Why non-IT leaders make strong CIOs

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Having extensive technological experience may not be the golden ticket for CIOs anymore as IT departments are becoming increasingly central to an organization's operational success. Business, management and customer service experience are skills many of today's successful CIOs also employ, reports The Wall Street Journal.

For example, Aarti Shah, PhD, a statistician who spent many years in brand development and analytics for Eli Lilly, was recently named CIO of the pharmaceutical giant. But she told WSJ her diverse background will be "a competitive advantage" in trying to transform the business.

Additionally, individuals with customer loyalty and business management skills can be an asset for organizations trying to boost customer loyalty and deliver what customers want. "With the amount of competition out there, the CIO better know what the customer wants," Craig Stephenson, managing director of the North American CIO practice at executive search firm Korn/Ferry International, told WSJ.

More articles on CIOs:

HHS issues ransomware guidance to healthcare organizations 
State CIOs seek final cyberattack response plan from federal officials 
A third of CIOs say digital disruption is occurring right now within their organizations 

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