What it takes to win your first CIO role

Prepping the course

Not every would-be CIO has ready access to mentors or CIO networks so committed to charting a course to the C-suite let alone building out the right skill set. To fill the gap, CXO Connect, an organization committed to coaching and educating senior IT executives, launched a 16-module Global CIO Certification Program designed to prepare executives for next-generation technology leadership in less than a year. The nine-month program, delivered in a synchronous distance learning format, takes an interdisciplinary approach and is meant to acclimate new CIOs or aspiring CIOs to the demands of the role, especially the soft skills required at an executive level, according to Barbara Dossetter, managing director, Advisory Services, at CXO Connect.

As opposed to an emphasis on technology, participants learn how to sell ideas to the board, develop strategy, refine operating models, cultivate successful relationships, manage and retain talent, and dig into financials. “IT has to face out towards the rest of the business and understand the strategy that underpins the rest of the business,” Dossetter explains. “We teach participants how to listen and build presence so when they’re speaking in a room, people listen and have trust in what is said.”

Grant Hodge, head of IT at Viridor, went through the CXO Connect Global CIO Certification Program to fill in gaps in his development profile as he began to ascend the IT ranks within the renewable energy and waste management firm. Hodge started out at Viridor more than a decade ago, in administrative roles. He began to get involved in IT support functions, graduating to running the service desk and managing small teams. Under the domain of a new CIO, the IT organization was reimagined as a key partner to the business and Hodge dug into those requirements, spending several years as a business partner and business partner lead, which began to open doors to higher-profile, management roles.