UK CIOs are shut out of the boardroom

Poor communication between IT and the business may limit opportunities for growth

Neon Kelly, Computing 19 Jun 2008

Less than half the UK's chief information officers (CIOs) sit on their company's board of directors, limiting their ability to influence strategic decisions.

A survey of 500 businesses across Europe found that only 48 per cent of British CIOs are operating at board level, compared to the highest continental figure of 69 per cent, in France.

Respondents also revealed that IT leaders tend to be consulted only once a business decision has been taken. Only 13 per cent of organisations wait for their CIO's input before signing off a project, compared to 35 per cent of cases when IT teams are only consulted afterwards.

A lack of communication between CIOs and the rest of the boardroom may cause serious problems for businesses, said analyst group IDC analyst Ruediger Spies.

“Without optimum visibility of real time market data, businesses are unable to respond to market conditions fast enough," said Ruediger Spies, independent vice president for enterprise applications.

"They may miss out upon growth opportunities, or increase their exposure to risk through non-compliance or being unable to withdraw from difficult market conditions.”

Sixty-six per cent of respondents said that a communication gap between IT and the business had cost them opportunities for business growth or improved efficiency.

The survey was carried out by infrastructure vendor Progress Software, speaking to 500 business across Europe. Questions were answered by a variety of 250 CIOs or IT managers, and 250 business leaders.

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