Tech council tackles security, financial issues

February 21, 2002 —

What keeps technology executives up at night? Cost control and disaster recovery are among the top items weighing on chief information officers (CIOs) and chief technology officers (CTOs), according to the Technology Leadership Council, a recently formed group of IT executives that will kick off its 2002 forum schedule March 5.

Alignment of IT with business strategy, and leadership on the part of IT executives, are more important than ever before in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, plunging corporate revenue, and the Enron Corp. accounting scandal, according to the organizers of the council.

The council, chartered as a peer-discussion forum for technology leaders, is being organized by the Hunter Management Group LLC (HMG), an IT business strategy consultancy based in Westport, Connecticut. Council members, and technology executives the world over, are under more pressure than ever before to ensure that IT delivers a competitive edge for their respective corporations, according to Hunter Muller, principal of HMG.

The council is being organized according to a quarterly forum format. In advance of its 2002 meeting schedule, the council has drawn up a list of issues it expects to discuss (for a complete list see http://www.hmgstrategy.com/). Tech executives who are not permanent members of the council can participate in individual meetings.

"CEOs and the CFOs are in a tough spot and that tough spot is that for the first time in a long time earnings growth is not clear," Muller said. "The CIO has to be focused on shareholder value." Technology executives are also expected to participate in corporate governance, as company finances come under increasing scrutiny after the collapse of Enron and recent reports of questionable accounting practices at various IT vendors and telecommunication companies.

"The responsibilities of the CIO now overlap with the responsibilities of the CFO (chief financial officer) and CEO (chief executive officer) -- in terms of vision and strategy to the market, and governance of IT spending

ITworld.com