Programme

UCISA Directors' Forum

Leadership

8-9 January 2008, Mercure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff

Programme

Abstracts

The CEO-CIO relationship
David Grant (Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff University) & Martyn Harrow (Director of Information Service, Cardiff University)

What does Vice-Chancellor acting as Chief Executive expect from a Director of Information Services who directly reports to him, possibly in the role of Chief Information Officer? Are there differences in the relationship because it’s a University or are there some principles that remain the same? Dr David Grant and Martyn Harrow will apply their experience of working outside the sector to a discussion of how they work together in Cardiff University.

The 2008 CIO Agenda
Roger Acton, Vice-President, Gartner Executive Programs

What should be your top priorities for 2008? Are you focusing your team and your own time on the right things? Are you maximising the value you deliver to your organisation? In this session, we will share with you the findings and conclusions from the largest survey of CIO’s worldwide and then give you the opportunity to discuss how your 2008 focus and priorities align with our findings.

What it takes to be a really effective IT leader
Robina Chatham, Consultant & Visiting Fellow, Cranfield University

Competence and intellect will get you onto the first rung of the managerial ladder. Progress beyond will however be more dependent on your people skills and your visionary capability. Becoming an effective IT leader requires emotional intelligence in support of IQ and the courage to go with your “gut” instinct rather than be a follower of best practice.

During this session you will:

• Receive advice from that rare breed of CEOs who have made it to the top from a career in IT
• Discover what gives IT leaders political success in the long term
• Find out how to build rapport and influence others
• Gain insight into how reputations are formed and what you can do to enhance your own

You will also have the opportunity to compare yourself with the CEO's in the study and find out if you have you got what it takes!

‘Yes, but my PDA is not synchronising’ …or … Living with the Chief Exec
Kevin Swindin, City University

Many senior technology leaders aspire to a seat at the top table and in particular to have a direct line to the chief executive. Getting there, and staying there, requires technology leaders to be a blend of strategist, tactician, simple opportunist, political operator and something of a risk-taker. This session will look at some of the steps along the way of my own personal journey from first head of a combined service to Director of Services and CIO at City University.