Are the analysts right? Is a CIO the wrong choice to lead a company? Or can CIOs become masterful CEOs? From the Jul 26, 1999 Sound Off ColumnLast Friday, everyone who read the New York Times business section discovered how little faith the world has in the ability of a CIO to lead a large corporation.The reaction, in the Times and other major newspapers, to Compaq’s appointment of Michael Capellas as its new CEO, was anything but encouraging. Analysts, the papers reported, were “skeptical” and “disappointed.” They bemoaned Capellas’s “lack of star power,” and they speculated that with Compaq’s executive turmoil, declining market position, and Chairman Ben Rosen’s reputation for back-seat driving, the board couldn’t find anyone else for the job. Desperate, reporters suggested, Rosen turned to a CIO. Even Wall Street offered up a lackluster reception to the news with a one dollar dip in Compaq stock.Are the analysts right? Is a CIO the wrong choice to lead a company? Or can CIOs become masterful CEOs? Capellas may well be the perfect pick for the job. With nearly twenty years in IT management–most recently as Compaq’s own CIO–Capellas certainly has a grasp of IT issues that escape most CEOs. He may even have the know-how to bring Compaq out of the ailing PC market and into enterprise computing. His predecessor, Eckhard Pfeiffer, had a more traditional marketing background, yet was ousted in April for failing to capitalize on the new business and distribution models that are all the rage in the Internet Economy. It is arguable that a CIO would not make that mistake.In a market where technology is transforming distribution channels, sales models, and customer service, technological sophistication separates the wheat from the chaff. CEOs who don’t get IT aren’t up to the challenge. How hard is it to see the wisdom of hiring a CEO who appreciates the power of information technology, and knows how to use it? Judging from last Friday’s paper, too hard for the analysts, and too hard for the mainstream press. What do you think? Can CIOs make good CEOs? Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe