Most CIOs reach the leadership position in IT via a career in IT itself, and in many cases they lack additional management disciplines. However, for the majority of CIOs this is the end of their career progression. They may move to bigger companies and better paid jobs, but few are able to break through the glass ceiling that limits their career progression. This research will identify what CIOs need to do if they wish to continue their career progression beyond the IT function.

Our research will build on a UK study undertaken between 1997 and 2000 by Robina Chatham, then of Cranfield University. That study investigated the characteristics of chief executives who had previously pursued a significant career in IT prior to landing the top job, and contrasted them with those of other senior managers, including people who had remained within the IT function. Robina will update that work using newly-developed instruments and an enhanced feedback process, and she will expand the scope of the study to a global scale.