Imad ChoucairChief Information OfficerTECOM Investments – Dubai Holding

The Role of the CIO

AS MBA is the language of business, IT is the language of “Technology in Business.”

Language of MBA: Marketing, Finance, HR, Investments, corporate strategy, Budgeting, Corporate Performance, Cash flow…

Language of IT: Programming, system administration, IT strategy, IT budget, Business efficiency, IT cost, …

Since MBA is not a professions, then IT is not a profession neither.

IT - Business alignment is an issue when IT is assumed to be a profession, or the organization’s culture is not ready for such technology.

Or Simply,IT has been a disturbing element

Broadbent, M., & Skitzis, E. S. (2005). The New CIO Leader . Gartner Inc..

1.This currant decade is concluding with tremendous progress in how Information Technology evolved, selected, implemented, and managed.

2.Organizations today face complex issues trying to accommodate and benefit from the massive amount of human activities happening outside their organizations.

3.The role of IT in the next decade must have a shift in its paradigm from focusing on IT to focusing on people, “IT everywhere.”

1. IT is not a profession; IT is everywhere and for everyone

2. IT will always be associated with technologies and innovations which

are assumed to help drive and grow the business.

3. The maximum value of IT will be achieved when is merged with the

corporate business strategy.

4. CIOs are required to master IT and business, for now.

5. The future of “IT” is that there will be no “IT”. The question is when?

Discussions?