CIO Forum: Is it time for techies to snatch the glory?

With an IT department becoming a mainstay of even relatively small businesses, should the CIO be getting more credit for a company's success - or failure?

Simon Fox, CIO, Virgin Atlantic Airways, said sometime it helps for a CIO and his team to take a back seat. He said that projects must be led or sponsored by the business, not by the IT department - otherwise the IT department will be blamed if the project isn't a success.

But when it comes to who gives the thumbs up to getting the chequebook out for new technology, it's a difficult decision over when a CIO should take the lead or step back.

Mark Lichtenhein, PGA European Tour and Ryder Cup CIO, said: "Innovation is absolutely key. I see a big part of my job as leading the debate on when to innovate."

Another big part of the job, it seems, is not technology at all. David Butler, chairman of the Executive Learning Alliance, said: "If you ask a company CIO how much of his or her time he spends on technology, it would be 10 to 20 per cent."

For some CIOs, moving away from technology is a necessary evil. Fox said: "You need to communication and talk about sales, marketing and IT in the same debate… so they're sat round a table discussing strategy with you on the board."

Claire Hamon, IT director, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), however, doesn't believe that such accolades are essential - but said being a good boss is: "Leadership is very important - I don't necessarily think that's synonymous with sitting on the board."

For Hamon, getting a high profile for IT is essential - with the CPS actively encouraging publicity around its technological deployments.

Some would argue that CIO who wants to develop his or her profile should make sure that they're doing it for the right reasons - it's the business not the techies that should be in the spotlight.

"Why develop your profile?... It's the profile of the company. It's about recognising when to take the front position and when to step back and say 'this is not about IT'," Lichtenhein said.