TECHNICAL DECISION MAKER: THE TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER

• CIO, Technical decision maker, develops IT strategy and roadmap, leads technology team that evaluates technical options
  

KEY ATTRIBUTES:

• 40-55 years old; Masters in Science; Executive MBA; at least 15 years experience in enterprise leadership roles.

ATTITUDE:

• Leader, business savvy, frugal, skeptical of vendor claims.

REPUTATION:

• Visionary, decisive, well-respected in the industry, egotistical.

JOB FOCUS:

• Creating enterprise-wide change, shifting perception of technology from utilitarian to strategic.

PAIN POINTS:

• Identifying most promising technology
• Getting company-wide buy-in for new software initiatives
• Finding ways to make a measurable impact

KEYWORDS USED TO SEARCH FOR INFORMATION:

• enterprise software ROI, strategic software investments, breaking down departmental silos, increasing enterprise-wide productivity.

VALUES:

• Leadership: Ability to see and convey the "big picture".
• Knowledge and expertise: Broad IT knowledge but not interested in technical details.
• Innovation: Follows latest trends, seeks proof of how others have applied new technologies.
• Expectations: High expectations of IT team and vendors/solutions to make strategic roadmap a reality.

FEARS:

• Making bad purchase decision, tarnishing reputation.

PET PEAVES:

• Self-serving vendors who don't do their homework to understand their focus, vendors who disappear after implementation.

INTERNAL INFLUENCES:

• Board of Directors, CEO, CFO

MOTIVATORS:

• Bonus structure, ego, industry recognition

INFORMATION SOURCES:

• Peers; online search; Gartner; Forrester; Gartner CIO Leadership Forum; CIO Magazine; Fast Company magazine

CONTENT PREFERENCES:

• In-depth white papers, podcasts