Morris, who moderated a "CIOs as Digital Directors" symposium in fall 2016, said she believes more boards of directors will seek out IT executives to serve. But she and other experts also said that the CIO title is hardly enough to qualify an individual for a corporate board appointment. Leadership, collaboration and high-level perspective are in higher demand, not tactical day-to-day managerial acumen.
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"A CIO should come to the table with not only the technical expertise to be able to explain what their profession is all about but also be able to help the company be successful," said Kathy Misunas, a former CIO at American Airlines who is now a director at Boingo Wireless and TechData Corp.
Kathy MisunasKathy Misunas
Misunas said she was drawn to board work because the opportunity to help a company succeed was rewarding and fulfilling. She said she also wanted to help boards understand the full value of "technology as a [business] tool."
She said she believes many boards still lack that perspective, and while many CIOs can offer that expertise, Misunas agreed that they also need broader business knowledge, executive leadership qualities and strategic vision. They have to understand their responsibility to a number of stakeholders, from the investors to the employees.
