Hall of Fame CIO Wallington on 20 Years of IT Change

As told to Senior Editor Steff Gelston

Former vice president and corporate CIO of Xerox, and the first female president of the Society of Information Management, Patricia M. Wallington was inducted into the CIO Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2007 we asked Wallington what have been the biggest changes and advances in I.T.—the technology, the discipline and the CIO role—over the last 20 years.

The most compelling change is the miniaturization of technology. Over the last 20 years, computing moved from a roomful to a handful, and from something that fell under the unique purview of isolated technicians to the “anyone, anywhere, anytime” model.

This is the key driver behind the pervasiveness of technology in our lives. Cycle times are drastically reduced with expectations of instantaneous information flow. The boundaries between business and personal lives have been obliterated by the “always on” capabilities of our technology tools.

As for the change in the CIO role, they said it would never happen but it did: The CIO is an integral part of the senior management of major corporations—accepted and respected.

Read more about other current members of the Hall of Fame.