Interviewer: Can you explain to me about the changing role of a CIO? Additionally can you give some advice to an upcoming CIO?
John James: I begin in Cork Institute of Technology IT department 40 years ago. For the past 15 years I have been Chief Information Officer (CIO) for CIT. I most certainly feel that the CIO role is becoming less of a technologist role. The role of CIO is indeed a wide-ranging. It requires understanding and various skills in multiple fields within the areas of management and technology. As technology is continuously moving forward I find that the role of a CIO is undoubtedly adapting mostly in recent years into more of a business strategist, communicator, and financial role.
Also I think today that we are seeing
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And the CIO of the past was much more concerned with protecting there assets, but I think a lot of these issues have been solved.
I’ve been in technology for the past 40years and if I can’t figure out what the right thing to do to take my business further more rapidly than my competitor can then I don’t belong in this job. Hence I feel the CIO is an innovator, conservative risk taker, and someone who can bring to the table opportunities to move the business to new place(s) that they taught they could never be through the innovated use of technology.
Another thing is that I think of a CIO as a fast mover. The delivery of a project in 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months is a thing of the past. We need delivery of projects in 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. We also need them on continuous cycles to help us leverage the business. That’s how I see the role evolving and moving further.
Interviewer: Can you give us an insight into security procedures that CIT have in place and also do you feel that CIT could be doing more regarding security issues?
John James: Yes, we could be doing more. At CIT we striving to increase awareness of security, healthy paranoia around security, and have security in the fore front of our day to day in