Special: What kind of CIO are you?

Professional CIO

This is the company insider closest to the traditional image of the top IT executive and someone who has worked their way up through the ranks on performance and merit.

Platts says: "They are deeply loyal to the company. If you have a professional CIO who has been in the place for a while the chances are it is because they have been doing a good job. They stay around in one place."

All their experience has mainly been gained in IT and they've been in the top job on average for four years, and at the same company for around 11 years.

The professional is reluctant to play politics but has sound relationships with fellow executives, built up over many years, and typically reports to the CEO. He or she knows how to get things done effectively and usually targets the strategy committee rather than the executive committee as their point of entry to contributing to business strategy.

More conservative than other types of CIO the professional also tends to stick with suppliers they trust and situations they know.

Some of these strengths, however, can also be weaknesses. The professional CIO is less mobile than other CIOs through quite narrow experience within one company.

Platts says: "It is unusual for a professional CIO to move into another big role and headhunters find them hard to shortlist."

Ultimately, professional CIOs are more suited to stable organisations that value continuity and legacy.

Executive CIO profile
Consultant CIO profile
Paratrooper CIO profile