Essential Qualities of a Successful CTO-CIO

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The CTOs/CIOs from Georgia Southern University, Claremont McKenna College, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, and Convergent Security Solutions on:

Essential Qualities of a Successful CTO/CIO

Steven C. Burrell VP for Information Technology and CIO

Georgia Southern University

Cynthia Ann Humes CTO and Associate Professor, Claremont McKenna College

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PE Former CIO, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

Kevin Vasconi CIO and VP of Engineering

Convergent Security Solutions, Stanley Black & Decker

In recent years, two related trends have impacted IT leaders: the expansion of IT services to virtually every department, and the elevation of the func-tion to the C-level. Both of these developments have had a profound impact

not only on the CTO/CIO’s daily responsibilities, but also on the qualities necessary for success. No longer “just” a technology manager, today’s CTO/CIO is expected to contribute substantively to the organization’s strategic vision, and share how technology can empower its realization. Moreover, they are also expected to develop institution-level processes for supporting technol-ogy rollouts and implementation across diverse departments. This ExecBlueprint discusses how CTOs/CIOs can support the ongoing development of technology innovation at their organizations. What are the essential qualities for such a complex job? While technical know-how, leadership skills, and strategic think-ing are important, today’s CTO/CIO must also be able to express complex ideas in lay terms. After all, if people cannot understand, they won’t embrace — or trust — even the best solutions. n

Action Points

I. How Can CTOs/CIOs Make a Transformative Impact on Their Organizations?Today’s company leaders want a CIO that thinks in terms of applying IT solutions in the service of executing business strategy rather than remaining narrowly focused on the tools themselves. To integrate these different worlds, the CIO must not only know technology, but also understand their company’s business and inspire leaders’ trust.

II. The Bottom LineBecause many companies have cut their IT budgets recently, CIOs must demonstrate the value proposition of their technology investments. Areas they can measure include costs saved on more efficient technologies, IT personnel, and standardized infrastructure. These metrics can then be compared against those of similarly sized organizations.

III. Must-Have Practices for Integrating IT Solutions Across the OrganizationNow that all departments need IT services, technology teams should plan on working on-site with these constituent groups to identify needs, receive input into appropriate solutions, and provide technical support. However, they should also convey that IT, as an institution-level resource, must adhere to standardized project-planning processes.

IV. The Golden Rules for Collaborating with the CEO and Other LeadersRecognizing technology’s value, CEOs at many companies have recently promoted CIOs to the executive suite. These technology leaders can optimally serve their organizations by demonstrating an overall knowledge of the business and discussing, in business lay terms, how technology can specifically be leveraged to empower strategic goals.

V. Essential Take-AwaysWith diverse groups of leaders and constituents, today’s CIO needs to be just as much a “people person” who can adeptly build and lead teams across the organization as they are a technologist. But they also need to know their stuff: they must possess not only a solid technology track record, but also an ongoing curiosity about emerging technologies.

Contents

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

Steven C. Burrell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.3

Cynthia Ann Humes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.13

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PE . . . . . . . . . . . . p.17

Kevin Vasconi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.20

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points . . . p.23

© Books24x7, 2011 About the Authors ExecBlueprints �

About the AuthorsSteven C. BurrellVP for Information Technology and CIO, Georgia Southern University

Cynthia Ann HumesCTO and Associate Professor, Claremont McKenna College

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PEFormer CIO, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

Steven C. Burrell has provided leadership for technology services in the higher education arena since 1983. Before join-

ing George Southern University as vice presi-dent for information technology and chief information officer, he held positions at Colorado State University, Hutchinson Community College (KS), Plymouth State University (NH), and Saint Leo University

(FL). He holds degrees in Computer Science, Technology Administration, and Education Leadership.

Georgia Southern is a Doctoral Research University has just been named the fourth most favorite college in America by U.S. News & World Report. Information Technology has played an important role in advancing the institution to this level. Over the past three

years, Mr. Burrell has helped guide the evolu-tion of IT services from a small department with narrow priorities to a strategic resource contributing to an aggressive institutional agenda.

Cynthia Ann Humes has been chief technology officer for Claremont McKenna College since June of 2005.

She is responsible for all information technol-ogy on our campus, including all aspects of IT strategic planning, implementation, budgets, support, and oversight of staff.

In 1999, with monies that she helped raise from foundations, corporations, and private donors, she was appointed founding director of the Teaching Resource Center. In the fall of 2000, she became the associate dean for

academic computing and director of educa-tional technology services at the college and has presented on IT and higher education at regional and national professional information technology associations.

Ms. Humes has launched numerous cur-ricular programs and faculty development initiatives, most specifically in pedagogy and technology. She has special interest in fund-raising and external outreach responsibilities, helping to raise over $4 million for the college for IT initiatives since 1999.

Since 2000, Ms. Humes has been involved in strategic planning and information technol-ogy at the college when she chaired the com-mittee to create the college’s first Information Technology Strategic Plan. She continues to monitor and maintain all of the college’s strategic indicators for IT.

Maribel Picó Piereschi is currently a business and IT consultant special-izing in development of IT strategic

plans and business process improvement analyses. Previously she served as corporate information officer (CIO) of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority from 2001-2009, having previously served at the utility in roles of increasing responsibility since 1990. After becoming CIO, she managed the implementa-tion of multiple corporate information sys-tems for critical business areas, on time and within budget. She was responsible for all aspects of strategic information technology

planning, implementation, and support as an integral component of the business plan.

Before becoming CIO, Ms. Piereschi was the utility’s QA supervisor and led technology teams to develop standards in all areas of IT infrastructure. In this role, she designed and implemented quality and strategic plans for development and maintenance systems. She also developed and maintained the corporate and strategic information security plan, which included the areas of Internet access and e-commerce, as well as the corporate data warehouse.

Since 1984, Ms. Piereschi has also been an associate professor at the Polytechnic University of P.R., and taught courses in Math (Calculus 3), Computer Languages, Industrial Engineering Courses (including Probability and Statistics for Engineers), Quality Control, Simulation by Computers, Financial Accounting, Engineering Economics, and Management Information System (MIS).

Kevin VasconiCIO and VP of Engineering, Convergent Security Solutions, Stanley Black & Decker

Kevin Vasconi is currently the chief information officer and VP of engi-neering for Stanley Security &

Healthcare Systems, a division of Stanley Black & Decker. He joined Stanley Black & Decker after serving as the senior vice presi-dent and chief information officer for Polk Global Automotive. Mr. Vasconi also served Polk as the managing director for Polk’s Global Price & Specification Business and the president of RLPTechnologies.

Mr. Vasconi was SVP and chief technology officer for Covisint, LLC, one of the world’s

largest business-to-business e-commerce exchanges formed as a joint venture between Ford, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Renault, Nissan, and PSA. He was also part of the senior management team that formed Auto-xchange, an Internet B2B joint venture between Ford and Oracle, where he served as chief technical officer. Prior to Auto-xchange, he served in numerous IT positions at Ford Motor Company, including chief tech-nology officer of the Consumer Connect Organization.

Mr. Vasconi currently serves on the CTO Advisory Council for Information World magazine, the Advisory Board of the CIO Group Inc., Oracle’s Business Intelligence Advisory Board, and SAS’s CTO’s Advisory Board.

He is a published author and a co-inventor, holding a U.S. Patent for “Method and system for ordering a consumer product.”

☛ Read Steven’s insights on Page 3

☛ Read Cynthia’s insights on Page 13

☛ Read Maribel’s insights on Page 17

☛ Read Kevin’s insights on Page 20

Steven C. BurrellVP for Information Technology and CIO, Georgia Southern University

© Books24x7, 2011 Steven C. Burrell ExecBlueprints �

Essential Qualifications of a CIO Working in Higher EducationCIOs who serve effectively in higher-education (HE) institutions must to be able to understand the multi-faceted business functions of these diverse and complex organi-zations. Today’s HE institutions are, at the same time, a school, research firm, retailer, not-for-profit fundraiser, sports and entertain-ment provider, hotel and resort, health club, counseling center, pub-lic safety service, hospital(s), park-ing service, construction company, government relations firm, and the list goes on. The people who work at these institutions are as diverse and complex as the functions they perform and bring different motiva-tions and perspectives to the busi-ness of educating an international citizenry. To be effective in this complex environment, CIOs must bring strong leadership acumen, a spirit of engagement, and a broad background of experiences in providing successful technology services.

The recent financial recession has put additional stresses on higher education, driving thousands more people back into the education sys-tem. At the same time, budgets have been cut dramatically. CIOs have had to carefully evaluate IT services and strategic priorities as hard choices are made about what services and technologies can be eliminated without detracting from high-level strategies. However, they are also held accountable to support continued improvements in retaining, progressing, and graduating students.

It is sometimes difficult for corporate CIOs to enter the HE

industry (as it is perhaps just as dif-ficult for HE CIOs to adapt to the bottom-line approach of business). But as different as CIOs from these disparate backgrounds might appear, they have much to learn from each other. HE environments are characterized by increased scru-tiny and accountability for outcomes (e.g., graduation rates) and costs (e.g., tuition). HE CIOs should look to their corporate col-leagues for ideas and technologies that help us manage our institu-tions more efficiently and obtain better information for decision making.

Now, more than ever, HE institutions demand a CIO with strong leadership skills. CIOs possessing these qualities provide clear messages about the future during uncertain times and effec-tively focus objectives and resources on those services and technologies that will have the most impact.

Relationship to LeadershipAs a member of the president’s cabinet, I participate (along with the other vice presidents) in all of the strategic discussions and deci-sions facing the institution. Also, I’m asked to help the president set the strategic agenda and priorities for the institution. In doing so, I must be able to clearly articulate the role of technology as an accel-erator to achieving the strategic vision through the creation of new efficiencies, economies, or innova-tions. And, to achieve strategic sig-nificance, the CIO must be sufficiently invested in the institution.

The strategic significance of the CIO is rooted in regular one-on-one conversations with the president and VPs. I meet with members of

the executive team every month during which they share dialogue, raise issues or new ideas, restate priorities, and measure strategic progress. The cabinet also meets several times a month to discuss current issues, adjust plans, and review performance metrics. These regular ongoing conversations are summarized annually during an executive retreat to discuss strate-gic imperatives, results, issues, needs, and overall performance. The culmination of these ongoing

Steven C. BurrellVP for Information Technology and CIO

Georgia Southern University

“The successful CIO cannot spew technical jargon unless they want to be perceived as speaking ‘R2D2’ language. If people can’t understand issues in simple lay terms, they won’t buy in and cannot contribute to IT strategic planning, projects, and operations.”

• Served in IT leadership roles in higher education since 1983

• Has evolved institution’s IT services from a small department to a strategic resource

• Degrees in Computer Science, Technology Administration, and Education Leadership

Mr. Burrell can be e-mailed at [email protected]

Steven C. BurrellVP for Information Technology and CIO, Georgia Southern University (continued)


dialogues and the president’s direc-tives form the basis of the high-level agenda for the coming year.

Only three years ago, the CIO became part of the executive cabi-net. The administration saw the potential for technology to acceler-ate the institution’s mission if it could serve in an institution-wide role rather than being controlled by one division.

Like the CIO at Georgia South-ern University, the majority of CIOs report to the CEO (president or chancellor) of the institution. Such institutions most likely have realized that technology and tech-nology services are both complex and powerful resources that, when managed in the context of institutional strategy, can be a mis-sion accelerator. Institutions that have not realized this may be stuck in situations where academic, administrative, or research agendas are competing against each other for IT resources. In such an envi-ronment, decisions can be biased toward the interests of the over-arching organization. This is not productive competition, and will ultimately undermine the potential for technology and IT services to efficiently and effectively support those initiatives that are most important to the institution’s strategic agenda.

Over the past years, the trend has been for CIOs to report to the executive officer of the institution. But most recently, some institu-tions have retreated from the idea of the CIO reporting to the top executive, citing that technology has become so pervasive that it is perceived to be little more than a common utility. It remains to be seen what long-term impact this approach will have on an

institution’s strategic agility. But those of us who work with technol-ogy realize how complicated and powerful IT can be, as well as the risks associated with mismanage-ment of technology resources. When managed from a strategic perspec-tive, technology has the potential to transform our institutions.

At Georgia Southern, integrating the perspective of the CIO into institutional decisions has yielded increased operational effectiveness, cost savings, and a significantly greater return on investment. In the planning area alone, the university has avoided costly oversights of not including appropriate IT infrastruc-ture as new facilities are brought online. For example, in-sourcing telecommunications and deploying VoIP technology yielded more functionality, improved customer service, and a substantially improved campus network infra-structure — and saved more than $500,000 annually. Such initiatives are difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish, however, when paro-chial thinking dominates IT management. There are simply too many priorities for very limited resources. The CIO, therefore, has a critical role to play in partnering with the institution’s leadership and advocating for improvements that deliver the most significant improve-ment in economies, efficiencies, and innovations that address specific strategic priorities.

Because technology permeates nearly every function within an HE institution today, the CIO needs to bring the following contributions to the leadership table:

• Visioning: The pace of tech-nological change is staggering and the scope of technology’s

impact is far-reaching. The CIO has a vital role to play in helping executives visualize a future where technology is a valued strategic asset.

• Strategic Planning: Strategy needs to be articulated in terms of specific technology and services. CIOs can help VPs and presidents understand how technology can solve institutional problems and create new opportunities and economies.

• Execution of technology services: A mentor once told me that, “CIOs are hired for strategy and fired for operations.” In this context CIOs help their fellow VPs ensure that technology is properly planned, implemented, operated, and risk-managed, and that the appropriate metrics are obtained to gauge its effectiveness in serving the intended purpose.

Serving Different Technology Needs Across the InstitutionNow that technology is pervasive across all divisions, services, and functions of the university, the CIO is involved in all areas. The focus is not on the technology per se, but rather on how technology can help us deliver instruction and services, create learning environments, facil-itate research and creative works, support better communications, and improve business processes. So, when decisions are being made, technology is almost always part of the discussion.



As CIOs, we need to understand the objectives and motivations of the various business units within a university. While academics are focused on learning outcomes and technology and services that help faculty teach and students learn, the department of Auxiliary Ser-vices (for example) is concerned about providing food services. Sim-ilarly, Housing is concerned about providing high-quality affordable accommodations. The definition of “quality” in these various contexts is much different: for the academ-ics, it means challenging people outside of their comfort zone with a rigorous learning experience; for Housing, it means providing a comfortable, safe, and care-free liv-ing experience. The CIO must understand how to support each of these different definitions while also being concerned with the over-all strategic objectives of the university.

Most HE CIOs understand the inherent complexities of their role. The technological complexities are similar for institutions large or small, public or private, not-for-profit, and for-profit. However, the CIO’s responsibilities do differ in terms of scale and scope. In addi-tion, they are informed and shaped by the institution’s values. In this regard, higher institutions vary greatly as does the role of the CIO. For example, for-profit institutions operate more like corporate busi-nesses (because they are) and avoid some of the complexities of traditional HE institutions.

Key Result Areas for IT at Georgia SouthernSince the creation of the vice presi-dent for information technology

and CIO position, Georgia Southern has been able to identify and achieve important key results in the following areas each year. The pur-pose of identifying key result areas is to focus attention and resources on technology outcomes that are of the greatest importance to the insti-tution. Key result areas, which are evaluated and restated annually, can simply be specific plan objec-tives or strategies or can represent a collection of strategies.

Some of the key result areas addressed over the past few years include:

• Inform, develop, maintain, and assess technology plans in key business units and all colleges.

• Improve security, risk management, and business continuity capabilities.

• Develop IT infrastructure to build instruction, research, and service capacity.

• Organize technical support resources to adequately support the adoption of technology.

• Introduce a process mapping and improvement methodology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of existing business processes and create a culture of continuous improvement.

• Develop accreditation and business intelligence capabilities in support of strategic planning, assessment, accountability, and fact-based decision making.

• Enhance technology, information, processes, and support services in support of scalable online learning programs.

• Establish research technology standards and baseline services.

• Implement updated Business Intelligence Architecture to expand the data warehouse to other business units.

• Develop University Information Systems in support of the capital campaign.

• Replace the Learning Management System to achieve interfaces to student information systems and institutional effectiveness information systems.

• Continue development of strategic business processes and assessment systems improvements.

• Initiate a campaign to deploy a new content management system and improve Web site development.

To be effective in this complex environment, CIOs must bring strong leadership acumen, a spirit of engagement, and a broad background of experiences in providing successful technology services.

Steven C. Burrell

VP for Information Technology and CIO, Georgia Southern University



• Further develop Georgiasouthern.TV & Video and Media Services Development to leverage alternative distribution methods for university programming.

When the IT vice president’s role was created three years ago, IT ser-vices was a department within the Academic Affairs division, and reported to the provost. As the for-mation of the VP IT and CIO positions elevated the perspective (and responsibility) of IT to an institutional level, these executives realized that forging new relation-ships with the other vice presidents was paramount to success. Every-one — from executives down to front-line IT staff — needed to realize that IT was an institutional resource and that IT services was a comprehensive service organiza-tion. I had to establish that IT was now operating without bias toward any one perspective; that it would address institution-level priorities; that we would be transparent in decisions and operations; and that we would be accountable to the university for strategic directives and operational effectiveness. This cultural change was achieved through trust and open dialogue. I set up regular one-on-one meetings with the other vice presidents and worked through issues.

In order to establish IT as an institutional resource and institute clear roles, focus, and accountabil-ity structures among all levels of IT involvement (from the executive level down to front-line IT staff), I performed the following activities:

• Created an IT advisory committee with broad representation to use as

a sounding board and information collection resources in order to help identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges regarding IT strategies and tactics.

• Developed, through a comprehensive dialogue, a strategic plan that articulated how technology would advance current institutional strategies and operational priorities.

• Developed institutional effectiveness plans and key result areas (see above) for the IT division and each department. These plans are clearly tied to the larger institutional strategies, goals, and objectives.

• Created a project portfolio that clearly documented current priorities and progress, which is available for anyone to review.

• Instituted a methodology for project management that was consistently used in all areas and reflected in the project portfolio.

• Set regular meetings with IT directors in order to create a climate of execution and accountability.

• Held division-wide meetings twice a year to brief IT staff firsthand on progress of the division and the institution and to iterate how the work they do every day supports the strategic mission of the institution.

• Created a culture of open engagement by making myself available to anyone for ideas, complaints, and so forth. I get out from behind my desk and walk around to meet new people, see firsthand technology and service in action, and reinforce desired cultural characteristics.

Integrating IT with the Business UnitsA director of technology is assigned to each division of the university. These directors are responsible for several key things: 1) identify and aggregate needs for technology and services as identified by the business unit director in that divi-sion; 2) coordinate those needs with the CIO and the VP of the division; 3) identify strategic pri-orities; 4) enforce technology stan-dards; and 5) oversee projects.

The project portfolio, priorities, and strategies are reviewed monthly with the cabinet. Conflicts concern-ing priority or allocation of resources are resolved through a consensus process among the VPs. This helps ensure that shared pri-orities are established and that appropriate resources and over-sight are provided on all strategic projects and IT operations.

Looking at the other end of the organizational spectrum, IT staff members were traditionally grouped together in locations that were separate from the customers they served. When IT staff responsibili-ties were primarily associated with programming tasks, this worked fine. But as the role of the IT staff moved toward being integrators and interfacers (particularly with the evolution of cloud computing),



this required that they assume more analytic and consultative responsi-bilities. As a result of this changing IT landscape and evolving business needs, the level of interaction with business units increased consider-ably. To address this, many of the IT staff were assigned to business areas and physically moved into the areas they served. They still reported to an IT manager, but worked closely with members of the business units.

IT is now much more involved in the business units because they need technology to deliver their business services. As a result, IT directors and their staff have had to learn more about how the busi-ness works, including its processes and metrics. Business units have had to, in turn, learn more about technology and be more account-able for the use of technology to meet the increasing expectations of students and other internal customers.

This approach is new, but has served the institution well over the past three years. The knowledge exchange between IT staff and the business units has been tremen-dous. Business units are embracing the idea of applying new technol-ogy ideas while IT staff now know more about how to solve business problems. The value of this exchange has been demonstrated in the adoption of new applications, streamlined business procedures. (e.g., mobile applications), improved applications (e.g., power-ful course search capabilities), new services (e.g., computer sales and repair, integrated technical support, and library reference services), the adoption and use of Google Apps, improved reporting, and business intelligence capabilities.

It is essential that successful CTO/CIOs. . .

1. Know what your true business is. In higher education we’re not just teaching and doing research; we’re in the business of developing world leaders who possess the intellectual capital to create a high quality of life and the ethical integrity which forms the foundation of a democratic soci-ety. It’s important to refine and articulate the strategic role IT plays in your “business.”

2. Know your people and your customer. Knowing the micro-cultures within a complex institution is critical to successfully serving the needs of the institution on whole. Relationship development is a critical first step for any new CIO and something established CIOs need to do as part of their everyday work. The CIO must also know the customer — who in our case is more than just the student. Our customers are also the parents, gradu-ates, community members, the Legislature, and public. Don’t forget about the internal customer; the CIO should view key internal IT stakeholders as “customers” as well.

3. Maintain knowledge of current technology, policy, and trends. The CIO must insist on and be disciplined on what technology can realistically do. Avoiding market hype, filtering fact from fiction, asking the hard questions, and assessing technological capabilities based on metrics and hard facts will help the CIO set appropriate expectations and avoid technological traps. Successful CIOs will also be cognizant of the changing public policy landscape and anticipate its impact on their institutions.

4. Set clear goals and priorities. There are an infinite number of ways of applying technology and there is always some problem to solve or econ-omy to gain. The CIO with a strong knowledge of people, the business, and technology will be able to create the energy and focus around a clearly articulated set of goals and priorities that align with the strategies that will allow their institutions to grow and prosper. It is important to establish a service catalog and service-level agreements with internal customers so that expectations are properly set and there is an instrument to measure accountability and progress.

5. Earn trust and follow through with promises. CIOs establish trust through building relationships, being honest in their word, holding people’s confidence with utmost respect, and being true in deeds. To be viewed as a partner and colleague, CIOs must follow through on promises and insist their staff engage in the same behavior with others who are part of their success formula.

6. Recognize contributions and celebrate success. CIOs don’t accomplish great things alone. In fact we’re nothing without the hard work and con-tributions from many others. It is essential that everyone who contributes to our strategic IT agendas in our institution be thanked and otherwise recognized. Find a way to recognize those who do the work and do it well (vendors included); it is a great investment of the CIO’s time.

7. Know your own limits. Know your own personal strengths and embrace your Achilles heel. Surround yourself with great talent and delegate author-ity and responsibility to the lowest possible level. Embrace setbacks as learning opportunities and always celebrate the little accomplishments along the way.



Establishing BudgetsOperational budgets roll over from the previous year but a pseudo zero-based approach is taken to identify potential areas for budget savings, antiquated uses of the budget, or new opportunities/situ-ations that require funding. Strategic budgets are identified annually and funded with budget savings from the previous fiscal year, or allocated from discretionary funds that were identified by the president’s cabi-net. Strategic funds are linked to high-level key performance indica-tors such as increases in student applications, student retention and graduation rates, student satisfac-tion, funds raised, or research awards won.

The operational budget is tracked on a fiscal dashboard, and strategic project budgets are tracked by the project manager of each project and reported through a project management dashboard. Each IT director establishes institu-tional effectiveness plans (IEPs) every year that are based on over-arching strategic priorities established by the president’s cabi-net and the CIO. These plans contain both strategic and opera-tional effectiveness elements and establish how progress and success will be determined. Directors develop their IEPs to address the perceived needs within their area as well as the overarching strategic priorities of the institution. They have a lot of freedom to identify how to best achieve high-level goals and strategies and they routinely drive these down into the organiza-tion while getting grassroots input from front-line IT staff and busi-ness units. They then update these plans periodically and review them

in one-on-one and group meetings throughout the year.

Communications and TrainingExpectations are then communi-cated to employees via division-wide meetings that are held approximately once per quarter. We also hold monthly VP IT Council meetings where IT direc-tors discuss current projects, issues, and questions. These meetings give the CIO the opportunity to redirect focus as needed. I will also use some social media outlets (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogs) to more intimately express some of my thoughts and perspectives, and allow comments. I think it is impor-tant for leaders to be accessible and to put ideas out there where other perspectives can be expressed.

Each director helps identify training plans for their staff and business unit staff annually. Train-ing is linked to performance outcomes of the department as well as the institution. For example, the computer center staff may address the question, “What is it that we need to know or do better in order to support our growth as a research institution?” From there, training plans are developed to build on knowledge and expertise in specific directions that align with both IT and institutional priorities, strategies, and mission.

Some training is supported by competency-based assessments. Certifications are an important tool but so is improved customer satis-faction. Other training outcomes are assessed annually through employee evaluations. Finally some training is linked to the successful outcome of strategic projects, which

serve as evidence that new IT acu-men has been obtained during their implementation. As milestones are reached and projects completed, we encourage participating IT staff to examine the question, “What have we learned and what do we need to know?”

Addressing Resistance to ChangeIn a complex organization like higher education, there are always plenty of opportunities to effect change. And, there are always groups who will oppose proposed changes. One tactic to effect rapid change adoption is to bypass pockets of resistance in order to work with more receptive audi-ences. This can be an effective tactic when deploying a new tech-nology that is embraced by some and resisted by others or when there are “fence sitters” who need certain assurances of improvement. Once other areas implement the technology and the majority of people are onboard with the change, remaining departments may relax their fears, or at least find it more difficult to resist. This is particu-larly useful in areas where business units (e.g., academic colleges) may seek to reinforce political opposi-tion or strengthen a position of desired independence from institutional initiatives.

Another tactic is to simply engage those affected by the change in planning and executing the change. IT leaders need to provide appropriate opportunities for busi-ness units and leaders to respond without bogging down planning and implementation. Although everybody fears the idea of project planning by committee, this



approach is often necessary in order to involve people in discus-sions. That way, they have a sense of ownership of the process and can contribute to change tactics. This approach also has the benefit of creating valuable post-change assessments so that ROI can be accurately gauged and not influ-enced by end-user attribution error.

In either case, people generally need to feel that change is safe, and that they’re headed toward a better future where they derive renewed benefits and the gains outweigh all risks. To understand these factors and effectively manage change, the CIO must be cognizant of these human factors and find meaningful ways to minimize risk and maxi-mize benefits — and develop a shared language for change — sometimes on a person-by-person basis.

This is perhaps the most funda-mental duty IT leadership can perform: establish a language that relates to everyone and can be understood by everyone. Language is a reflection of the culture: shape the language and you can shape the culture. Making communication difficult to join creates a culture of exclusivity where thoughts and information are not readily shared and trust is in jeopardy.

At an even more fundamental level, IT leadership can establish mechanisms for communication and interaction among IT staff and their customers. At Georgia South-ern, all IT staff members receive People Map™ training. This simple system of communication helps IT staff understand that to effectively communicate and work with peo-ple, you must understand the “platinum rule,” to treat others as

they want to be treated. People Map training provides a simple method of determining personal preferences and communication styles. When applied, this frame-work greatly assists IT staff in communicating with people to solve problems.

Challenges in Working with Non-Technical DepartmentsIn general, areas that are slow to adopt technological changes are comfortable with the level of ser-vice or the current efficiencies they now have. Given that numerous other areas are ready for technol-ogy transformation, it doesn’t make sense to force technology upon an

area if it’s not ready unless, of course, there’s an overarching stra-tegic need. In such cases, relying on the strategic mandate and consen-sus priorities provide a strong moti-vational impetus for change.

Current challenges include:• Democratization of data.

Information is still coveted by functional areas. This is a remnant of the previous culture. Directors need to have confidence that the data collected is accurate, and not be afraid of what the data may show, or how it will be interpreted.

A “Typical” Day as CIO: Key Questions to Consider

After 28 years of performing leadership roles in higher education, I’ve found that these are the questions to ask and roughly the time it takes. Because “CIOs are hired for strategy and fired for operations,” we do need to balance these considerations.

“What do I need to accomplish today?” or “What questions do I have today”

20%“Where have we been? What have we learned?”

(Examine metrics, think, or discuss)

50%“How are we doing?”

(Meet and communicate about current projects/issues)

20%“Where are we going?

What knowledge and skills do we need to get there?”

(Contemplate these questions)

“What are others doing that we can learn from?” (Engage in personal development, read, learn something new)

5%

5%


© Books24x7, 2011 Steven C. Burrell ExecBlueprints 10

• Recognition of the importance of computer security and disaster recovery. Faculty members tend to “protect” their data by keeping it on local hard drives. This poses some serious threats to the preservation of data. Faculty need to be educated about the capabilities of technology, the superior security of network-based storage, and the risk factors of alternative conditions versus current conditions.

• Retention of IT staff. Years of no raises, increased workloads, and the public devaluation of higher education is driving many highly qualified staff towards private enterprise. We have to be careful to retain our best and brightest IT staff if we are to deliver innovative solutions that yield efficient and effective information services.

• Keeping focus. Or keeping the main thing the main thing. There are many opportunities for applying innovation to higher education problems, but with limited resources and increased expectations, we have to focus on those things that are aligned most closely with institutional strategies and not be distracted by what may be technologically interesting but low-return projects.

Specific IT ContributionsIn order to create an environment where IT could make a transforma-tive impact, I have made five over-arching contributions: established a culture of shared priorities,

executed projects reliably and com-petently, increased accountability, enabled better communication, and improved transparency across the organization. Specifically, my IT department has accomplished:1. Comprehensive networking

infrastructure and converged network capabilities

• In-sourced cable television operations saving $400,000 annually and customizing programming for student audience

• In-sourced telephone operations from centrix-style services and implemented voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony — at a savings of $750,000 annually

• Surveillance and emergency response communications, resulting in improved campus safety

• Increased significant bandwidth and bandwidth management capabilities to improve Internet access

• Introduced digital signage capabilities permitting location-sensitive messaging and improving communication with students

• Improved security and application performance architectural changes in network configurations

• Comprehensive wireless networking coverage, providing anytime-anywhere teaching and learning opportunities

�. Cloud computing and online services and applications for mobile users

• Developed a suite of online service and smart-phone applications for students

• Stopped developing and modifying software in-house and moved many applications into cloud-based services

• Google Apps (cloud-based office applications/e-mail) deployed to replace Novell Groupwise — cost savings estimated to be approximately $150,000 annually but the real ROI is the innovative use of Google for collaboration among faculty and students

�. New instructional technology and services

• Lecture capture capabilities allow students to “re-experience” the teaching moment.

• Online courses and course development services create new opportunities to engage students at a distance with excellent instructional content.

• Online training content for all faculty and staff provide just-in-time training and refreshers on popular computer applications and other topics.


© Books24x7, 2011 Steven C. Burrell ExecBlueprints 11

�. Enhanced computing infrastructure

• Consolidation of computer centers (reduced number from seven to two) reduces risk and power consumption.

• Virtualization of servers (more than 130 servers) reduces power consumption and creates new economies while providing a flexible and robust computing environment.

• Implementation of network packet shaping, IPS, IDS, and copyright enforcement appliances ensure compliance with federal regulations and maximizes bandwidth availability while reducing costs.

• Storage area network and data replication capabilities lower storage costs and improve disaster survivability.

• High-performance computing cluster for research enables faculty and students to participate together in research activities on campus.

�. Development of Eagle Leadership and training programs

• A year-long leadership learning experience for mid-level managers and business unit leaders

All of these activities were con-ducted with specific partners in the university community and with the help of partnering vendors. They are all still in use and, in fact,

people now want more! They are especially interested in using tech-nology for process enhancements and shifting applications into the cloud.

Motivating IT Staff to Perform at Their BestIn order to motivate staff to engage in the development of new tech-nologies, you have to first tie the technology advancement back into institutional strategy or operational effectiveness. If people know what the overarching goal or purpose is, they are much more likely to get excited about projects. Doing this also creates the opportunity to define clear goals and project objec-tives. It’s also important to involve staff early in the process. Once they know the purpose of their work, they will take ownership if you allow them to develop the project and make decisions. Then I tend to take Lee Iaccoca’s advice “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” The key for the CIO is to know when to do all three.

Finally, it’s important to create opportunities to recognize success and celebrate outcomes. In public higher education I am severely lim-ited in what I can do to provide incentive pay or bonuses. So I find other things to do — little things, but I do them frequently. When appropriate, I will host celebration luncheons or receptions to recognize teams and their accom-plishments. We also write letters for staff’s personnel files. I’ll purchase gift certificates for movies, coffee, or luncheons to recognize individu-als on smaller projects. When extraordinary efforts have been required to complete a project, I’ve supplemented staff pay. To

encourage innovation, I also sponsor an innovation award that is given out annually to the individual or group that has demonstrated innovation in the development, application, or servicing of technology.

Benchmarking the Value of IT InvestmentsWe track ROI on some (but not all) key projects — especially if we can measure, empirically, the outcomes or savings. These returns might take the form of real dollar savings or they might be efficiencies in processes that allow us to accom-plish more with less people. This is a particularly important return on IT investment at Georgia Southern because we’re committed to keep-ing a small-college feel. That means maximizing technology to do the mundane so that people can focus on the difficult issues and focus on meeting students’ interpersonal needs.

Other benchmarks I have used to determine the effectiveness of my leadership with regard to helping the university develop and imple-ment appropriate technologies to meet its objectives include:

• Retention, progression, and graduation rates (all improving)

• Technology costs (see above project list that notes cost savings)

Specifically, we use benchmarks based on data collected by EDUCAUSE and compare our results to that of peer institutions in the following areas:

• Percent of institutional budget spent on technology, and percent of IT budget allocated


© Books24x7, 2011 Steven C. Burrell ExecBlueprints 1�

to personnel versus other technology costs

• Ratio of IT staff to number of students

• Ratio of the number of IT staff to desktop computers

• Ratio of computers to students

Measuring the value of innova-tion can be difficult. One way is to identify new capabilities that were not previously possible. Sometimes it is also important to measure what you stop doing. For example, Google Apps allowed us to stop

providing personal Web page ser-vices because the Google Sites’ capabilities were much more robust. This removed some security risks and allowed IT staff to focus on other priorities and concerns.

Leveraging cloud-based applica-tions such as Google Apps has provided a common set of tools for collaboration and sharing from anywhere in the world. As faculty and staff travel abroad they have been able to continue to communi-cate and collaborate in meaningful ways with faculty, students, family, and friends. Google Apps also

provides rich translation services that help students and faculty adapt to foreign languages. Google Voice provides unique voice services to help bridge the gap between tradi-tional voice communications and cloud-based texting, chat, and video services. Cloud-based learn-ing management systems also enable educational services to fol-low faculty and staff traveling abroad on research so they can remain engaged with their classes and students. n

Cynthia Ann HumesCTO and Associate Professor, Claremont McKenna College

© Books24x7, 2011 Cynthia Ann Humes ExecBlueprints 1�

The Role of the CTO/CIO in Higher EducationThe CTO/CIO in an institution of higher education must be able to deliver quality IT support for the education of students, advance-ment of scholarship, and outreach and support to the greater colle-giate community, as well as to facilitate the business needs of the college or university effectively and collaboratively. In some cases, this means the CTO/CIO will need to support on-campus students, com-muting students, and those study-ing abroad. The CTO/CIO must also work with and support faculty members of varying ranks and lev-els of technical expertise while ensuring appropriate business infrastructure needs are also met. The skills required of a higher edu-cation CTO/CIO, then, are similar although somewhat different than those expected of a business CTO/CIO working in industries that

demand delivery of commercial products or targeted services for clients.

Higher education is a knowledge industry; degrees are important ele-ments in building trust and confidence.i My Ph.D. provides me with street cred. Although my degree is not technical in nature — I am a historian of religion — my background has helped prepare me in my translation of technology to the non-technical just as it has helped me to anticipate and suggest technology solutions and policy niceties, and know how best to reach out to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents.

I receive constant positive feed-back in regard to my technical knowledge and general skills in communication, leadership, con-tract management, and planning, all of which have ensured the infra-structure and IT support both function well at the college. While these are all skills that I possess, they are also simply expected in this role, and thus I have been told the greatest value I bring to the position of CTO is where I provide a competitive advantage: my knowl-edge of higher education and experience in having held multiple positions at the college. I have

successfully navigated the tenure process, directed multiple programs focused on educational outcomes, and served as an associate dean. I was instrumental in securing grants that helped provide instructional technology and hardware support at a critical time in the life of the college, and I worked with other faculty to develop a technology fluency program for our students.

Although my degree is not technical in nature — I am a historian of religion — my background has helped prepare me in my translation of technology to the non-technical just as it has helped me to anticipate and suggest technology solutions and policy niceties, and know how best to reach out to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents.

Cynthia Ann Humes

CTO and Associate Professor, Claremont McKenna College

i. Information from the Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies, Inc. (CHECS) show that in a study of higher education CIOs, only 1 percent reported a highest education level of high school, 2 percent an Associate’s, 15 per-cent a Bachelor’s, whereas 53 percent reported holding a Master’s degree and 29 percent, a doctorate. Wayne A. Brown, “CIO Effectiveness in Higher Education,” EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 2006, (1), pp. 48-53. (quote from p. 52)

Cynthia Ann HumesCTO and Associate Professor Claremont McKenna College

“Like many CTOs and CIOs in higher education, I have been vigilant in researching ways to smooth financial costs for the college through financial modeling. This became especially important during the economic downturn in 2008 that affected most colleges’ endowments.”

• College’s CTO since 2005

• Previously associate dean for academic computing

• Has raised over $4 million for IT initiatives since 1999

• Helped create college’s first IT strategic plan

Ms. Humes can be e-mailed at [email protected]

Cynthia Ann HumesCTO and Associate Professor, Claremont McKenna College (continued)


My education and experience have provided me with the tools to act as a more “full-spectrum con-tributor” (as termed by Michael R. Zastrocky and Frank Schlier). They note, “To be accepted as a member of the [Higher Education] executive team, the CIO must be a full- spectrum contributor to the development and management of business strategies and directions rather than a niche player in the limited band of IT.”ii In other words, a full-spectrum contributor “must participate in, and some-times lead, discussions on general issues facing the college or univer-sity.”

Responsibilities of the Higher Education CTO/CIOIn terms of general knowledge, perhaps the biggest changes I have seen have been an even greater need to stay on top of higher education laws and policies that have ramifi-cations for IT. The U.S. and state governments have been involved in (or are considering) effecting some major legal and policy shifts on issues with great importance to higher education. EDUCAUSE serves as a major resource for all higher education CTO/CIOs; the organization provides up-to-date resources on multiple issues. To name just a few, the higher educa-tion CTO/CIO should be aware of and able to communicate about issues such as:• The Communications

Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA)

• Net neutrality

• Higher education efforts to increase broadband accessibility

• Initiatives supporting wireless spectrum reform

• Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy, including copyright infringement (especially due to student use of peer-to-peer file-sharing networks)

• The use of content for online instruction and electronic reserves as governed by fair use

• The TEACH Act

In addition, they must be familiar with such new proposals as:• The Broadcast Flag

• Patent claims

• Legislative and regulatory action variously mandating and prohibiting open access to research data and results

• Cybersecurity, identity, and privacy policy including use of Social Security numbers as a primary identifier and data element in institutional databases

• Collection, storage, use, and disclosure of student educational records as governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

• Collection, storage, use, and disclosure of other types of data (health, financial, etc.) as governed by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

• Gramm-Leach Bliley Act; Health Information Technology Act (HI TECH), and other developing legal standards

• The standards and regulations that govern notification of affected individuals when personal records are compromised as a result of an information system’s breach

• The role of colleges and universities as an Internet Service Provider and the emerging standards or requirements for data retention to protect the security of the network and comply with requests from law enforcement and other government-mandated disclosures

• The establishment of digital identities and the relationship between campus identity management systems and emerging systems for the establishment of identity at the state, national, or international level

• The security of college and university networks and resources, especially given the identification of colleges and universities as a “key resource” for purposes of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and the known interdependencies between critical infrastructures.iii

ii. Michael R. Zastrocky and Frank Schlier note, “To be accepted as a member of the executive team, the CIO must be a full-spectrum contributor to the development and management of business strate-gies and directions rather than a niche player in the limited band of IT.” “The Higher Education CIO in the 21st Century,” EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 2000, (1), pp. 53-59. (quote from p. 59)

iii. For more on this initiative, see www.cmc.edu/itab/.



CTO/CIO Partnerships with Executive LeadershipAs a member of the CEO’s cabinet, I communicate directly with other C-level executives to gather and incorporate their goals with tech-nological components or that reflect specific strategy. I share plans for technology strategy with the other executives, and I subsequently fol-low up on specific issues with academic and administrative departments as necessary. For most general IT-related decisions, priori-ties, and change management I work with two committees: an academic computing committee

consisting of students and faculty, and an administrative computing committee with representatives from all staff departments.

Conflicts in vision and priorities in technology do occur. The college is now reviewing its long-term options for how best to ensure the overall business needs of the college are addressed in a more organized manner. To better support the entire college, CMC executive leadership has suggested that we create a single path for receiving IT requests. Currently, as with most higher edu-cation institutions, various channels are used to receive individual requests, and because departments

and programs may have individual budget lines, established official channels can be bypassed. This leads to surprises and the full costs to IT caused by these decisions are not considered. Even though staff departments have become accus-tomed to working with IT, if they are told to wait, they may go out and purchase what they believe to be a solution without partnering with IT. Faculty members who have monies from grants do not always welcome what some see as IT intru-sion, and those that have tenure may be difficult to cajole into following IT standards.

Responsibilities of the Higher Education CTO/CIO

Be able to communicate about:• The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA)• Net neutrality• Higher education efforts to increase broadband accessibility• Initiatives supporting wireless spectrum reform• Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy, including copyright infringement (especially due to student use of peer-to-peer file-sharing networks)• The use of content for online instruction and electronic reserves as governed by fair use

Be familiar with new proposals including:• Patent claims• Legislative and regulatory action variously mandating and prohibiting open access to research data and results• Cybersecurity, identity, and privacy policy including use of Social Security numbers as a primary identifier and data element in institutional databases• Collection, storage, use, and disclosure of student educational records as governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)• Collection, storage, use, and disclosure of other types of data (health, financial, etc.) as governed by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Higher education CTO/CIOs should:



This situation, which is not unique to CMC but part of the technology world of higher educa-tion, makes total cost management complicated. For example, IT may incur back-end infrastructure costs to make already purchased technol-ogy or capabilities function properly or interoperate with our official data sources, as well as consider-able staff time to make purported “out-of-the-box” solutions work. Finally, in the overall IT environ-ment at the college, such purchases complicate ongoing cost mainte-nance once the lifetime of a grant ends or a department cannot con-tinue to afford the solution purchased at their sole discretion. By having a single path, it is hoped that proper lifecycle planning can be intentionally discussed before the college inadvertently makes commitments using restricted gifts that we may regret in the future.

Transforming Business OperationsI have been a champion for adopt-ing a hybrid cloud solution for the college. As one component of that effort, Jeremy Whaley, director of information systems and network services, and I chose to adopt the VCE Vblock™ Infrastructure Platform because it is optimized for cloud computing. As the comput-ing needs of the college grow, we

can add storage and computing capacity in small increments, and we will be able to control numer-ous Vblock™ systems from a cen-tral management interface. This system supports rapid provisioning of infrastructure as a service (IaaS) for faculty, staff, and students who host Web sites. The Vblock™ plat-form also helps with disaster recov-ery, particularly for CMC’s future plans to consolidate storage onto the Vblock™ platform and then replicate virtual machines and data over the WAN to a private cloud service provider.

Two years ago, CMC was asked to act as a lead college in providing technology support for a tri-college science department encompassing

CMC, Pitzer College, and Scripps College. We are leveraging the new VCE Vblock™ system to serve the programs formerly run on systems managed by that department. We have just launched a virtual com-puting lab (VCL) that has helped us support students from all three colleges. The VCL provides virtual desktops in a lab setting that are accessible anywhere and locked down to authorized students, fac-ulty, and staff. This new technology addresses a long-standing problem of offering specific scientific soft-ware and yet not requiring that software be loaded on specific machines at each of the three colleges. n

Expert Advice

Among other initiatives, I am especially pleased with my efforts to link our students with opportunities in the technology sector offered by alumni, parents, and friends in the Silicon Valley. I annually manage and chaperone a weeklong interterm trip for eighteen students. The purpose of this trip is to provide CMC students with an opportunity to explore the diversity of career paths in the realm of technology, as well as for the college to begin establishing closer relationships with alumni and friends in the technology sector.

The trip itinerary for 2011 featured 18 separate events over six days, including 12 company site visits (beginning with Electronic Arts; Atlassian, Inc.; Loud Dog; Microsoft; Google; YouTube; SunPower; Facebook; Applied Materials, Inc.; EMC; KKR; and ending with Intuit); a panel discussion on Technology & Law; an alumni reception with a guest speaker who discussed “Business of Online Privacy”; and several dinners featuring entrepreneurs and our Information Technology Advisory Board. The success of this annual trip has led to the college deciding to explore the creation of an off-campus semester program in the Silicon Valley for a possible launch in Fall 2012.

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PEFormer CIO, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

© Books24x7, 2011 Maribel Picó Piereschi ExecBlueprints 1�

Bringing Value to a CompanyCIOs in most companies are known as the executive responsible for operating and managing technol-ogy, identifying information and technology to meet organizational needs, and delivering solutions and services that meet those needs. In the current economic reality, the CIO must understand business needs, the executives’ priorities, and industry challenges. It is impor-tant to have a strong knowledge of the business process in addition to technology experience and expertise.

In the past, CIO and IT respon-sibilities were focused on operating and delivering applications in the most cost-effective manner. To comply with this role, CIOs devel-oped strong technical knowledge. Actually, a CIO must have knowl-edge of industry trends and external forces that could have significant effect on the business. Those may not be technology issues but could require a technological solution.

The CIO’s Role in Strategic Business DecisionsAs the economy and business con-ditions change, so must the CIO’s role. Today more companies are using information technologies to gain a competitive advantage. Companies are investing more in technology because the executives are more aware of what technology

offers. Active participation in the process of formulating business strategy is critical, which, in turn, positions IT at the organization’s highest levels. This involvement enables the CIO to exert more influence and affect enterprise per-formance through aligning technol-ogy with business strategies. A CIO must have the ability to provide strategic thinking to support busi-ness goals and objectives, and then align IT with business strategies to handle transitions that allow organizations to gain competitive advantages.

In the past, IT was considered a cost center and eventually as a ser-vice and solutions provider. Today it is understood that IT is a strategic weapon that enables orga-nizations to be competitive and profitable. But it is important to maintain IT operation at an opti-mal level and ensure that the operation and services are in synch with business requirements. IT is inseparable from the business process and should be considered a strategic asset because of its capac-ity to process and deliver meaningful and useful information.

The CIO should have the same management skills required of the C-level management. However, the advantage a CIO brings is knowl-edge of all levels of organization. To deliver IT solutions a CIO has to deal with all departments, which enables him or her to understand

the organization from different points of view.

Partnering with Other DivisionsReporting directly to the CEO can be useful but the CIO should also endeavor to participate in the pro-cess of establishing business strate-gies to ensure that technology is supporting core business objectives. A CIO needs to talk about business and strategy with executives and

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PEFormer CIO

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

“It is critical for the CIO to understand business processes. The CIO should be aware of how the outside world is evolving and know what could be an alternative for his/her organization.”

• With utility until 2009; CIO since 2001

• Currently business and IT consultant

• Oracle Corporation’s 2005 CIO of the Year (Latin America)

• B.S., Industrial Engineering, University of Puerto Rico

• M.B.A. (Specialization in Management), University of Phoenix, Puerto Rico Campus

Ms. Piereschi can be e-mailed at [email protected]

The CIO should have the ability to communicate his/her IT vision, objectives, and performance expectations in business-relevant language.

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PE

Former CIO Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PEFormer CIO, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (continued)


the board of directors. The CIO should have the ability to commu-nicate his/her IT vision, objectives, and performance expectations in business-relevant language; the ability to translate technology into common business terminology; and they must be able to talk in busi-ness language and understand business problems and how IT can provide a solution.

A CIO must have a personal knowledge of technology and should be able to communicate in a common language. This does not mean that a CIO has to know tech-nology at a deep level but they must understand applications and their importance to the organization. The CIO should keep current with new technology, develop good rela-tionships with all organizational levels, and obtain confidence and trust from executives and members of the board of directors. The CIO must be able to guide the executives or steering committees in an ade-quate forum to solve priority conflicts between different departments.

Ways to Transform BusinessA CEO, board of directors, and other peers want a CIO that can lead and promote business trans-formation that supports the orga-nization’s objectives. A successful CIO must take control and lead technical strategies. A CIO should look to formulate business solu-tions using the appropriate technol-ogy rather than using the technology as the solution. They must under-stand applications’ capabilities to turn data into useful informa-tion, provide management- and executive-level knowledge to make

decisions, and contribute to increase efficiency and profitability. The CIO should be able to exercise agile leadership to face business chal-lenges and manage IT projects and resources effectively. They should be aware that IT departments must deliver solutions that provide real value to the organization in the time required.

A CIO should be an innovator, such as in the areas of globalization and social networking. Globaliza-tion brings new opportunities to do business, and social networking has removed barriers between people. Innovation does not mean that a CIO has to implement the newest technology but he or she should have the capability to evaluate

A Successful, Effective CIO. . .Understands applications and their

importance to the organization.

Keeps current with new technology.

Develops good relationships with all organizational levels.

Wins the confidence and trust of executives and members of the board of directors.

Guides executives or steering committees to solve priority conflicts between different departments.

Formulates business solutions using the appropriate technology rather than using the technology as the solution.

Contributes to increase efficiency and profitability.

Exercises agile leadership to face business challenges and manage IT projects and resources effectively.

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PEFormer CIO, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (continued)


existing applications and systems to determine how they can be used in a different way in new business processes or lines of business.

The CIO should be able to obtain top executive level support for necessary investments and orga-nizational change. A CIO should understand what the organization is trying to achieve, what processes affect those objectives, what inno-vation is possible, and how to implement technology that

optimizes the process. Simply put, they should run IT like a busi-ness.

With a combination of technol-ogy insight, process, and business knowledge, a CIO can find new ways to contribute to organiza-tional goals. Communication skills, team building, technological knowledge, strategic thinking, management skills, and financial understanding are all important requirements.

For example, a CIO must know how to interpret the emerging dig-ital economy and its implications and take leadership-identifying opportunities. As a result of the current economic reality, a CIO must act with speed, and demon-strate sufficient flexibility to support business changes but also to control and standardize options, and simplify the decision-making process. n

If the CIO can build a team of competent technical people, he or she then has the opportunity to delegate technical issues, and thereby allow more time for strategy planning development. A good team helps a CIO achieve company goals and objectives. Most importantly, the CIO should be a motivational force. Because motivated teams give their best effort for themselves and for the team, this helps to build a strong team.

Maribel Picó Piereschi, PE

Former CIO Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

Kevin VasconiCIO and VP of Engineering, Convergent Security Solutions, Stanley Black & Decker

© Books24x7, 2011 Kevin Vasconi ExecBlueprints �0

The CIO’s RoleSimply stated, a CIO must apply technology to empower the busi-ness. Done right, this is a competi-tive advantage and a market differentiator. If done wrong, it is just a cost.

The CIO must understand the business, understand technology, and apply energy to where the two intersect. The CIO has to be able to help the business fix the current problems and see the future oppor-tunities. They must also be aware of the problems the business is struggling with and how technol-ogy or the disciplines that surround technology, such as re-engineering and operational excellence, help. There should (and will) be an assumption by the business that the IT organization is well run.

Navigating Between Business and TechnologyThe CIO must inhabit two dis-tinct cultures: the world of the business that they support and the world of technology which empowers the business. Each has its own distinct language, culture, and idiosyncrasies.

To accomplish this, the CIO must focus on four areas:• Learn the business. The CIO

must know the business, and it is essential to be fluent in the language of that industry. The vernacular of each industry is unique and when combined with American business’ proclivity for acronyms, the outsider will be quickly exposed, leaving his peers and subordinates with the impression that he is ignorant — or worse — indifferent.

Understanding how business processes work comes easily to most IT people. To automate, the employee needs to have a detailed understanding of how the processes actually work, even to the point of understanding what happens when the processes do not work as they were designed.

In addition to understanding the mechanics of the business, it is absolutely essential that the CIO be able to communicate with the chief financial officer and assorted financial staff. The communication here is not only around the business but is conducted in the language of the budget, investment portfolio, capital expense, amortization schedules, lease versus buy, and the ever-confusing and changing revenue recognition rules. I do not believe any CFO expects the CIO to be an expert in the arcane nuances of the corporate tax code, but they do (and should) expect that the basics are understood.

• Nurture a strong curiosity for emerging technology. The

world of technology is too broad for expertise in every area. Rather, the CIO should strive for expertise in the technologies that are used and a strong curiosity for emerging technology that may empower the business.

The CIO and his/her team must use their existing technology and experience as the foundation to evaluate the technology and the technology suppliers (including internal

Kevin VasconiCIO and VP of Engineering

Convergent Security Solutions, Stanley Black & Decker

“Too many CIOs do not feel the need to ‘sell’ internally (i.e., explain the value proposition), which I believe is a common and critical mistake.”

• Previously SVP and CIO, Polk Global Automotive

• Co-founded and past CTO, Auto-xchange, an Internet B2B joint venture between Ford and Oracle

• Inducted into Computerworld Honors program in 2007

• B.S., Technology, Purdue University

Mr. Vasconi can be e-mailed at [email protected]

The CIO must inhabit two distinct cultures: the world of the business that they support and the world of technology which empowers the business.

Kevin Vasconi

CIO and VP of Engineering Convergent Security Solutions,

Stanley Black & Decker

Kevin VasconiCIO and VP of Engineering, Convergent Security Solutions, Stanley Black & Decker (continued)

© Books24x7, 2011 Kevin Vasconi ExecBlueprints �1

IT). They should always ask: How does this technology impact the business? How does it fit with our existing technology strategy? And what are the true and total life cycle costs associated with its acquisition, deployment, and support?

The natural curiosity of technology employees must be guided and channeled by the CIO to explore emerging technologies that have the greatest potential impact on the business. This should be a structured process that invites open participation across the IT organization. The intent is to conduct a broad scan of technologies that can then be culled by senior IT leadership to capture the most promising ideas. However, the process must not be so rigid as to preclude the organic ideas and interests of the IT team.

Finally, the CIO/CTO must be able to explain or even sell the technology value proposition to the business. This is even more critical for the

introduction of new technology to the enterprise.

• Understand the impact of economic trends. Economic trends have a huge impact on technology pricing, contract negotiations, vendor sourcing, and technology strategy. Therefore, a CIO must have a thorough understanding of economic trends.

Here are two examples:

— Price of Power. Recently, data centers have seen their power costs go from being “included” in regard to service contracts to “priced separately.” Now, power appears as a contingency line item in your annual budget to hedge for power rate increases. Power costs differ significantly by region in the U.S., and this should affect your hosting strategy as well as your annual budgeting process.

— Commodity Computing. The advent and market acceptance of “Linux on Intel” truly introduced the

commodity computing model to corporate America. The move away from proprietary operating systems and chipsets has saved companies millions of dollars. The trend to watch here was in regard to when the server price/performance ratio exceeded a company’s risk profile. The companies that moved first with large “Linux on Intel” installations saw a significant competitive advantage.

• Understand societal trends and their impact — embrace “the Big Change.” In the past many CIOs ignored developments in technology — such as personal computers and the Internet — which was obviously a critical error. I do not think a CIO needs to predict these trends but they must be aware of them and understand the potential impact to their business and to their technology strategy.

For example, mobile computing (e.g., smart phones)

IT must have a demonstrated track record of delivery, budgetary discipline, and efficiency. If not, the CIO must start with an internal IT focus to establish credibility and trust. Then technology (and the technology disciplines) can be applied in partnership with the business to the broader enterprise issues and opportunities. At a minimum, a well-run IT organization is a competitive advantage, if in no other way than ensuring the company’s IT costs are lower than competitor costs.

Kevin Vasconi

CIO and VP of Engineering Convergent Security Solutions,

Stanley Black & Decker

Kevin VasconiCIO and VP of Engineering, Convergent Security Solutions, Stanley Black & Decker (continued)

© Books24x7, 2011 Kevin Vasconi ExecBlueprints ��

is predicted to generate more Internet traffic than PCs/laptops by 2011. So what does that mean to a CIO/CTO? Well, if you have a consumer-facing, e-commerce site, your company has already missed it. More than half of the tier-one retailers are already pursuing mobile commerce and cross-shopping opportunities.

If your e-commerce site is business-to-business (B2B), you have a little more time, but you would be well-advised to develop a mobile-commerce strategy now, learning from your peers in the business-to-consumer world.

Regardless of their industry the CIO/CTO must intelligently apply technology to meet the business’s

needs. This has both tactical and strategic elements — with the strate-gic elements being the differentiator between a C-level IT executive and a senior IT person. n

© Books24x7, 2011 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints ��

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points I. How Can CTOs/CIOs Make a Transformative Impact on Their Organizations?Simply stated, a CTO/CIO must leverage technol-ogy to empower the business. This entails under-standing the business, understanding technology, and applying energy to where the two intersect. Accordingly, the CTO/CIO must be able to inhabit two distinct cultures: the world of their company’s business, and the world of technology as it pertains to that business. CTOs/CIOs can effectively lead such an integrated effort and, in so doing, support the organization’s mission and core objectives by:

• Knowing the company’s true business, and the language of its industry

• Understanding the needs of customers, as well as the various constituencies within their organizations — and solving conflicts when they arise

• Maintaining a knowledge of current technology, and rules, regulations, policies, and economic/societal trends that impact its development and deployment

• Motivating their IT team to explore emerging technologies

• Obtaining the confidence and trust of executives and board members

• Translating “strategy” into specific technologies and services to gain competitive advantage

• Ensuring that technology is properly planned, implemented, operated, and risk-managed

• Helping executives visualize a future where technology is a valued strategic asset

II. The Bottom LineIn this tough economy where most IT departments can still not afford to develop every promising initiative, the CTO/CIO needs to carefully evaluate IT services and strategic priorities and make the hard choices about where to allocate resources. Business-savvy CTOs/CIOs track their departments’ success through such instruments as institutional effectiveness plans that determine:

• How is the organization progressing overall in terms of customers, revenues, and profits?

• What labor or systems costs have been saved through life cycle planning and the consolidation and standardization of IT infrastructure?

• What costs has the deployment of relatively new technologies, such as VoIP, saved?

• How does the company’s IT budget compare with that of comparable organizations in the percent spent on technology versus personnel?

• How does the ratio of IT staff to other employees, customers, and desktops compare?

• What expensive technologies and processes have been retired?

• What new capabilities do the systems and infrastructure now offer? What efficiencies do they add?

III. Must-Have Practices for Integrating IT Solutions Across the OrganizationNow that technology is pervasive across all depart-ments, services, and functions of most companies, the CTO/CIO — and their team — is necessarily much more involved in the business units than previously. As a result, IT leaders and staff must not only learn more about the processes and products of these units, they must also be able to support their frequently non-technical members in the roll-out and implementation of various technologies. CTOs/CIOs can achieve IT objectives in such diverse workplace environments by:

• Introducing process mapping and improvement methodologies to enhance existing business processes, and creating a culture of continuous improvement

• Assigning IT directors — and employees — to physically work in each major department or division, identify pressing technology needs, and oversee projects

• Positioning IT as an institution-level resource utilizing standardized project-planning procedures that are not biased toward or against any department or function

• Developing technology plans and key result areas for each major business unit

• Convening an IT advisory committee with broad representation to help identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges

• Engaging those affected (including IT staff) by any upcoming changes in their planning and execution

• Establishing mechanisms for communication between IT staff and their customers

• Fostering a culture of open engagement by being personally accessible and viewing technology and service in action

• Organizing technical support services (including training plans) to help foster the adoption of technology

• Bypassing pockets of resistance to change by initially working with more receptive groups

• Recognizing success and celebrating positive outcomes

IV. The Golden Rules for Collaborating with the CEO and Other LeadersIn recent years, more company leaders have realized that technology and technology services are both complex and powerful resources that, when man-

aged in the context of institutional strategy, can be a mission-accelerator. Accordingly, more CTOs/CIOs are now reporting to these top levels of man-agement. Best practices for working with these leaders to develop technology solutions in response to strategic initiatives include:

• Serving as a “full-spectrum contributor” to the success of the company as a whole (and not just a technologist) by demonstrating knowledge of business problems

• Clearly articulating the role of technology to achieving strategic vision through the creation of new efficiencies, economies, or innovations

• Initiating the development of institutional effectiveness plans that are clearly tied to larger institutional strategies, goals, and objectives

• Engaging in regular one-on-one conversations with the president and VPs

• Showing a capacity to translate technology concepts into common business terminology

• Resolving conflicts concerning priorities or resource allocation through consensus processes

V. Essential Take-AwaysAs the role of information technology in many organizations has grown increasingly complex, CTOs/CIOs can no longer solely rely on their tech-nical knowledge, or ability to manage technical teams. Now that their responsibility is to the orga-nization as a whole, a successful technology leader should embody at least some of the following qualities:

• Strong leadership acumen and agility

• Broad background of experience in providing successful technology services

• Spirit of engagement and team building with diverse constituents

• Awareness of “human factors,” such as the natural resistance to change

• Ability to express themselves in lay terms and “sell” technology value propositions

• Commitment to continuous learning and personal development

• Interest in metrics as indicators of progress

• Willingness to explore the big questions, i.e., “Where are we going?”

• Capacity to earn trust and follow through with promises

• Innovator, with sufficient insight to evaluate existing applications and systems for new uses

• Innate curiosity for emerging technology

• Understanding of their personal limits of knowledge, energy, patience, and time n

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Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points (continued)

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What role do you, as CTO/CIO, presently play in making strategic business decisions at your company? Is this role standard for your industry? How have you specifically contributed to the formulation of your company’s business strategy?

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As CTO/CIO, how do you partner with the board of directors, CEO, and heads of other departments to ensure that technology is supporting core business objectives? How are conflicts in vision, perspective, and priorities addressed and resolved?

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What are your best practices for managing your department in a fiscally responsible manner? How are budgets established? How do you regularly communicate your expectations to your employees? How do you measure progress on fiscal goals?

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What role have you played in educating your employees about technology solutions that can best address business needs? How do you gauge the effectiveness of training? How do you address resistance to change?

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What are the top five ways that you, as CTO/CIO, have helped the company transform business operations (and/or products and services) in the past three years?

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In the next 12 months, how do you plan to address your company’s top technology priorities? How will your leadership approaches change from those you’ve used in the past? What do you hope to accomplish?

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When working with non-technical departments to meet essential business needs, what are your top five challenges? How are you addressing them?

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What benchmarks can be used to determine the effectiveness of your leadership with regard to helping your company develop and implement appropriate technologies to meet your organization’s business objectives?

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Documents

Essential Qualities of a Successful CTO-CIO