10/5/2006
03:40 PM

Mike Adler, Joe Guastella, Todd Eyler, Matthew Josefowicz, Rod Travers, Denise Garth, Barry Rabkin
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What Makes a Successful CIO?

The constant evolution of information and a changing competitive environment -- shaped by such diverse forces as general economic conditions, industry consolidation, changing customer expectations, and natural and man-made catastrophes -- ensure that the profile of the effective insurance technology executive continues to change. In this article, distinguished industry observers comment on what makes a successful insurance CIO.

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Mike Adler Global Leader, IBM Global Business Services

A successful CIO is constantly looking at prioritizing best practices to determine how technology can improve a carrier's overall performance. In 2006, leading CIOs continued to execute winning strategies and initiatives, such as sourcing, cost reduction and application transformation.

In addition, two new trends have emerged and are gaining traction with the most-dynamic CIOs. First, a number of insurers are now investing in innovation programs, particularly around customer/policyholder experience and core insurance processing. As a result, leading CIOs have become champions for innovation and are working across their companies to identify innovation opportunities and leverage technology that makes a real impact on the business.

CIOs also are establishing programs around service-oriented architecture (SOA) in order to support the business needs for flexibility and sharing component business processes across the enterprise. Outstanding CIOs also know the importance of collaboration and surrounding themselves with strong leadership teams and advisory councils, which can make a significant contribution to the bottom line.

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