Blurring the Lines Between CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, and CIOs in the Digital Age

With the rise of the Digital Age and the Internet of Things (IoT), the business environment is going through a series of disruptive changes that seem to alter the most fundamental aspects of the economy. It would seem that almost nothing will remain as it was before. The traditional hierarchical system begins to break down, as seen with most of the start-ups today.

These examples presented here are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the disruption brought forth by today's technological revolution.

The implementation of new technologies has taken center stage, as of late, meaning that the bridge between business and IT is closer than ever. And as a consequence, the lines between CEOs, CTOs, and CIOs are also beginning to blur. So, what are the responsibilities of these three positions?

CEO - As the most senior corporate, executive, or administrative officer, the CEO is tasked with looking at the big picture items regarding company growth.

CTO - The chief technology officer, or sometimes known as the chief technologist, is tasked with all technological and scientific issues regarding the organization.

CIO - The chief information officer, on the other hand, works with traditional information technology (IT) as well as all computer systems that support the enterprise's goals.

CFO - The chief financial officer is responsible for financial affairs within the organization. The modern CFO is using emerging technology for more strategic planning.

Does your business plan for 2019 include how your organization can best leverage technology? With technology becoming so prevalent in companies and their successes and growth, the relationship between the CEO/CTO/CIO/CFO etc is growing stronger.

The Merger of Roles

Looking at these simple definitions and together with what we mentioned previously, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that these three roles within an organization begin to overlap. As technology is becoming a significant factor in an organization's growth and efficiency, it only stands to reason that the CEO will also have to consider it.

Similarly, the CIO and CTO positions are also evolving in response to this digital transformation of the business landscape. This shift is represented by how CIOs view their roles within a company. In 2017, for instance, only 20% of CIOs still saw themselves solely in their traditional roles of managing IT operations. That number was down from 27% the year prior.

By comparison, around 50% of CIOs are more focused on implementing new systems and aligning them with the company's business goals - a figure up from 45% in 2016. Also, 31% lean towards a more strategic focus, spending the majority of their time on various business innovation and growth activities.

At the same time, however, the business side of an enterprise is becoming more tech savvy. With an overall increase in digital literacy and programming skills, it's becoming increasingly apparent that these roles are overlapping in certain areas. It was Brook Colangelo, EVP, and CTO at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who once said in a tweet that “Everybody is a technologist and everybody in technology is in the business.”

In other words, these business leaders need to forsake the traditional way of doing things and take advantage of these skill sets. They need to create an environment in which employees are empowered to innovate, thanks to today's many digital technologies.

 

Susan Kuruvilla Selected as Finalist for the 2018 Business Women of the Year Awards

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

San Diego, CA, November 14, 2018, – The San Diego Business Journal will recognize dynamic women business leaders who have contributed significantly to San Diego’s workplaces and communities in their 25th annual event on December 13th. We are proud to announce that our Chief Executive Officer, Susan Kuruvilla, has been selected as finalist for the 2018 Business Women of the Year award.

“Susan Kuruvilla is a powerhouse of experience combined with intuition and intelligence. Susan leads a team of 80 FTE's between San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles with clients who are under management globally. Her largest achievement has been building a leadership team made up of 50% women, which is rare to see in the tech sector and is a reflection on her passion for empowering women in the workplace,” said Sean Ferrel, Chairman and Founder of Managed Solution.

Earlier this year, Susan was also a finalist for the San Diego Magazine’s Woman of the Year award in the category of Industry Leader.

Susan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business with a concentration in Finance. Soon after she received her MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Kuruvilla has worked in Finance for American Airlines and 10+ years as CFO and then President of Clark Security Products, Inc, which was acquired by Anixter International (NYSE: AXE) in 2010.

Susan, who has experience in high-growth environments at both public and private companies, brings a customer-centric and collaborative approach to Managed Solution. Her focus has been implementing a growth strategy and building on our core values: innovation, integrity and teamwork. Additionally, she has made great strides in positioning our team to become your go-to business technology advisor and provide the highest level of support to help grow your business.

Congratulations Susan, the whole team will keep our fingers crossed on December 13th!

 

About Managed Solution

As a relationship-driven organization, Managed Solution collaborates with you to customize the perfect mix of software, hardware, and IT services. We deliver a flexible technology solution that evolves and adapts to meet your needs and exceed your expectations at every stage of your business cycle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Managed Solution Hosts First HoloLens Event at Ballast Point Brewery

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery interval="3" images="11188,11187,11186,11185,11184,11183,11182,11181,11180,11179,11178,11177,11176,11175,11190,11173" img_size="large"][vc_column_text]

Managed Solution Hosts First HoloLens Event at Ballast Point Brewery

San Diego, CA - Last Thursday evening, Managed Solution, San Diego's fastest growing full-service technology firm, hosted their first-ever HoloLens event, showcasing the mixed reality experience to top-level executives from San Diego's fastest growing companies.  On August 11th, 2016, CEO's participated in a friendly competition featuring a custom-made app by the VP Marketing, Jackie Weiner, at Ballast Point Brewery.
Combining mixed and augmented reality, the Microsoft HoloLens is a one-of-a-kind experience that gives users the incredible balance between the virtual world and reality. At the event,  each CEO wore the untethered, holographic enabled headset and was tested on the execution, retention, and speed of the information received.  The winner of the event was Ian Koskela, Information Officer of CD Savoia, who took home a growler of the beer of his choice.  Runners up took home small growlers and bottles, as well as Managed Solution goodies.
Feedback from the event was outstanding, mainly focusing on the app's incredible development and user experience.  When asked how he liked the HoloLens, Ian Koskela responded with:

"The app is awesome! The HoloLens is just fantastic. I was really impressed by the investment that was made into creating this app. The app just blew my mind, and it just shows you how much the HoloLens platform can offer developers."

Managed Solution is hosting a new HoloLens event in Phoenix, AZ on September 14th (click here for more info), as well as upcoming events in San Diego, LA, and Orange County.
Managed Solution is a full-service technology firm that empowers businesses by delivering, maintaining and forecasting the technologies they’ll need to stay competitive in their market place. Regional Partners with Microsoft & Microsoft’s United States SMB Champions Club West Region Marketer of the Year 2016, Managed Solution provides software migration, hardware, project implementation and managed services for small to enterprise size clients.
Managed Solution was founded in 2002 and was quickly recognized as one of San Diego’s 40 fastest growing companies and the 27th fastest growing IT company in Southern California. With corporate headquarters in San Diego, Managed Solution provides IT services nationwide and was recently recognized as one of the top 10 National Cloud Service Providers.

For more information on the HoloLens and other events with Managed Solution, check out More Holographic Experience.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]