Meet the CIO Hall of Famers

The CIO Hall of Fame honors the men and women who have transformed and guided the IT discipline since its inception. The first class of 12 inductees helped define the nascent role of chief information officer.

Class of 1997

John Cross

Long-time head of IT at British Petroleum (BP), Cross’s achievements are nothing short of visionary, and that fact has given him considerable influence among his peers. David V. Evans

That IT is perceived today as an essential business tool can be traced to Evans, IT leader at J.C. Penney.

Charles Feld

Former CIO at Frito-Lay and at Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., Feld says successful CIOs need to be “tough-minded optimists.”

We visited with Charlie Feld again in 2007, to get his take on the last few decades of IT development.

Cinda A. Hallman

Hallman was one of the most important assets DuPont acquired in its 1981 purchase of Conoco; in the Hallman era, IS gained great visibility as a strategic business partner.

Max D. Hopper

Hopper is the pre-eminent modern-era CIO and a founding father of IT-inspired competitive advantage.

Katherine M. Hudson

Hudson’s was not the first IT outsourcing deal, but the former Kodak exec’s move was big and bold enough to gain worldwide attention.

Donald R. Lasher

Throughout this varied and successful career, one thing has always guided Donald Lasher: the necessity of building partnerships between an organization’s business side and IT.

See a 2007 update, where Lasher looks back on the biggest IT changes and challenges of the last 20 years.

Bob L. Martin

Martin’s drive and exacting style earned him considerable influence, not only within Wal-Mart but also beyond.

See a 2007 update, in which Martin reflects on the changing technology and its affect on the CIO over the last 20 years.

DuWayne J. Peterson

Sometime in the late 1980s, Peterson, former IT exec at RCA, Security Pacific and Merrill Lynch, was reported to be the first CIO in a public company to earn a seven-figure salary.

See a 2007 update, where Peterson looks back on how a shift from command and control to fostering collaboration has changed the CIO’s role.

Ron J. Ponder

Ponder, AT&T’s first CIO, has consistently tackled large, high-risk projects that would spell doom for many CIOs.

Paul A. Strassmann

Strassmann’s actions as IS chief at Xerox and later the Department of Defense, along with his books, have hammered home his assertion that only business measurements—tied right to shareholder value—can prove IT’s worth.

Patricia M. Wallington

Wallington’s insight and adaptability in solving business problems have exemplified the CIO as a key player in a strategic planning brain trust.

See a 2007 update, where Wallington looks back on the biggest IT changes and challenges of the last 20 years.