Information Nation: Seven Keys to Information Management Compliance, Second Edition

Chapter 12. IT Leadership

As the visibility of compliance continues to rise, there is a concurrent increase in the importance placed on information technology and the role of the CIO. Like other parts of the enterprise responsible for risk and compliance, IT's mandate has expanded in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) environment. Beyond the traditional charge that comprises the fundamentals of keeping the lights on and the company out of trouble, IT and the CIO now share responsibility for making the business better. Ironically enough, one of the most "siloed" of functions has become one of the most well-positioned to do just that.

CIO.com, January, 2008^[123]

In the wake of recent laws and regulations aimed at corporate reform and accountability, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, chief information officers (CIOs) and their departments are taking responsibility for not only their organizations' technology systems but also for the information stored within those systems. Some view this as an inevitable evolution: it only makes sense that those who "own" the IT systems would be the best people to take responsibility for their contents. To others, the evolution is not so clear and they see trouble ahead.

What is clear is that business and IT executives often see the world very differently. For example, a recent survey by The Economist found that although alignment between business and IT leaders had improved over the previous three years, there is still a significant difference of opinion ...