Ambitious IT professionals often have one eye on future roles, with C-level positions representing the pinnacle of what many hope to achieve in business. But how will they know which role best suits them?
Computing talk to IT leaders, including Ian Finlay, Chief Inofrmation Officer at Claranet Group, who generally hold the role of chief information officer (CIO) or chief technology officer (CTO), and are from public and private sectors (from both end users and technology providers.
However, with no well-trodden route known for attaining these roles, how should the aspiring C-level executive know how to get there?
The roles of CIO and CTO both involve defining, delivering and implementing an IT strategy, and often include a specific set of objectives, such as growing an IT department, creating efficiencies, making it leaner or even building it from scratch. But how do they differ?
IT is so embedded into so many kinds of businesses, it is not true to say there is that differentiator these days... [Within] the technology company there is a greater understanding of the challenges faced when implementing an IT project. I have seen a greater amount of realism and less idealism – they do not think implementing new technology will mean everything will automatically be better.
Ian Finlay, Chief Information Officer, Claranet Group
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Article: CTO v CIO: Which path should you take?
Source: Computing.co.uk
See also: Education vs experience: Is there an ideal mix for becoming a CIO?