Is Your IT Department Ready for a Deputy CIO?

Do your CEO and company value IT as a driver of business and profits? If not, hiring a deputy could put your job at risk because IT’s ability to play a big role in strategy is limited.
Is your IT organization stable and performing optimally? If not, you should not hand over the reins until the internal problems are fixed.
Do you have the proper experience and skill set to move away from operations and technology, including business and sales experience, solid relationships with other executives, and an ability to see the needs of the enterprise as a whole?
Will you regret leaving behind the day-to-day technological and operational duties? Are you comfortable delegating the majority of daily IT management to another person? And are you comfortable with taking on a position that will have less quantifiable measures for your performance?
Politically and financially, will your company support another layer of management by creating a deputy position? Internal staff may revolt, and senior management may punish you later if the change does not produce results as quickly as you had predicted.
Do you have the right person to fill a deputy CIO job? The person must be well-respected with the appropriate background in management, operations and technology. If you don’t have this person in-house, you must weigh the risks of bringing in an outsider who might not be as readily accepted.

Africa