CIO Journey to the Corner Office - A reality or a Fantasy !

Recently I was in a panel discussion in a Seminar and the question of the CIO's journey to the corner office as the CEO of the Company.
Unfortunately the instances of the CIO transforming to a CEO are few in the world of business and there are number  of reasons logically this transformation is possible but in a Real world it is a fantasy.
Let us examine the qualities of a good CIO the first of course is being a good team player, second political acumen to survive and please the various stake holders in business and the last is the IT prowess.
CIO's who are successful do excel in people management and handling corporate warfare and wading through uncertain cycles in the business.
But are these qualities enough to make them the CEO, there are certain factors missing, the CIO never leads the business troops which is essential to be a CEO, neither does the CEO interact with the Board on a regular basis in most companies, the CIO is drowned in budgets,data and analysis whereas many successful CEO's are street smart and lead from the Gut.

Let there be a New Dawn for CIO's to realize their Potential as Business CEO's 

Thus the qualities needed by a CIO and the CEO are world's apart, though the CIO has a ringside view of business the CIO is not the doer, the CIO is just the observer watching from the sidelines.
The CIO seldom has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership attributes ; the CIO does lead  the IT team, which are mostly a breed with high IQ and high emotions thus when the CIO has to lead the troops it will be greeted with resistance and followed by failure.
The Board seldom gives face time to the CIO, most often it is the CFO who gets the credit from the Board and whom the Board trusts for IT Investments, this puts the CIO at a Disadvantage but the CEO is comfortable, since the probability of the Bean Counter wanting the corner office is generally remote.
Though some CFO's have become CEO's  the outcome has been mixed.
So if the reality is that the CIO Journey to the corner office is doomed, then how does the CIO realize one's fantasy?
IF the CIO firmly believes that one is made for the corner office, then then at the first opportunity the CIO should jettison the IT department as a cost center, and as the first step make the IT department the profit center.
Few Boards will agree with this approach, so it is the CIO's persuasive powers alone which can make it happen and a good time to try is when the Business is doing well.
The CIO  has an enlightened Board and the IT Department becomes a profit center, the next step of  the CIO  is to reduce the exposure of IT services to the parent business and expand the IT services to outside companies. This should to be done quickly and with profits must accrue into the balance sheet of the Profit Center led be the CIO.
A smart CIO can show exponential growth in IT services, since the angel investor is the parent company and when the CIO converts the IT company into an independent unit then the CIO's  fantasy will be a reality .
Surprisingly IT companies return on Assets employed is one of the highest in the world and the IT Division can be spun as a separate entity and subsequently get listed and create wealth for all and bigger corner office to the CIO transformed in the CEO.
Here is wishing all CIO's a wonderful journey to the corner office as the CEO's of their own IT companies, after nothing succeeds like success driven by one's own core competence.
May more CIO's transform in CEO's in 2014!

P.S. There are number of these CIO's today who due to circumstances or of their own choice have transformed themselves into CEO's and  seem to be happier and effective.
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EDP CFO & Cloud Computing

EDP was the origin of computing in business, it was the acronym for "Electronic Data Processing",
The  EDP department was a busy factory during salary computation, closing of the financial books and also month end sales and inventory management and finally MIS (Management Information System) .
There were no Microsoft workstation in those days, no lotus 123 just reams of printout in high speed printers which were transferred neatly into transparencies with marker pens !
The EDP was always under the control of the CFO - the chief financial office and EDP manager was a powerful person who had to be reliable and accomplished in technology.
EDP began with punched cards, then tapes and so on ; today they are relics, but the EDP department was the temple of information, it was the knowledge bank of the business and access to it was restricted.
The CFO was the lord and master of the EDP department because the first baby steps of data processing was accounting, later on it moved into costing, inventory management and subsequently into sales and marketing analysis.

CFO will lead Cloud Computing Adoption 

The EDP department was a centralized data processing center and the staff were some of the best paid for their knowledge of computing skills, even if it meant punching cards :-).
The Cloud Computing solutions today will need to be driven by the CFO and the CIO's role may diminish to that of the EDP manager if the CIO is not innovative and willing to adopt cloud computing in the organization.
The CFO community can beecome cloud evangelist, with a little education and they are the future  champions of cloud computing adoption, CFO's understand the value of utilities, operating expenses (opex), risk and finally economic value and often hav a seat in the Board or at least the attention of the Board.
Cultivate and educate the CFO  and the  Board of Directors if you want cloud computing adoption.
Welcome the new avatar of the EDP Manager, the Cloud Computing Director (CCD) also known as the CFO.
Fresh coffee and action is brewing for the new avatar of the CFO - CCD !
Welcome aboard to Cloud Computing CFO's of the World !
Your coffee mug embossed with the message "Future of computing is the Cloud" awaits you.

P.S. I offer training for CFO's and Board members on  cloud computing adoption if interested contact me at subramanianls@gmail.com