CIO & LEADER-Issue-10-January 2018 (1)

Cover Story
Sunil Mehta
Senior Vice-President
& Area Systems
Director – Central
Asia
JWT
Skill I Plan To Hire in 2018
The shift to a digital economy is creating a talent crisis that is putting
companies’ survival—and CIOs’ own careers—on the line. Today the nature
of the skills that organizations need in IT is changing. Digital business is
being built cloud-first and mobile-first, and is heavily dependent on analytics,
automation and new security models. My main area of focus will be
to create a culture of growth, empowerment, and transparency; and above
all, making sure work is meaningful, challenging, and fun. Additionally, I will
also be focused on sourcing good artificial intelligence skills available in
the market.
Skill I Plan To Develop in 2018
The IT skills gap is an ongoing concern for CIOs, particularly in the search
for cyber security talent. Complex and ever-evolving threats, from the rise
in ransomware to the emergence of billions of BYOD and IoT devices,
mean the risks and staffing needs are always growing and changing Even
though organizations are progressively looking for a modern business
environment, CIOs today are concerned about having a proper security
environment in place owing to the open nature of the Internet and increasing
cyber threats. In 2018, I will focus on developing and honing security
skills to prepare for modern security warfare.
In 2018, Sunil's
focus will be
on developing
cybersecurity
skills
Yateen has
authored a book
titled ' Life of
CXO' - a skill
development
guide for the
future
Skill I Plan To Hire in 2018
Hiring has undergone a transformation in the last three years. In my book, Life of CXO, I
have explained how the skills required for future have replaced the skills of the past. Given
the enormous operational and strategic importance of IT today, CIOs should act as CEO's
IT advisor who understands the business as well as the technology. CIO is no longer
focused on just technical matters: they are integral to company strategy, security
and risk management, and how companies and customers interact. In 2018, I will
look for managerial level skills in core areas such as Strategic mindset, Risk management,
Emotional Intelligence, Vendor management, Smart sourcing and negotiation
skills. I will also look for technical expertise in areas such as Project and
Operations management, Mobile, Web, Omni Channel application development,
Data mining, Data Warehouse and Big data management, Next Gen Data centre
technologies: Converged Infrastructure Rack management, and Cloud.
Yateen Chodnekar
Group CIO
Writer Corporation
Skill I Plan To Develop in 2018
The success or failure of a company is often linked to its highest level executives. Being
the CIO I am at the driver’s seat as a custodian of data and technology decision maker.
Therefore, I am rightly positioned to shape success of a business with use of latest technologies
which can cross physical boundaries and achieve exponential business volumes.
As part of my learning agenda in 2018, I wish to focus on developing strategic, financial
and business orientation, BI and analytics, Blockchain, and Enterprise Architecture.
January 2018 | CIO&LEADER
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