The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium seeks nominations for this year's MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award, which honors executives who lead their organizations to deliver exemplary levels of business value through innovative use of IT. The 2017 Award recipients will be honored during a VIP dinner preceding the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium on May 23, 2017.
Nominees must hold the title of Chief Information Officer (CIO) or equivalent and must be the highest-level IT leader in the organization. Applicants, including self-nominations, are welcome from for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and will be assessed on a common set of criteria. Recent award winners include:
- David Neitz, CIO CDM Smith - 2016
- Michael Nilles, CIO Schindler Group & CEO Schindler Digital Business Ltd. - 2015
- F. Thaddeus Arroyo, CIO, AT&T Services, Inc. - 2014
Past leadership award winners and their companies have received a competitive advantage by receiving this award through the recognition it brings.
"Being named the MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award Winner is truly an honor for the entire CDM Smith team," said Neitz. "It is a testament to the business technology team and the business partners who diligently collaborate to deliver exceptional results for our clients using Digital Capital to transform the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Moving to the cloud didn't just make models faster. It changed the way our company works with clients. Designers, constructors and clients can now collaborate to see, in real time, the effects of their ideas for costs, risks or construction time."
Applications are due March 1. Information about the award and the application can be found at http://www.mitcio.com/award. Please contact award@mitcio.com with any questions about the application process.
JUDGING CRITERIA:
Key characteristics of CIO leadership include:
Exceptional Communicator - Articulates a vision for strategic business value from IT and works across the organization to build partnership around this vision. Focuses communications on value and innovation, not technology. Helps all IT staff to understand the business and speak the language of business leaders.
Recognized IT Leader ("Cheap Information Officer") - Clearly demonstrates value-for-money in the management of core IT services - providing the right services at the right price and the right level of quality. Recognized among peers as an effective leader of the IT unit.
Driver of Business Value ("Chief Improvement Officer") - Understands the business and needs of the CEO, CFO, Line-of-Business heads and other senior executives. Ensures clear focus on potential and realized value in all IT initiatives. Incorporates IT into business decision-making by participating in key strategic conversations, suggesting innovative uses of IT, and managing risk.
Trusted Partner ("CIO-Plus") - Exercises authority beyond IT itself. Considered a trusted member of the senior executive team, not just a technology leader. Suggests innovative uses of IT to transform the business - and successfully executes the changes. May receive additional non-IT responsibilities such as Chief Operating Officer or VP of Strategy, or strategic temporary roles such as Head of M&A integration.
