CIOs Still Joining Dotcoms

Maybe It’s the Stock Options?

Believe it or not, CIOs are still joining dotcoms. Do they know something we don’t? Sue Boehlke recently joined AutoTrader.com, an Atlanta-based publisher of automotive classifieds on the Web. Walter Williams has bounced from online flower purveyor Teleflora to a new position at Fandango, a Web-based movie-ticket seller.

In other dotcom news, Internet retailer Drugstore.com has promoted Sridhar Iyer to the position of vice president of technology and CIO. Says Kal Raman, president and CEO of the company, “In the past four years, Sridhar has demonstrated himself to be a committed and talented leader and a tremendous asset to Drugstore.com.” (See “The Right Fit,” Dec. 1, 2001, available at www.cio.com/printlinks.)

Speaking of drugstores, CVS finally found a successor for Howard Edels, who retired as CIO of the Woonsocket, R.I.-based company last July after a 10-year tenure. Karl Taylor is the new top technology executive at the drugstore chain. Taylor previously served as senior vice president and CIO of now-defunct discount retailer Montgomery Ward.

Since we’re on a roll with retailers, we should mention that San Francisco-based clothing retailer Gap named bob Martin to its board of directors. Martin was an executive with Wal-Mart for 15 years, serving first as its CIO then as el presidente and CEO of Wal-Mart’s international division.

Two for the Public Sector

California Gov. Gray Davis has appointed University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law professor J. Clark Kelso as the state’s CIO and special adviser on information technology. Kelso, 42, replaces Elias Cortez, who left his post in the wake of a scandal regarding his handling of a multimillion-dollar, no-bid contract with Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Oracle. Kelso’s legal expertise will no doubt play an important role in negotiating future contracts and in preventing the state from getting into more hot water over its vendor liaisons.

Former Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer is being even more disciplined with his state’s IT?he put a former U.S. Marine, Bill Campbell, in charge of the care, feeding and protecting of Wyoming’s technology department. Campbell served as a data systems officer in the Marines for 10 years. Most recently, he was the IT director for Holme Roberts & Owen, a national law firm headquartered in Denver.

Department of Energy

There’s a lot happening in the energy sector these days (besides the now infamous downward spiral of Enron). Progress Energy, based in Raleigh, N.C., has consolidated its IT and telecom organizations into a single department. While consolidations like this usually mean a wave of pink slips, Dede F. Ramoneda managed to emerge without any scrapes or bruises. In fact, after the dust settled, she was promoted to vice president of information technology and telecommunications and CIO for the newly consolidated IT organization.

Keyspan recently lost its senior vice president and CIO. Cheryl T. Smith, who also served as president of KeySpan Technologies, took a job with San Francisco-based health-care products and technology provider McKesson, also as senior vice president and CIO.

Twenty-four-year Southern Co. veteran Becky Blalock has just assumed the role of senior vice president and CIO. Since joining the Atlanta-based utility company in 1978 as part of Georgia Power’s accounting management program, Blalock has held positions in regulatory affairs, accounting, finance, customer service, information resources, marketing and corporate communications?now there’s a multidisciplinary CIO.

On the Move Top Ten

Finally, in the spirit of David Letterman, we wrap up this year-end edition of On The Move with our own take on the infamous top ten list:

The Top Ten CIO Movers of 2002.

10 Jeri Dunn, former CIO of NestlŽ USA, joins Tyson Foods.

9 William Seltzer retires as CIO of Office Depot; former Quaker Oats CIO Patricia Morrison succeeds him.

8 Bob Martin, former CIO of Wal-Mart, appointed to Gap board of directors.

7 David Bernauer, one-time CIO of Walgreens, now CEO, appointed as chairman of the board.

6 John A. Fiore, CIO of State Street, resigns.

5 Howard Edels, 10-year CIO of CVS, retires.

4 Darwin John, former CIO the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, joins FBI as CIO.

3 Dennis Jones, former FedEx CIO, “resigns” as president and COO of CommerceOne.

2 Christopher Lofgren, former CIO of Schneider National, promoted to CEO.

1 Kevin Turner, CIO of Wal-Mart Stores, promoted to president and CEO of Sam’s Club USA.