The Chief Information Officer - Essay Example

The paper "The Chief Information Officer" is a good example of an essay on information technology. The CIO chief information officer is the head of information technology within an organization. They report to the chief financial officer. Due to the advancement of information technology, the CIO has come to be considered as a vital contributor to the achievement of organizational strategic goals (Curtis). The CIO is responsible for delegating the technical decision to the staff in the IT department.

They make decisions on the information system the organization will require to achieve its objectives and then develop a budget to implement it (Curtis). They also conduct an analysis of the business processes and identify modern tools that could be used to reshape the organizations IT infrastructure. Although there are no specific educational requirements for CIO, most of them have educational qualifications in computer science, information systems or software engineering (Curtis). A master’s degree in business administration also improves their business management skills.

The CIO is also required to have some basic skills that are essential in running the information technology department in an organization. One of the most essential skills a CIO should have cores knowledge of information technology and how to work with information systems. Although most of them come from a business background, they should have a basic understanding of how the systems work. They should also be open to learning since information systems evolve by the day. They should be able to learn from every experience as well as the exploitation of new technologies (Heller).

Change management is also a very vital attribute the CIO should possess so as to make strategic decisions as well as facilitate business process reengineering and organization restructuring effectively (Schneider). Leadership skills are important since the CIO should be able to focus on the attainment of the strategic vision and prioritizing the development of the staff. In addition as a leader, the CIO should be accountable and stand responsible for the operations of the department and by delivering according to their objectives.

As the head of the information technology department in the organization, the CIO should be able to develop and maintain good relationships with other departments including sales and marketing, production and accounts among others (Heller). Knowledge of the business is a key attribute where the CIO should understand how all the business processes work and how the information systems can be integrated into the business processes. They should run the information technology department as a business where they come up with products and services that contribute to the achievement of the organization's goals and objectives.

The CIO should have financial skills to help them understand how to determine the revenue in relation to the cost of implementing an information system; every IT investment should have a return on investment (Wailgum). Another key attribute the CIO should have is risk management skills since information systems are prone to various risks including security threats, change in technology and system failures among others. Besides having the skills to entirely avoid the occurrence of the risks, the CIO should be able to focus on responsiveness and adaptability to the risks.

In conclusion, the CIO should own some personal attributes that play a major role in their careers. Some of the personal traits include; commitment, aggressiveness, patience, diplomacy, mentoring and inspiration (Beveridge).