IT World Canada (ITWC) and the CIO Association of Canada would like to invite you to nominate your candidate for CIO of The Year. The awards are open to all senior technology leaders serving Canadian organizations in the following categories:
The Private Sector Award is open to the senior technology leader at any private sector company of any size.
The Public Sector Award is open to senior technology leaders from federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as all associated agencies, Crown corporations, universities, schools and hospitals.
The Not for Profit Award is open to technology leaders with registered Canadian charities and associations.
The Next Generation Leader Award will be presented to a technology leader who continuously strives for excellence, best management practices and innovation. They will be recognized as demonstrating remarkable promise and outstanding talent as a future leader in the technology sector.
This year’s panel of judges, chaired by Gary Davenport, includes several former CIO of the Year honourees, and consists of:
- Rex Lee, chief information and technology officer, Canadian Tire Corporation
- Julie Levesque, executive vice-president technology and operations, National Bank of Canada
- Philippe Johnson, chief information officer, National Research Council, and president, CIO Association of Canada
- Humza Teharany, chief technology and digital officer, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment
- Jan Bradley, chief information technology officer, City of Calgary
- Jim Love, FCMC, chief information officer and chief content officer, ITWC
- Rachel Porteous, chief information officer, Financial Transactions and Report Analysis Centre of Canada.
“The role of CIO has evolved over the years to the point where the expectations have never been greater, including the need for CIOs to now be digital transformation leaders,” Davenport said. “It is no longer about how well a CIO keeps the lights on or delivers projects, but rather it is about the overall impact of the digital transformation initiatives that CIOs lead on behalf of the overall organization.”
What makes a CIO of the Year?
We asked the judges for their thoughts.
“I am looking for a transformational leader that had a significant and positive impact on his team, the employees, the organization, and customers, as well as financially for the organization the CIO represents,” said Levesque. “I look for authenticity, resiliency, creativity , people leadership skills.”
Added Lee, “I look for those that have the courage to challenge “best practices” by deeply understanding root issues, and offering creative solutions that create better outcomes. For me, it’s more about ‘Next Practices’ VS ‘Best Practices’. A great CIO needs to be able to inspire and influence. I look at how the individual has been able to do exactly that, even when it goes against popular sentiment.”
“Impact, I think is a big one,” Johnston said. “Measurable impact for their business, for their organization, moving the yardsticks at a substantial or exponential rate, like having the IoT and keep up with the business needs of the organization. That’s one. Another thing that we look at is the ability to work collaboratively with the senior executives of your organization.”
The deadline for nominations is Mar. 24, and the awards will be presented at a virtual reception on May 25.