CIO Jury: Is industry experience vital for IT chiefs?

A third of IT bosses say it is still difficult to move across vertical market sectors without the relevant industry experience despite CIO skills becoming increasingly transferable across different types of businesses.

Getting 'boxed in' to a particular vertical industry sector has always been an issue for IT directors, especially when moving across from the public to private sector or vice versa.

But two-thirds of silicon.com's 12-strong CIO Jury user panel said general management and leadership skills are more important to businesses than specific industry experience and that many organisations value the fresh insight from someone outside their sector.

Rob Neil, head of ICT at Ashford Borough Council, said: "I’ve moved from financial IT to education to the service sector and then to local government. If you can’t pick up enough knowledge about a new sector quickly, then I don’t think you a particularly effective CIO."

CIO Jury members cited their own examples of switching jobs across industries. John Odell, group IT director at the manufacturing organisation BBA Group, said: "In IT I've found it relatively painless to move from the oil industry, to banking and insurance then manufacturing and transport."

Richard Rundle, IT director at BAA, said: "At CIO levels the general management skills not the technical skills are the key. Industry knowledge can be gained."

Ben Booth, European CTO at pollsters Mori, said many industries are prepared to consider CIOs from outside for a fresh view on their issues but added that it can be difficult to move into some sectors such as logistics or law without relevant experience in that area.

But personal experience in the job market shows there are still obstacles to moving to a CIO-type role in a different industry without the relevant background in that area.

Nicholas Bellenberg, IT director at publishing firm Hachette Filipacchi UK, said he found it "hugely frustrating" when looking for a job at the end of 2004.

He said: "I could not get a look in anywhere other than in other roles in my vertical. Recruiters say they understand about transferable skills, but the employers’ first question on seeing a list of candidates is 'who’s got relevant industry experience'."

Adrian Hughes, head of IS at insurance group Amlin, said: "Within my industry - financial services - CIOs who have been appointed from outside the industry have not usually worked out or lasted very long."

Luke Mellors, IT director at the Dorchester Hotel in London, argued this shouldn't be the case. He said: "Leaders in finance and marketing can cross industry lines quite freely and I see that IT should be no different. Often taking someone from outside the industry with out-of-the-box thinking and solid leadership can be very beneficial to the business."

Jacques Rene, IT director at Airclaims, said: "What you need are visionary employers who will instruct the recruiters to look for competencies rather than industry knowledge."

Today's CIO Jury was…

Nicholas Bellenberg, IT director, Hachette Filipacchi UK
Ben Booth, European CTO, Mori
Paul Broome, IT director, 192.com
Kirk Downey, CTO, Centrica
Adrian Hughes, head of IS, Amlin
Victor Kemeny, group IS director, William Hill
Luke Mellors, IT director, The Dorchester Hotel
Rob Neil, head of ICT, Ashford Borough Council
John Odell, group IT director, BBA Group
Jacques Rene, IT director, Airclaims
Chris Robinson, CIO, Staffordshire County Council
Richard Rundle, IT director, BAA

If you are a CIO, IT director or equivalent at a large or small company in the private or public sector and you want to be part of silicon.com's CIO Jury pool, or you know an IT chief who should be, then drop us a line at editorial@silicon.com