This has been around for two years now. They fall under one of my many hats so I look after that team too. The roles existed before - it's not that we weren't doing it - we're just giving it some focus.
I look at my role as that of an ber generalist. I need to have a broad knowledge of lots of things. That doesn't suit everyone.
Then there is SaaS - how we sell to our customers and how they buy from us. It's the 'SaaSification' of our technology.
What advice would you give to those looking to become a CTO? Any dos/don'ts?
It doesn't suit everybody. When I look at my team, it's a big group of technical experts. I look at my role as that of an ber generalist. I need to have a broad knowledge of lots of things. That doesn't suit everyone.
You also need to have strong communication skills. And not all technical people have that. You need to mix a technical background with those strong communication skills. That's why I've been doing work with e-skills UK.
We recently carried out some research. Some 56 per cent of CIOs view what they do as a stepping-stone to a bigger role, but just four per cent of CEOs had come from that position. There is a disconnect.
Then there's the consumerisation of IT. There's no doubt it is changing the industry and it's a huge challenge for all of our customers.
People look at the shiny new iPad or iPhone they got for Christmas and expect to be able to use that in the workplace. How will leaders respond to that? It's one of the major trends.
