIO 100; a big thank you must go to Zoe Dowsett, an intern who spent last summer with the CIO team researching and calling the vast majority of those featured in it. For someone so young she showed great professionalism and nascent skills as a journalist to openly ask questions and learn. I must thank everyone on the CIO editorial team. Those on the judging panel who take the time to write for CIO alongside their busy business and CIO commitments. Back at the CIO title HQ I must thank Rhys Lewis and Julian Goldsmith for their constant professionalism that allowed me to focus my efforts transforming the CIO 100. Also back at HQ Adrian Black and Adam Dougal for quickly adapting the website structure to reflect the new CIO 100. And last, but no means least thank you to the CIOs in the CIO 100, without your participation there would be no debate on the role of transformation and no CIO 100.