I love technology and its application in helping companies drive growth, deliver productivity and inspire innovation.
Over the past 20 years, I've had the chance to work in multiple industries, countries and companies. One thing I can say with confidence from those experiences is that businesses rarely understand the problems they have until you show them a better way. Whether its through the use of technology or just good old business analysis, it is the job of the CTO to share a vision of "what's possible".
The formula for success isn't a big secret. Its about spending time to understand the company you work for; how they make money and how their customers make money.
From that understanding, you can identify opportunities to change business processes to better deliver those outcomes to the company AND its customers. This understanding allows for the creation of an enterprise technology strategy and the technology organizations necessary to delivery it. By focusing on the outcomes for the business and its customers, CIOs are signing up to have skin in the game. This is what I have found it takes to get them the necessary technology budget to drive change.
I have had the opportunity (the pleasure) of helping many businesses set their technology direction and have driven the necessary technology transformation required for success.
I couldn't have a better job or work in a better function!