The responses to the Brainstorm CIO Survey are pouring in, showing how important the survey is to local CIOs.
"It is still early to say anything about the results as the survey is not yet closed. But we are on track to reach more than 200 respondents," says Jon Tullett, analyst and content strategist at ITWeb.
Local CIOs who will also be guest speakers at the Brainstorm CIO Banquet, which will be held in October this year, emphasised the importance of the survey and the banquet to the ICT community. The results of the survey will be presented for the first time to the public at this event.
Len De Villiers, CIO at Telkom, also considered to be one of the top CIOs in SA and was voted "the most admired CIO in SA" by the CIO Council of SA in 2009, will be one of the presenters at the banquet.
"This event brings all the key CIOs of South Africa together in one venue to recognise and celebrate massive achievements and delivery successes across the IT industry of South Africa," he says.
Riaan Lourens, group CIO at RTT, also shares the same sentiments, saying: "It's important to ensure that the survey receives the necessary support and recognition from the industry.
"The event is a key driver from an awareness point of view and also a celebration of the great initiative launched by Brainstorm. I am of the opinion that South Africa requires more thought leaders in the IT space, a banquet such as this could be a great catalyst for individuals to move into this space," he adds.
Lourens will also be taking the podium at the event. He points out the survey is much needed and welcomed by the industry as it helps them to benchmark the industry. "Benchmarking in the IT industry is critical; unfortunately, most of the benchmarking data available is only related to first world countries and not about the local market.
"The results can play a key role in IT strategy formulation, specifically with regards to daily challenges the CIO has to face. South Africa has a unique business landscape, thus it is critical that the current IT executives are equipped with the correct tools for the job at hand," says Lourens.
De Villiers elaborates saying the event guides CIOs in the key decisions they make and intend to make across their portfolios and assists them with strategic prioritisation in their firms.
He also advises the CIOs to stay close to their CEO and their C-suite level colleagues to ensure alignment of the strategic objectives between IT function and the business units across the enterprise.
"Alignment between IT and business remains the top priority for CIOs going forward," he points out.
"Gone are the days when the CIO's skillset was mainly based on technical skills. An adequate level of business acumen is one of the key strengths required from the CIO to ensure prosperity," Lourens concludes.
Click here to find out about sponsorship opportunities, and other information about the banquet.
Share