Published on the 21/09/2015 | Written by Donovan Jackson
Russel McVeagh CIO says there has never been a better time to be a technology leader…
IT departments today drive business innovation, top-line growth and process efficiency for competitive advantage. That’s according to CIO at national law firm Russell McVeagh, Craig Columbus, who said the role he performs is today stands shoulder-to-shoulder with other top company executives.
“CIOs today are not IT managers, but business leaders,” he asserted.
Columbus is to present at the IT Shop Conference scheduled to take place in Auckland on 23/24 November.
His presentation will provide insights for aspiring technology leaders, particularly examining the evolving role of the CIO. “Gone are the days when IT ‘services’ the business; gone too, are the days of technology zealotry. With every conversation, IT must lead with ‘what is the business problem am I trying to solve’, followed by looking for solutions. It is about finding the best option for business value, without alignment to brands, technology platforms or anything else. The most successful [IT professionals] are those who get that.”
Columbus will present at The IT Shop conference, a two day event dedicated to IT managers featuring case studies from top professionals in New Zealand. It provides up and coming technology leaders with the opportunity to learn from real life experience, network with peers and advance their skills.
Columbus said change is the constant for anyone in technology today, but noted that it is human to resist it. “We don’t like change because it means unfamiliarity and loss of control. However, when speaking with people who have the potential to become a CIO, it is always about the business outcome being more important than physical control. We have to think in terms of those outcomes – and that has to be a driving force for technology staff today and into the future.”
More information on the IT Shop Conference.
