CIO careers in focus EY’s analysis of the career paths of CIOs for the top 25 IT-intensive industry companies — determined by revenue or assets — confirms these findings. Although backgrounds and specific career paths vary slightly across each sector, several overall observations can be made from this global pool of 100 leading CIOs. Multidisciplinary studies External advisory or directorship positions The majority hold at least a master’s-level degree, but In keeping with digital CIOs’ tendency to actively engage very often in a field outside IT. Whether it is an MBA externally, many of them hold an external post of some or an MSc in engineering, economics or physics, there kind, or several such posts. Dr. Alan Hippe, the Chief is typically a dimension beyond IT to their studies. For Financial and IT Officer of Roche, a Swiss Pharmaceutical example, Jeanette Horan, CIO at American IT company company, is an alumnus of the World Economic Forum’s IBM, did a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, before (WEF) Forum of Young Global Leaders and serves on the later adding an MBA to her qualifications. Similarly, the supervisory board of German engineering company Voith. CIO of a leading Chinese bank holds degrees in electrical Mark Sunday, the CIO at US computer company Oracle, is engineering and in software, along with an MBA. In the also the Vice-Chairman of the Utah Technology Council, telecommunications sector, one in five of these leading and a trustee of the state’s Economic Development CIOs hold a PhD on top of other qualifications. Corporation, as well as an advisor to Epic Ventures, a venture capital firm, and an advisory board member of the David Eccles School of Business. Cross-sector experience Shorter tenures Many leading CIOs have spent time working in different As a result of their greater willingness to pursue new industries. For example, Adriana Karaboutis switched opportunities, many of these leading CIOs have been in from a career in automotive, with roles at Ford and their posts for a relatively short amount of time. In the General Motors, to become the CIO of Dell, a US-based IT sector, for example, over half took up their current end-to-end solutions company. Anders Thulin, the CIO at roles in 2010 or later. And this is even more prevalent Swedish telecommunications firm Ericsson, had worked in telecommunications, where 60% have taken up in consulting, at McKinsey & Company. CIOs working their current roles since 2010. Across the IT-intensive in IT are more likely to have made such switches, but industries, over half the CIOs surveyed had been in their these switches are common throughout all four of these roles for less than three years. IT-intensive sectors. However, CIOs working in banking are much more likely to have had a prior role in financial services, rather than in a wholly different sector. Born to be digital | 33