I have been the chief information officer or had the chief information officer report to me for more than twenty years. To me, it was the most desired role in the organization for the following reasons:
- Widespread Impact: Everything runs on technology
- Always Changing: Everyday brings new opportunities and challenges
- Demanding Leadership: Always beings attacked, always innovating, always cost cutting, always second-guessed by those who think they understand technology, a single character out of place and the program does compile.
- Creative: Every problem is a creative endeavor where everything is possible and only limited by your imagination, skill, and resources.
- The Best Employees: We speak our own language. We are the cool kids of the world and foundational to the modern organization. If you are really, really good, you have close to endless political power.
I had three jobs as a CIO:
- Academic CIO at West Point: From 2004 to 2010, I was the academic CIO at West Point or the academic CIO reported to me. You can learn more about this role at my Senior Leadership Roles at West Point Page.
- Georgia System CIO: From 2009 until 2015, I was the Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer at the University System of Georgia. You can learn more about this role at the Georgia System CIO Page.
- UAB University CIO: From 2015 until 2025, I am the Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. You can learn more about this role at the UAB CIO page.