Straight To The Top

Preparing for the role of chief information officer (CIO) takes careful planning, strategy, and knowledge: What does a CEO look for in a CIO? What is the difference between a CIO and a CTO? How do you learn the business and build key relationships? Straight to the Top: Becoming a World Class CIO is an essential guide to help information technology (IT) and business professionals recognize the qualities necessary to attain the role of first time CIO and strategically plan their career moves. This vital road map for success offers a rare view, from the executive recruiter s perspective, of the traits top search firms are looking for in CIO candidates. Becoming a CIO requires a solid skill set from the candidate, including significant technical proficiency, business acumen, and an exceptional ability to communicate meaningfully. Most importantly, the CIO s success is measured in an ability to decode IT into usable ideas and solutions that work in tandem with the goals of the business. Straight to the Top expertly coaches aspiring CIOs on building up these requisite skills with "insider information" from leading CIOs and author Gregory Smith s own observations throughout his twenty years of experience working in the IT field¿most recently, as a CIO.Based on advisory research, case studies, and interviews with a variety of CIOs, executive recruiting firms, and sales professionals, this proactive book is strategically divided into two parts. Part One¿Building the Necessary Skills and Relationships¿discusses the prospective CIO s need to: Communicate exceptionally and effectively Translate IT speak into business terms Understand business users and their needs Build effective relationships outside of the IT "glass house"Part Two¿Preparing for the Role of the CIO¿builds on the fundamentals discussed in the first half of the book and examines: The key skills employers and search firms require in a CIO The need to think like a CFO and act like a CIO How to balance the risks and rewards encountered while moving up the IT ladder What to expect once you land your first CIO positionUseful to academic institutions with degrees and programs in information systems, Straight to the Top equips CIO candidates with a straightforward course of action to the corner office in becoming a world class CIO.