PUBLICATION: THE SKILLS PORTAL
DATE: 19 OCTOBER 2007
Chief Information Officer
CIOs to throw down the commercial gauntlet in November
18-OCT-07
The new post-dotcom CIO must possess a wide range of leadership and managerial skills to seriously take on the market. Technical ability alone will not suffice to successfully meet modern expected deliverables says Robert Sussman, joint MD at Integr8 IT.
This is the basis of Sussman’s presentation to a group of fellow speakers and delegates at the CIO Challenge 2007, a two-day corporate IT strategy and development workshop to be held on 14 & 15 November at the Hyatt in Johannesburg.
Sussman is joined by industry leaders to include past CIO of SARS, Ken Javis, CIO of MTN, Erich Roberts and past CIO of South African Government and Old Mutual, Theo Nkone.
Sussman has achieved widespread personal and company acclaim in the ICT industry, including taking top honours in the ForgeAhead African ICT Achiever’s Top Private Sector CIO of the Year award in 2005 and having his name of a list of nominees for the same award in 2006 and again in 2007 where he is also listed for ICT Businessman of the Year for Africa.
The CIO Challenge 2007 is sponsored by several business and IT industry representative bodies, and is organized to turn the spotlight on ways in which senior management can align their IT strategy with key business objectives.
“The idea that a CIO requires the acumen of business skills combined with a highly professional and experienced approach to Information Technology sounds straightforward enough. However many business leaders have struggled to come to terms with the fact that managerial skills are paramount to an effective leadership strategy that spreads management across the board room, into the server room to incorporate external suppliers,” says Sussman.
A central theme underlying the conference is to delve into practical, effective ways that CIOs can apply in order to align IT strategy with key business objectives.
Among the number of topics up for discussion include: the emerging role of the CIO; transforming the IT function and harnessing this function to enhance corporate competitiveness and growth; as well as managing successfully beyond the organizational matrix.