The Practical CIO: A Common Sense Guide for Successful IT Leadership

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is based largely on the knowledge and insight that I acquired from over four decades of experience as a senior IT executive at several large companies. But since the book is also a work of journalism and reportage, I could not have completed it without tapping into the collective wisdom of many expert sources. To them I am deeply indebted. I thank them sincerely for their time, their energy, their intelligence, and their support.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Mike Barlow, the co-author of Partnering with the CIO (John Wiley & Sons, 2007). Mike served as my editorial director for The Practical CIO and his guidance was truly invaluable. In addition to being a talented writer and communicator, Mike is an all-around good guy. Thank you, Mike!

Esther Schindler, the well-known writer, editor and blogger extraordinaire, also provided timely support, constructive criticism, and a unique perspective on the continually expanding information technology universe. Thank you, Esther!

Much of the content of this book was based on in-depth interviews with CIOs and senior executives at numerous companies and organizations all over the world. I could not have written it without the active participation and cooperation of Ashlee Aldridge, Matthew Chamberlin, Eric Chow, William Christie, Ronald Franz, Michael Hugos, Darwin John, Claudio Joppert, Beth Kirkpatrick, Harvey Koeppel, Mark Lutchen, Claude Marais, Steve Marenakos, Alejandro Martinez, Rita Gunther McGrath, Caroline ...