Having just returned from the CIO 100 Awards and National Conference, it seems appropriate to write about convincing reinforcement for our IT-oLogy mission to advance IT talent. The nation’s top Chief Information Officers gathered to both honor achievements and to discuss the impact of digital disruption to traditional business models. CIO Magazine, the sponsor of the event, brought thought leaders together to share best practices about how IT executives and business leaders must work together to enable this exciting but challenging future.
Based on survey data from CIOs gathered by CIO magazine and Forrester Research, the top two obstacles inhibiting most companies are: first, creating the necessary energy of the entire corporate workforce to embrace the changes necessary to complete all the things required in order to take advantage of advanced technological and business innovation. Second, resolving the issue of an inadequate supply of IT professionals across an ever changing set of roles that includes a greater number of employees with a blended skill set of IT and business specific knowledge and skills.
With respect to both of these issues, IT-oLogy programs across our 3 initiatives are proving that we can change the quantity and quality of the resources necessary for companies to not only survive, but thrive. As I presented the IT-oLogy model and non-profit collaborative approach, many of these top CIOs expressed tremendous interest in both local and national IT-oLogy programs. Several CIOs in attendance from existing IT-oLogy partner companies, including Lee Congdon of Red Hat and David Johnson of Life Cycle Engineering, were vocal and shared the value that IT-oLogy has meant to their organizations.