The CIO and his direct reports are business management roles, not technologist roles.

Appropriate executive education offerings are required as a response to this skills challenge.

Over the past years, the requirements on senior corporate information managers, including the CIO, have changed dramatically. A purely technical skillset is no longer sufficient. The CIO has to act as a business executive in order to earn a seat at the top table, and so do his/her managers. The CIO community across Europe, organised in the European CIO Association, recognises this challenge and has joined up with leading European business schools to establish a corresponding Executive Education Programme. by Martin Frick, Director Executive Education, European CIO Association mfrick@eurocio.org

1. The challenge ahead: senior ICT managers must become business managers

It has been discussed for a long time in the CIO community: purely technical expertise is not sufficient to gain the CIO a seat at the Executive Board level. Technical expertise must be put into a business context to create traction and drive true business change. The CIO must act as a business executive with a technical background very much like his board colleagues in their respective areas. But how to become a “dual thinker” at the business – IT interface if you have grown up the ranks in the IT organisation? Senior ICT management talent able to interact effectively with the business organisation is a rare skill-set. An example is that of the enterprise architect, the single most difficult-to-recruit skill-set in corporate information management.

2. The response from the European CIO Association: the Executive Education Programme

The European CIO Association (“EuroCIO”) has taken the initiative and teamed up with academia to create an innovative Executive Education Programme(see www.eurocio.org/education.htm), tailored specifically towards the needs of the CIO community and continuously innovated towards the demands of the CIOs.

A network of leading European business schools such as Henley Business School (UK), Nyenrode Business School (NL), the Technical University of Delft (NL), TiasNimbas Business School (NL), Ecole Central Paris (FR), the Technical University of München(DE) and St. Gallen Business School (CH) has been established to create a unique European eco-system of executive education in Corporate Information Management. Participants in the programme’s modular coursesthus benefit from a truly European learning experience.

The EuroCIO Educational Programme consists of three discrete layers forming a pyramid of education:

- Layer 1: The EuroCIO Executive MBA programme on Corporate Information Management (“Business & IT”) aims at the high-potentials, future CIOs, top-consultants, etc. striving to obtain in their career the highest responsibilities in managing ICT departments, digital transformation or innovative business projects, in general leading to a C-level position in larger organisations.

- Layer 2: Multiple EuroCIO Professional Programmes in Corporate Information Management disciplines aim at the highest IT professionals, in general reporting to the CIO, enterprise architects, program or project managers, IT security and risk managers, demand- or sourcing managers, etc.

- Layer 3: Modular Courses on Corporate Information Management.

The EuroCIO Executive Education Programme is endorsing the initiatives and standards of the European Commission in the e-skills area, e.g. the e-Competence Framework and the e-Job Profile standards.

Example: the Executive MBA in Business & IT

A first version of EuroCIO MBA for Corporate Information Management (CIM) has been developed in the Netherlands by Nyenrode Business School (business content), together with Delft University of Technology (IT context). It is named the “Executive MBA in Business & IT” (see also www.mbabit.eu).

The Executive MBA in Business & IT has been a tremendous success in the Netherlands, and is now being expanded into more European countries, starting with Germany.

Example: the Professional Programme in Business & Enterprise Architecture

The Professional Programme in Business & Enterprise Architecture is focusing on the professional, business and management elements rather than detailed technical design. The objective of the programme is to help enterprise architects acquire and develop their knowledge of enterprise architecture as well as enhance the required behavioural skills. It is intended for professionals in charge of enterprise architecture or wishing to evolve towards this position.

The first cohort of this new course, a joint offering of Henley Business School, EcoleCentrale Paris, TU München and TiasNimbas Business School, is starting in September 2012. Please refer to www.eurocio.org/bea.htm for more details.

More information

Please refer to the attached brochure for more details on the EuroCIO Executive Education Programme, or visit the executive education section of www.eurocio.org.