An open letter to CIOs from advisors and members of the CIO Executive Council advises focusing on customers and new market opportunities Dear Colleagues: The combination of this global economic crisis and seismic shifts in technology has created an unprecedented opportunity for businesses to not only mitigate risk and attain stability but to achieve growth and differentiation. More on State of the CIO 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 What It Takes to Succeed Now as a CIO State of the CIO Charts (pdf)State of the CIO Research Highlights (pdf) State of the CIO 2009: Analysis of the Three CIO Types IT Slashes Budgets, Starts Layoffs: Exclusive CIO Survey Meet the Millionaire CIOs With our cross-enterprise approach to business information needs and our knowledge about the future direction of technology, CIOs are among the executives best-positioned to lead this opportunity. Using cloud computing tools and new, Web 2.0 resources, we can deliver the resilience, agility and innovation that will propel our companies out of this crisis and well into the next decade. To succeed, however, CIOs must shift much of their personal focus from the internal—the IT function and its operations—to the external—commercial strategy, customer touch-points and the competitive landscape. These are some of the steps to take now: Emphasize your role as an “agent of change” at the executive table. Create agile processes and architecture so your business can turn on a dime. Look for solutions, ideas and partnerships beyond the traditional boundaries of your organization. Tap the emerging resources of the global business community, social networks and consumerized technology. Originate commercial product and service ideas by studying market trends and external customer needs. Too many of us undervalue these areas. Develop the next generation; bring your senior staff along on this journey. We, the undersigned CIOs—advisors and members of the CIO Executive Council, urge all IT leaders to make the most of this opportunity in 2009 and beyond—for your enterprise, your profession and yourselves. It’s time to step forward as future-state CIOs. Kenric Anderberg, Philips Healthcare Twila Day, Sysco William Deam,Quintiles Transnational Joe Drouin, Kelly Services Louis Ehrlich, Chevron Bruce Goodman, Humana Kumud Kalia, Direct Energy Randy Krotowski, Chevron Global Upstream Gerry McCartney, Purdue University Todd Pierce, Genentech John Puckett, DuPont Leon Schumacher, ArcelorMittal Americas Thomas Sneed, Marathon Oil Jeff Steinhorn, Hess Stephen Warren, U.S. government agency Marc West, formerly,H&R Block Robert Willett, Best Buy The opinions expressed in this letter are those of the individual signers and are not necessarily shared by their employers. The CIO Executive Council is a professional peer-advisory group for CIOs founded by CIO’s publisher. Related content news CIO Announces the CIO 100 UK and shares Industry Recognition Awards in flagship evening celebrations By Romy Tuin Sep 28, 2023 4 mins CIO 100 IDG Events Events feature 12 ‘best practices’ IT should avoid at all costs From telling everyone they’re your customer to establishing SLAs, to stamping out ‘shadow IT,’ these ‘industry best practices’ are sure to sink your chances of IT success. By Bob Lewis Sep 28, 2023 9 mins CIO IT Strategy Careers interview Qualcomm’s Cisco Sanchez on structuring IT for business growth The SVP and CIO takes a business model first approach to establishing an IT strategy capable of fueling Qualcomm’s ambitious growth agenda. By Dan Roberts Sep 28, 2023 13 mins IT Strategy IT Leadership feature Gen AI success starts with an effective pilot strategy To harness the promise of generative AI, IT leaders must develop processes for identifying use cases, educate employees, and get the tech (safely) into their hands. By Bob Violino Sep 27, 2023 10 mins Generative AI Innovation Emerging Technology 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