| Executive search firms are now being asked to recruit | | | | implemented within their organizations." However, in |
| a new breed of information officers to assist | | | | order to allow one's CIO to become the guarantor of |
| corporations address Sarbanes-Oxley compliance | | | | one's organizational business processes, CEOs must |
| requirements and to compete more effectively overall | | | | recognize that they must now provide for a level of |
| in the age of Sarbanes-Oxley. Passed in response to | | | | transparency that their CIOs may not have been |
| major corporate scandals, The Sarbanes-Oxley act | | | | privileged to in the past. Such open communication |
| also known as Public Company Accounting Reform | | | | iscritical to an organization's ability to consistently |
| and Investor Protection Act of 2002 has redefined the | | | | satisfy the Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and mitigate |
| role of the company CIO. Many of the most | | | | unforeseen exposure to essential business processes. |
| progressive corporations have successfully embraced | | | | As Chief Executives go about assessing the |
| the evolution of the Chief Information Officer function | | | | leadership strengths of their information officers and |
| from being narrowly focused on the day-to-day | | | | go about identifying senior information systems |
| maintenance and support of a company's information | | | | executives who present the capacities to truly |
| systems organization to a much broader leadership | | | | become the guarantors of one's business processes, |
| and management role on the company's senior | | | | executive search firm Venerable Partners |
| management team. Executive search firm Venerable | | | | recommends that CEOs (and their respective selection |
| Partners says that these forward thinking corporations | | | | committees) work to identify information systems |
| have empowered their CIOs to become vital business | | | | executives who present the following essential |
| partners in designing and executing the business | | | | qualifications: |
| strategy for their respective organizations. Chief | | | | 1. Exceptionally strong general business acumen along |
| Executives who havesuported this evolution have | | | | with an astute level of understanding of all critical |
| undoubtedly experienced greater operational | | | | business functions and their underlying processes. |
| efficiencies, improved resource utilization, and better | | | | 2. Business process management skills, including an |
| returns on their technology investments. | | | | understanding of best practice process documentation |
| According to Donald Law, Managing Director of | | | | procedures. |
| Chicago based executive search firm Venerable | | | | 3. Demonstrated success serving as a key business |
| Partners , "as a byproduct of this evolution, Chief | | | | partner across all major functional disciplines in |
| Information Officers have now become intimately | | | | delivering a comprehensive suite of information |
| involved in all of the critical business processes that | | | | technology solutions designed to advance the needs |
| drive their companies. From supply chain management | | | | of the business. |
| to production systems, from customer fulfillment to | | | | 4. Prior exposure to Sarbanes-Oxley reporting and |
| billing systems, from human resource management | | | | compliance requirements. |
| systems to compliance tracking, a corporation's | | | | 5. The interpersonal and leadership skills required to |
| information systems organization has become | | | | establish a trusted advisor relationship with the CEO. |
| inextricably linked to all significant business processes | | | | 6. Demonstrated experience as a senior leader of an |
| within their company." | | | | information systems organization, including a thorough |
| It is critical for Chief Executives to appreciate the | | | | understanding of the enabling infrastructure, operations |
| significance of this linkage between an entity's | | | | and applications solutions that underlie a world-class |
| information systems organization and the critical | | | | information systems organization. |
| business processes and safeguards required for | | | | 7. Familiarity with the emerging information technologies |
| Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. According to executive | | | | that are impacting one's particular industrial sector and |
| search firm Venerable Partners, "because it is not | | | | driving the major architectural, econometric and |
| practical for Chief Executives to understand the | | | | customer-focused solutions. |
| granular technical details of the technology solutions | | | | Executive search firm Venerable Partners states that |
| that support an organization's business processes, the | | | | these are only general guidelines intended to provide a |
| relationship between the CEO and his/her CIO has to | | | | basis from which to begin an assessment of one's |
| be stronger than ever. As an executive search firm | | | | leadership strengths within the office of the information |
| who partners with senior management, we have seen | | | | officer. A company's specific business challenges and |
| that CEOs are now coming to expect that their CIOs | | | | external market forces will also dictate the ideal profile |
| become the guarantors of the business processes | | | | best suited to address an organization's specific needs. |