Canadian IT leaders may have been left out of the Wall Street Journal’s CIO conference earlier this week, but the conversation about it on social media suggests their American peers are just as concerned about security threats and digital transformation challenges as they are.
The business newspaper hosted approximately 75 chief information officers at a gathering in San Diego, Calif. on Feb. 2-5. In comments that were consistent with what we heard at our own CIO Innovation Summit last fall, there were some major struggles around achieving the kind of agility organizations want in embracing next-generation technology:
@Steve_Rosenbush #wsjcio –>surprisingly low, leaving me wondering what extent due to org culture, industry, or #CIO – internal incentive?
— KYield (@kyield) February 3, 2015
An interview with Forrester’s CEO suggested that IT and senior leadership will be able to work more quickly and collaboratively if they direct their focus on the same key stakeholder.
Essential #CIO agenda: #IT + Business Technology that is customer (v tech) centric. @forrester #WSJCIO pic.twitter.com/yPQWuU8rSC
— Victor Fetter (@vpfetter) February 3, 2015
One of the more fascinating-sounding discussions centred around the relationship between technology and life-sciences, an area I’d like to explore further with experts here in Canada:
J. Craig Venter "life is a DNA software driven process" talking longevity at #WSJCIO pic.twitter.com/DFRDl0JIn2
— Phil Wiser (@philwiser) February 3, 2015
https://twitter.com/Bob_Seeman_RIWI/status/562462520774914049
However it was cyber-attacks, particularly in the wake of the data breach at Sony Pictures Entertainment, that seemed to dominate the agenda, starting with one of the IT industry’s best-known CEOs:
https://twitter.com/DworkinDarren/status/562657141270798336
Although I understand the sentiment, this comment was interesting in light of the Canadian federal government’s recent commitment to spend $100 million better protecting itself:
Former White House Cyber advisor Dr. Howard Schmidt: private sector should to take lead in cyber defense #wsjcio pic.twitter.com/rkizsgn9AC
— Bill Hills (@BillHillsCIO) February 4, 2015
And finally, this seemed like a good question not just for the WSJ event — or those who gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum — but CIO assemblies everywhere:
If #Davos2015 thinks biz becoming "digital companies first," when will CIOs be elevated to CEOs, instead of salespeople? Q for #wsjcio event
— Richard Bejtlich (@taosecurity) February 3, 2015
