Life was much simpler back in the early to mid-1900s. In those halcyon days, we shopped at the same department stores, went to the same corner drugstore to fill prescriptions or savor a milk shake, even used the same bank to deposit our tooth-fairy money and our pension checks. The owner of the downtown hardware store knew that come spring we'd be looking for cans of barn-red paint for our front steps, and he stocked his shop accordingly.
The halls of executive recruiters and IT consultancies, not to mention the trade press, buzz with conjecture about the future of IT leadership and the momentum building up around the title of chief technology officer, or CTO. At its most dire, the rumble prophesies the demise of the CIO position--or at least its relegation to a less strategic, more internally focused supporting role. This debate over title is a bit of a red herring. The real issue is that IT leadership needs are being transformed by the dominance of e-business on corporate agendas. In fact, more often than not, CIOs themselves are being tapped to fill these newly created posts. But one thing is clear: As the demand for a new set of technology and business competencies increases, CIOs who don't develop these skills will miss out on the best jobs with the best companies--regardless of title.
Elizabeth Echols, 39, stands astride a virtual divide. On one side, consumer and privacy advocates cry out for increased fraud and privacy protection through stricter internet regulations. On the other, corporations resist any internet regulation or taxation that could derail chances of fully exploiting e-commerce. Echols, dubbed the country's e-commerce czar, is charged with somehow making both sides happy.
We're quick to pop a pill these days. But we rarely think about the pain involved in getting that pill to market. The painstaking research and development that goes into adding a new drug to the shelves of your local pharmacy often requires a collaborative effort far beyond our imaginations.
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