The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology , July-August 2003

The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships

Roger D. Smith Titan Corporation [email protected]

Introduction Origins of the Chief Technology Officer The significant role of technology in In the 1950s and 1960s, many large strategic decisions has created the corporations established beautiful research need for executives who understand laboratories at locations remote from their technology and recognize profitable headquarters and manufacturing facilities. applications to products, services, and The goal was to collect brilliant scientists processes. Many companies have addressed and allow them to study relevant topics in an this need through the appointment of a Chief environment unhindered by day-to-day Technology Officer (CTO) whose business concerns. The director of the responsibilities include monitoring new laboratory was often a corporate vice technologies and assessing their potential to president who did not participate in become new products or services, decisions regarding corporate strategy and overseeing the selection of research projects direction. Instead, his responsibilities were to insure that they have the potential to add to attract the best scientists, explore new value to the company, providing reliable ideas, and publish respected research technical assessments of potential mergers papers.1 and acquisitions, explaining company By the late 1980s, companies began to products and future plans to the media, anoint R&D laboratory directors as Chief and participating in government, academic, Technology Officers. Technology was and industry groups where there are becoming such a prevalent part of company opportunities to promote the company’s products and services that senior reputation and to capture valuable data. management needed an operational Integrating these technology-based activities executive who could understand it and into the corporate strategy requires that the provide reliable advice on its application. CTO nurture effective relationships with key However, executive search agencies, under people throughout the company. These direction from their corporate customers, include the CEO, members of the Executive continued to fill the CTO position with the Committee, chief scientists, research same people they had recommended to lead laboratory directors, and marketing leaders. R&D laboratories.2 Several experiences with these candidates soon made it clear that the responsibilities of the CTO were significantly different from those of the

1 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research , July-August 2003

research scientist. The CTO position called for a technologist or scientist who could Table 1. Skills and Competencies of an translate technological capabilities into Effective CTO strategic business decisions. Lewis expresses this very clearly. Technology “The CTO’s key tasks are not those of lab director writ large but, rather, The CTO should have been a leader in a of a technical businessperson technology that is an important part of deeply involved in shaping and the corporate business base. implementing overall corporate strategy.”3 Strategy

Though large companies such as General The CTO is a corporate executive dealing Electric, Allied-Signal, and ALCOA created with strategic decisions about the future the position of CTO in the late 1980s, the direction of the company. The CTO must position has also played an important role in make the transition from technical expert computer and Internet companies in the late to business strategists. 1990s. Many of these provide products and services that are pure technology. Business Growth Therefore, the CTO can play a prominent role in directing and shaping their entire CTOs must make decisions about which business. technologies are most likely to generate Strategic Responsibilities of the CTO the highest rate of return. The CTO thinks about technology as a The CTO position is far from being moneymaking asset, not as a field of standardized. Each company has unique exploration for its own sake. requirements for its CTO and provides a unique into which Interpersonal Skills the person will fit. This section describes some of the more prominently cited All executives, including the CTO, must responsibilities of the CTO. be able to communicate clearly and Monitoring and Assessing New effectively with people from all types of Technologies backgrounds. The rate of change of technology guarantees Executive Relationships that knowledge and expertise gained several years ago will no longer be completely The CTO position is relatively new in valid. This creates the need for a most , therefore, the technologically current person to serve as an individual filling the position must insure advisor to senior executives during strategic that he or she is included in the executive decision-making. Paul O’Neill stated that a decision-making cycle. CTO should be expected to, “identify, access, [and] investigate high-risk, high- return technologies possessing potential

2 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

application within existing or for Bert Thurlings of Philips Research creating new businesses”. 4 Knowledge that Laboratories has arrived at conclusions is several years old cannot effectively guide similar to those of O’Neill and Bridenbaugh this type of assessment. If a company is through his field studies of numerous CTOs. planning to modify its production process or These indicate that CTOs themselves feel add new products, it must understand how that one of their most important the latest technologies can contribute to responsibilities is to monitor, evaluate, and those plans. As an illustration of this, Peter select technologies that can be applied to Bridenbaugh recognized the significance of future products and services.5 A significant technical advancements that made it investment in the active exploration of all possible for mini-mills to operate profitably relevant technical areas is required in order and to assault the markets held by large to identify opportunities buried amid all of metal producing companies like Alcoa.4 the information available. Internal company Because he was actively monitoring new managers and scientists are often qualified technologies and assessing their to perform this analysis, but are so focused applicability to business opportunities, on day-to-day operations that they do not Bridenbaugh was in a position to advise have time to study broadly and deeply Alcoa of this threat while mini-mills still enough to locate the technologies that will occupied a very limited niche in metals be essential in the future. These people production. Though other executives within frequently identify important changes once a Alcoa had come up through the operational competitor has already implemented a and scientific ranks, their focus had changed similar idea. However, by that time, it is too to organizational and financial issues. late for the company to capture the lead in Because they were no longer intimately the application of that technology to familiar with the latest scientific products, services, and production developments in metal production, the techniques. Such a company would find emergence of mini-mills did not appear to itself trying to catch-up to the new leader in be a serious threat to Alcoa’s business. the field. Junior engineers, on the other hand, may The opinions and experiences expressed by have realized that new technology made it large companies like Alcoa and Philips are possible for small mills to produce high echoed by the CTOs of the new generation quality products at prices competitive to of information companies as well. Pavan Alcoa’s. But, those engineers did not Nigam, CTO of WebMD, reports that an possess the experience necessary to support important part of his job is reading and their opinions to upper management. evaluating large amounts of data about new Neither did they have access to those senior products.6 Information service vendors are decision-makers. Therefore, a CTO who so eager to attract the attention of the media embodies current knowledge, is networked and of customers that their claims are often with company engineers, has years of exaggerated. Managers and scientists within experience, and has access to executive WebMD could be misled by these claims decision-makers is a valuable resource in and expend irreplaceable time and money recognizing important new technologies and working with products that are not able to bringing them into the company’s strategic deliver the promised capabilities. Therefore, decision-making process.

3 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

Nigam provides a valuable service by more efficient. Proctor & Gamble remaining abreast of vendor claims and by recognized that their products were mature, learning about the experiences of other but that their scientists had a number of companies using those same products and good ideas for improving existing products services. This allows him to direct WebMD and creating new ones. The company’s CEO away from ineffective products and toward and CTO created the Innovation Leadership others that do solve its problems. Team to find and allocate funds to support Darren McKnight, the CTO of defense these new ideas. This program quickly led contractor Titan Corp., listed the evaluation to eleven new products and a number of of new technologies as his number one innovations waiting to be turned into 7 products, giving Proctor & Gamble a responsibility. Titan had developed an 9 electron beam technology to sterilize significant lead on competitors. Just as medical components and the company’s Peter Bridenbaugh learned that emerging senior technologists recognized that this technology was creating a new class of capability could also be used to pasteurize competitors for rolled metal products, food products - Titan created the Surebeam companies that create like subsidiary to pursue this market. Following laundry detergent, toilet paper, gasoline, and the anthrax contaminations in Washington, furniture must apply technology to improve D.C., McKnight and others recognized that their production processes and add an edge Surebeam’s systems could be used to kill to their products that competitors cannot anthrax hidden in postal envelopes. Backed match. O’Neill emphasizes that established by existing research and prior publications companies need a CTO to “assure on the subject, Titan created a new market development of fundamental technologies offering clear competitive advantage for for electron beam systems and assigned a 4 facility to sterilize selected mail destined for current and future businesses.” Walter the nation’s capital. The expertise of Robb, former CTO of General Electric business executives, unaided by Medical Systems, believes that “it is the responsibility of the CTO to push the technologists, would not have been 10 sufficient for identifying such a unique boundary on risk taking.” The CTO’s opportunity. Situations like this demonstrate relationships with the R&D scientists equip the real contributions that can be made by a him with knowledge about the state-of-the- CTO. art that will allow him to recommend risks that have a high probability of success. Strategic Innovation GE’s innovative designs for CAT scanners Michael Porter explains that, “companies and magnetic resonance imaging systems have to find ways of growing and building accepted high levels of risk in order to create advantages rather than just eliminating unique products containing features beyond disadvantages.”8 A significant part of this is the technical reach of their competitors. strategic innovation. In some industries, Those calculated risks led to a market new products based on new technology are dominating position that extended over a the lifeblood of the company. In other decade. industries, core products remain unchanged CTOs like Robb take risks because they for decades, but the processes used to create have a vision for where the company should them are continually evolving and becoming

4 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

take its products in the future. Such product and alliances, Frick and Torres discovered vision is one of the key reasons for that over half of the deals resulted in a lower employing a CTO. Ron Moritz, CTO of market value for the resulting entities.12 Symantec, says Other McKinsey studies in the late 1980’s “One of the key roles of the CTO is to reported that, at that time, more than seventy provide the technical vision to complement percent of acquisitions failed to earn back the cost of capital used to purchase the the business vision, setting the tone and 2 direction for the company’s technologies. company. Frick and Torres maintain that Leadership, in this context, comes from there are two major causes of this problem. being able to set the technical course and First, the acquisition becomes an exercise in from being able to define what the financial . It focuses on company’s products and technologies might successfully structuring the finances look like in two, three, or more years.”6 required to make the acquisition possible and loses sight of the strategic objectives of Product vision should be based on an the acquisition. Second, it is a form of intimate understanding of the power of the corporate ego boosting. Corporate leaders current technology component of the are eager to build an empire or capture high product and knowledge about innovations profile products. Frick and Torres contend and changes that are occurring in related that, in contrast to these two motives, value fields. creating mergers and acquisitions are Michael Earl emphasized that investments in focused on the strategic value that can be technology and innovation must be achieved through the transaction. However, connected directly to business strategy. In to make this happen, it is essential that the fact, he found that the most successful due diligence leading up to the deal include approach was when a company did not have an evaluation of the value of the a separate technology strategy. Instead, the technologies being acquired. The CTO’s best technology strategies were those that role in due diligence includes evaluating were fully integrated with the business patents, reviewing technical publications, strategy. 11 CTOs are now expected to and studying trade data to determine the contribute technology expertise to business value of the target company and to rank it strategies, not to create independent research against its competitors. Darren McKnight at laboratories and strategies that are only Titan Corporation includes these types of investigations in his list of key loosely coupled to the company’s profit 7 engine. responsibilities. At Titan each deal has included a strategic evaluation of the Mergers and Acquisitions technologies within the target company and Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an the synergies that those technologies could important part of the growth strategy of generate within the Titan family. many companies. These involve important Marketing and Media Relations strategies in financing, governmental oversight, taxation, corporate culture, and Media attention to company products and technological synergy. Unfortunately, after capabilities plays an important role in the studying more than 5,000 acquisitions, success of those products. Constructing the divestitures, spin-offs, equity investments, information and images released to the

5 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003 public is primarily the responsibility of the These services combine civic and marketing and sales departments. However, professional duty with the opportunity to technical expertise is required to accurately convey a positive image of the company and translate some product details into terms that its products. can be marketed. Rajeev Bharadwaj, the Governmental committees investigate issues CTO of Ejasent, plays an active role in of national importance. Service on these communicating with the media.13 He committees is an honor, but it also requires believes that the CTO must translate the dedication of time, energy, and money technical details into real customer that could be focused on other pursuits. advantages that are superior to those of Participation brings several rewards that are competing products. Internet start-ups must an alternative form of payment. also create convincing presentations and demonstrations for venture capitalists (VCs). · Tacit recognition as a leader in the field, The VCs provide the initial revenue stream necessary to turn an idea into a viable · Opportunities to influence the decisions product. In the early stages of a company, of the committee in a professionally the VCs are the customers and the marketing positive manner, and story is focused on them rather than the · Early and intimate access to the work actual consumers. generated by the committee. In addition to creating media worthy stories Since many CTOs possess advanced college for publication, companies create media degrees, they tend to have multiple worthy experts to be interviewed and relationships with members of academia. quoted. Trade magazines and television These relationships lead to and producers rely upon statements by insiders funding for research that is of mutual and experts who can speak authoritatively interest. Companies participating in these on a subject. These experts “are like activities generally structure the politicians – they’re made, nurtured, and 8 such that they have first access to the results coached.” They are also made constantly of the research. One of the most accessible to the media for consultation. commercially successful and widely Ron Moritz, CTO of Symantec, was an recognized industry/academia partnerships expert in Internet security, but the media is the Media Lab at MIT. This lab was not aware of his expertise. Therefore, investigates the application of computer Symantec’s President took it upon himself to technologies to practical social problems. In turn Moritz into a media recognized and 6 2001, the lab received 95% of its $36 consulted expert. This was part of the million budget from 140 corporate corporate strategy at Symantec and sponsors.14 There are hundreds of similar, contributed to the success of its security but smaller, examples of corporate and products. academic partnerships that can involve Government, Academia, Professional participation or oversight by the CTO. As a Organizations businessman, the CTO must insure that money and time spent on such projects is Prominent technologists are often called aligned with the corporate strategy and has a upon to provide services to government, realistic potential of contributing to the academic, and professional organizations.

6 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

company’s competitive advantage in the networks to implement the policies and to foreseeable future. insure that they are aligned throughout the 3 Finally, CTOs are called upon to participate company. These networks will also serve as in professional organizations and their the conduits through which corporate vision associated meetings. Similar to government and direction can be communicated. committees, these are an opportunity to Informal networks of technologists can be project a positive image within the used to mediate organizational problems that profession and to communicate important extend beyond the control of operational messages. Presentations allow the CTO to managers. In some companies these tell partners, suppliers, competitors, and networks tend to catalyze unofficial customers about their expertise, products, practices that are aimed at improving future strategy, or commitment to an internal performance. Lewis reports the industry. Both, Bill Waite, President of emergence of internal publications, technical Aegis Technologies, and David Zeltzer, seminars, lists of known experts, and CTO of the Fraunhofer Center for Research technical expositions.3 in Computer Graphics, maintain that the Relationships that Empower the CTO relationships that they build through professional organizations contribute The CTO position was initially created to directly to their business base.15, 16 insure that paid appropriate attention to their own corporate Company Culture 17 technological capabilities. Attracting this Earlier sections described how the CTO attention and operating as an effective could contribute to strategy, acquisitions, member of the executive team, requires that media relations, government committees, the CTO nurture relationships with a number and academic research. But, the CTO can of people and groups internal and external to also serve an important role in creating the the company. internal culture. The CTO should initiate and Executive activities and policies that create a Committees technology-friendly culture aligned with the company’s business strategy. Providing strategic advice to the CEO and the Executive Committee requires much Other technology leaders throughout a more than technical expertise. The CTO company may create policies and practices must earn the trust and confidence of the that attempt to attract and retain the highest CEO. In previous positions, the CTO may quality people available. However, if these have earned the respect and confidence of are not aligned with the corporate business peers and superiors through technical strategy, they may attract excellent people prowess and performance. But, this new who are not able to contribute to business position requires business prowess and objectives. 1 financial performance. The CTO must The CTO should insure that policies and exhibit a clear understanding of and practices are constructed to attract the right dedication to improving the competitive kind, right number, and right placement of position of the company. technologists. This will require the establishment of formal and informal

7 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

The acceptance of the CTO as a business not accurate for the CIO might also prove to strategist is an important step. It will be inaccurate for the CTO. determine whether the CTO is treated as an If the CTO is to provide business decisions equal member of the executive team or is and advice, there needs to be some measure isolated as an outside source for technical of the quality of this advice. The CTOs advice and information. Ed Roberts’ study performance should be measured against a of the of technology plan worked out with the CEO. This plan indicates that most companies include the may include achieving milestones, CTO on the Executive Committee along introducing new products, reducing costs, with the CEO, COO, CFO, and CIO. In reducing uncertainty, and selecting the right North America 60% of the companies research projects to fund. Bill Waite surveyed included the CTO on this advocates a customized set of metrics for the committee. In Europe the number was 67% CTO. Within his company, these included and in Japan it was 91%. 18 In some maintaining and teaching technology within companies the CTO actually teaches senior the , measuring the speed at management about the importance of which technology is brought into the technology in their industry. The goal is to organization, the rate at which the CTO ingrain technology as a significant turns technology into salable intellectual consideration in all executive decision- property, and the CTO’s effectiveness as the making. 19, 20 custodian for CTOs are not the first officers to face the money. challenge of inclusion or exclusion from the Chief Information Officer strategic process. When the CIO position emerged, they too were branded as Many organizations have a difficult time technologists who could not function as separating the responsibilities of the CTO business strategists.21 This image has from those of the CIO, which can make the diminished as CIOs have shown themselves working relationship between the two very to be just as effective at making business difficult. At the 2001 InfoWorld CTO decisions as their management-schooled Forum, CTOs from Sun Microsystems, peers. Kwak cites the results of a study of eBay, Dell Computer, and other companies pairs of executives at 69 companies that identified their responsibilities as being indicated that the business acumen of CIOs externally focused while the CIO’s 23 was equal to that of their executive peers. responsibilities were internally focused. Another study of 417 construction company Corporations have realized that they need a executives found that eighty percent of the CIO to oversee the application of technology CIOs in those companies were considered to internal operations. This has included equal contributors of the strategic decision computer systems for , billing, making process.22 Therefore, the CTO telephony, security, and a host of other should be able to learn from the integration functions. Prior to the creation of the CTO experience of the CIO. Executive position, the CIO was the only executive Committee members should also recognize technologist and was often called upon to that the technological stereotype that was support manufacturing computerization, the purchase of computer aided design

8 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

packages, and strategic decisions for relationship with the CIO should be based injecting technology into products.21 on a more clearly defined division of responsibility. The goal is to create a The internal/external division of complementary and supportive relationship responsibilities is a very useful that maximizes contributions to corporate differentiation, but it leaves significant gray strategy and profitability. areas that can result in turf wars between the two players. Therefore, the CTO’s

Table 2. Key Roles and Responsibilities of Technical Leaders

CTO Technology Strategy. The CTO’s primary responsibility is contributing to the strategic direction of the company by identifying the role that specific technologies will play in its future growth. The CTO looks for contributions that technology can make to the competitive advantage of the company. Internal Coordination. Identification of the best technologies usually comes from a strong internal network of people who are in touch with the latest technologies and understand their potential. External Partnerships. Like all business professionals, the CTO will be part of a strong network that includes business partners, academics, government officials, and technology thought leaders.

CIO Information Technology Application. The CIO leads the application of information technology to internal processes and services. This person is responsible for improving the efficiency of internal systems like payroll, accounting, accounts receivable, labor recording, benefits management, records, government reporting, and a number of others. Reduce Internal Operating Costs. The CIO’s systems are focused on reducing the costs associated with the company operations listed above. Improve Services to Employees and Partners. CIOs and IT departments have provided fantastic improvements in employee services in the last two decades. They have also built systems that allow better information and financial exchange with business partners.

Chief Technology Creation. Chief Scientists lead teams that are focused on Scientist creating new technologies. Given strategic direction from management, these teams work to create products or services that make the company’s strategy possible and that do so in a manner superior to their competitors. Recognized Leader. Chief Scientists should be recognized leaders in their technical field. They should be actively involved in professional associations and conferences with their peers in industry and academia.

9 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

Chief Scientist incubated company, felt that the cross- Chief Scientists are much more intimately pollination of technologies within CMGI involved in the day-to-day execution of could identify valuable opportunities and scientific and technical projects. Each of solve local problems. Therefore, acting as these is usually limited to the laboratory, the ad hoc CTO of the parent company, he division, or facility in which he or she organized technology summits for all CMGI resides. As described earlier, senior technology leaders. One of these summits technologists are often very eager to explore led to the realization that two CMGI new areas. But, these explorations should companies were buying services from the be harnessed to contribute to the company’s same vendor. The leaders reasoned that the strategic direction. Earl maintained that a vendor would be a good fit under the CMGI company should not have a separate umbrella and purchased the company, reducing outsourcing costs and adding a technology strategy. Supporting this 6 perspective, one study has found that short- proven product to the CMGI family. term, product focused R&D is positively Research and Development Laboratories correlated with the financial performance of Since the 1960s, research and development the company, while long-term R&D is laboratories have been transformed from negatively correlated with it.18 That is one independent scientists working on reason that it is important for the CTO to challenging, but questionably marketable mentor the Chief Scientists and to direct technologies, to organizations that are their focus such that it contributes to the expected to make direct contributions to success of the company. company profits. The CTO can play an Chief Scientists may also have informal important role in monitoring and directing networks of technologists that span business these labs. Erickson et al recommend areas, but they do not have the official several principles that a CTO should use for charter to cross-pollinate technologies. The directing R&D. First R&D personnel CTO can organize an internal council of should be kept in touch with the company’s technologists to search out and apply the customers and markets.25 Few labs can best technologies available across the seclude themselves from the market and company. 9 Darren McKnight of Titan conduct research for its own sake. Second, reports that he sponsored internal summits to the CTO should foster open communications bring leading technologists together to share between R&D staff, manufacturing ideas. He viewed it as his responsibility to engineers, and the marketing department. create leverage across many different Third, the CTO should hold the R&D labs to business groups to identify potential schedule and budget commitments. If an combinations of technology that could R&D project is not delivering results, it may become new products or services. He is need to be terminated and the funds applied currently working on plans to create a more productively elsewhere. Some long- network of technologists similar to that standing projects constantly show great described by Brunner.7 promise and absorb resources, but produce CMGI was one of the leading incubators of nothing. These projects, though considered the Internet business explosion. Daniel “pillars of the lab,” must be held Jaye, the CTO of Engage, a CMGI

10 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

accountable and face termination if they do Companies began adding Chief Technology not produce results.11 Officers to the executive ranks in the 1980s because technology was becoming an R&D laboratory budgets should be the topic integral part of many strategic decisions and of critical reviews by the executive staff. future plans. The CIO already provided The CTO should lead initial funding reviews strong expertise on the internal application in which R&D projects present the of technology. But, senior managers needed expectations for the project, its applicability expert advice regarding the inclusion of to market needs, the position relative to technologies in existing products and the competitors, and a record of past successes. creation of new products and services with The CTO should also hold in-progress large technical components. A CTO that is reviews to monitor problems and successes. actively involved in monitoring new A CTO can serve as an honest broker in technologies, separating marketing rhetoric these reviews because he or she comes from from technical facts, and identifying outside of the laboratory and is not 10, 14 profitable applications for those personally involved in the projects. technologies can make a significant Sales and Marketing difference in the company’s competitive CTOs like Rajeev Bharadwaj at Ejasent and future. The CTO can also add value to the Ron Moritz at Symantec are actively company by participating in government, involved in marketing products and services. academic, and industry groups in a manner These CTOs recognize that some products that creates positive attention for the are so technically sophisticated that company. explaining them to the trade media requires Technology companies are involved in a technical representative. When the CTO is thousands of acquisitions every year. used to explain the subtle, but significant, Selecting the best target for an acquisition differences between the company’s products often requires reliable advice on technical and those of competitors, he or she becomes issues at the executive level. The CTO is 24 a de facto me mber of the marketing staff. also a valuable tool in addressing the Working with the sales and marketing increasingly well-informed media about the departments also insures that the CTO products, services, and the future plans of remains rooted in the customers’ need for the company. CTOs can speak as peers to the product, rather than the technical other technologists and can play a role in sophistication of the product. Supporting convincing the media that the company’s this perspective, Michael Wolfe of Kana decisions are sound and will add value for Communications says that, “Creating a the company’s stakeholders. product is mapping what a customer needs It is important that the CTO not become the 6 to what you can build.” Making this senior technologist of the company. Instead, mapping requires regular and detailed he or she is the senior business executive interactions with customers and the with a focus on technology. In the CTO marketplace. position, senior management is not looking Technology and Executive Leadership for enthusiastic advice from a research scientist. Instead, they need sound advice on business decisions involving technology.

11 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

Table 3. CTO Resources for Further Development

Because the CTO position is so new, the literature and resources on the subject are much more sparse than for any other executive rank. This list provides some of the best information to educate and direct the CTO.

Research-Technology Management. This publication of the Industrial Research Institute provides regular articles from CTOs of large companies involved in pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and the electronics industries. www.iriinc.org

InfoWorld Magazine and Web Site. InfoWorld focuses on CTOs of companies that provide IT products and services and those serving in government agencies. The articles often treat the CTO and CIO positions as nearly identical, which is easy to do when the company is creating IT products and services to sell to CIOs. www.infoworld.com

CTO Forum. This forum is organized by InfoWorld Magazine and focuses on issues in providing IT services to corporate customers. www.infoworld.com/ctoforum

Local CTO Round Tables. Several regional organizations have emerged which allow CTOs to network with each other. These CTO Roundtables are often patterned after the Technology Leadership Council of San Francisco that has served companies in that area so well for several years. www.chieftechnologyofficer.org www.chillarege.com/prof/CTO/ www.technologyleadershipcouncil.org www.columbustlc.org

12 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

References 10. Robb, W.L. (September-October, 1994). Selling technology to your CEO. 1. Larson, C.F. (November, 2001). Research Technology Management, Management for the new millennium-- 37(5), pp. 43-45. the challenge of change. Research Technology Management, 44(6), p. 10. 11. Earl, M., & Feeny, D. (Spring, 1994). Is your CIO adding value? Sloan 2. Parker, D.P. (2002). The changing role Management Review, 35(3), pp. 11-23. of the Chief Technology Officer. D.P. Parker and Associates web site. 12. Frick, K.A., & Torres, A. (2002). http://www.dpparker.com/article_cto_rol Learning from high-tech deals. The e.html. McKinsey Quarterly, 2002(1). 3. Lewis, W.W., & Lawrence, H.L. (1990). 13. Bharadwaj, R. (January, 2002). The role A new mission for corporate technology. of the CTO at Ejasent. Personal Sloan Management Review, 31(4), pp. correspondence with the author. 57-67. 14. Media Lab. (2001). Overview of the 4. O’Neill, P.H., & Bridenbaugh, P.R. MIT Media Lab. (November-December, 1992). http://www.media.mit.edu/. Credibility between CEO and CTO – A 15. Waite, W. (January, 2002). The role of CEO’s perspective; Credibility between the CTO at Aegis Technologies. CEO and CTO – A CTO perspective. Personal correspondence with the Research Technology Management, author. 35(6), pp. 25-34. 16. Zeltzer, D. (January, 2002). The role of 5. Thurlings, B., & Debackere, K. (July- the CTO at the Fraunhofer Institute. August, 1996). Trends in managing Personal correspondence with the industrial innovation – first insights from author. a field survey. Research Technology Management, 39(4), pp. 13-14. 17. Betz, F. (1993). Strategic Technology Management. New York: McGraw Hill. 6. Aspatore Editors. (2000). Inside the Minds: Chief Technology Officers. 18. Roberts, E. (March-April, 2001). Bedford, MA: Aspatore Books. Benchmarking global strategic management of technology. Research 7. McKnight, D. (January, 2002). The role Technology Management, 44(2), pp. 25- of the CTO at Titan Corporation. 36. Personal correspondence with the author. 19. Gwynne, P. (March-April, 1996). The CTO as line manager. Research 8. Gibson, R. (1998). Rethinking the Technology Management, 39(2), pp. 14- Future. London: Nicholas Brealey 19. Publishing. 20. Earl, M., & Feeny, D. (Winter 2000). 9. Brunner, G.F. (January, 2001). The Tao Opinion: How to be a CEO for the of innovation. Research Technology information age. Sloan Management Management, 44(1), pp. 45-51. Review, 41(2), pp. 11-23.

13 The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships Research Technology Management, July-August 2003

21. Kwak, M. (Spring 2001). Technical skills, people skills, it’s not either/or. Sloan Management Review, 41(3), p. 16. 22. Phair, M., & Rubin, D.K. (October 26, 1998). Bytes, bucks and big pictures. Engineering News Review, 241(16), p. 29. 23. Spiers, D. (July 5, 2001). CTOs: Technology’s easy – It’s the people part that’s hard to master. Business 2.0, pp.15-16. 24. Foster, R.N. (January-February, 2000). Managing technological innovation for the next 25 years. Research Technology Management, 43(1), pp. 29-31. 25. Erickson, T.J., Magee, J.F., Roussel, P.A., & Saad, K.N. (1990). Managing technology as a business strategy. Sloan Management Review, 31(3), p. 73. Author Roger D. Smith is a and Group CTO for Titan Corporation. He is responsible for the technological focus and evolution within one business unit and leads the technology aspects of some of the company’s largest projects. He has published over 50 technical papers in the fields of simulation, operations research, and computer science. He holds degrees in mathematics, statistics, computer science, and management.

14