Electing CIOs to Corporate Boards

Thought Leadership Symposium Spring 2013 

April 17, 2013
7:30 am - 1:00 pm
Invite Only
Continental Breakfast and Lunch will be provided

Register Now! 

Twin Cities Symposium Addresses Critical Leadership Gap:  Boards of Directors Lack Necessary Technology Knowledge to Adress Corporate Growth.

This thought-leadership symposium will address the impending need to fill the gap between corporate strategy and technology expertise.  C-level business and technology leaders will meet to discuss the importance of bringing CIOs to the board table, a critical need as technology has gone from an administrative issue to an integral part of a company's financial backbone.

Despite the transformational impact of technology an businesses and the huge investments companies make in technology, the majority of boards lack the IT experience to provide oversight and strategic direction.  According to Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and Spencer Stuart, a leading executive search consulting firm:

• Less than 1% of board directors have technology experience;
• Less than half believe they can make appropriate technology decisions; yet
• 60% of directors want to devote more time to IT issues in the coming year.
• 2012 saw a 20% increase in the number of CIOs added to boards, but a huge gap remains as the number addes is small compared to the need.

As technology investments continue to rise, generally consuming between 2% and 6% of overall corporate revenue, the need to make prudent decisions, monitor effectiveness and continually invest technical assets wisely, is greater today than at any time in the past.  For the calendar year 2012, Gartner predicts worldwide IT costs will top $4 Trillion.

Therefore, boards need technical expertise to help set policy, make decisions, safeguard that technology is adequately enabling the business, and ensure the high technology investment cost is delivering appropriate, measurable business returns.

Investments in technology can be dramatically improved by opening corporate board seats to CIO’s.

Much like the knowledge and experience that business leaders bring to boards, CIO’s  possess the technical knowledge and leadership necessary to understand large technology-related investments,  decipher complex technical operational expenses, and can conceptualize disruptive industry trends necessary to insure technology investments are enabling business and driving clear and measurable positive impacts.  CIOs also have some specialty skills that can come in handy for some companies; skills like security, privacy, strategic sourcing and business intelligence.

Symposium Goals:

• Bring together local entities that have interest in placing CIO’s on BOD’s.
• Round Table discussion on the prospects of increasing CIO presence on BOD’s. 
• Outline the situation, the value proposition, the current board selection and placement process within the twin cities.
• Gain insight into the BOD recruiting process and board member responsibilities from local CIO’ that have board seats, local recruiters, CEO’s and Board Chairs.

This event is invitation only.  We hope to that you are able to attend.  Please let us know by registering below. Thank you!

Warm Regards,

Nick Hernandez, Holly Morris and Mike O'Keefe

Agenda

Session 1: Overview of the state of corporate boards and directors

Presenter: Susan Boren (Spencer Stuart), presenting highlights from their U.S. Board Index 2012 Study and her personal insights about the growing trend of electing CIOs to boards. 

Objective:  Level set participants on the state of boards and provide access to a top expert for Q&A on how to pursue board opportunities.   

Session 2: Board oversight of technology investment and risks– Panel discussion. 

Moderator: Holly Morris will outline the unique skills and experiences that CIOs can bring to the boardroom, and then facilitate a panel of 2 local CIO’s on boards along with 2 local corporate directors. 

Panel:  Earl Stratton, COO, TCF Financial; Becky Roloff, Allina & CH Robinson board; Pat Donovan, CEO, Bremer Financial and HealthEast board member; Kathryn Correia, CEO, HealthEast

The Panel will focus on:

1. The discussions currently going on within boards regarding the board’s role on overseeing IT.  
2. The topics and issues that CIOs are best prepared to help with on boards. 
3. What are the practical assignments a CIO could lead 

Session 3: CIO leadership profile: what leadership qualities can CIO’s bring to boards?

Presenter: Bob Concannon from Korn Ferry Institute providing information and insight on the leadership qualities that CIO can bring to boards. We hope this session will get participants to think about their own leadership qualities and how they might leverage them on boards. 

Discuss the questions,

1. Is there an optimum CIO leadership profile and if so what is it and how might those qualities be leveraged on a board?
2. Is there currently a gap in how CIOs are perceived by boards?

Session 4:  Reality Check - Panel discussion

Moderator: Holly Morris, facilitating a panel of 4 CEOs and/or existing corporate directors discussing the practicalities of boards electing CIO representation, and any alternative options for boards to address technology issues more effectively and with less risk.  This session will provide a realistic assessment of the possibilities for CIOs to be recruited for boards, weigh the reasons why CIOs are a good fit or not, and provide advice to CIOs on how to consider board membership as a goal, brainstorming un-traditional ways that existing CIOs can support local corporate boards.

Panel: Earl Stratton, COO, TCF Financial; Becky Roloff, Allina & CH Robinson board; Pat Donovan, CEO, Bremer Financial and HealthEast board member; Kathryn Correia, CEO, HealthEast