SFU/CIOCAN Leadership Program Exceeds Expectations for 77% of Graduates:
Developing the Next Generation of CIOs
A Leadership Development Program developed and offered jointly by the CIO Association of Canada, Vancouver Chapter and the Learning Strategies Group at SFU's Segal School of Business has exceeded the expectations of its most recent graduates. Targeting mid to senior level IT professionals seeking to build their expertise as they progress toward the CIO position, the program is an intensive seven weeks of instruction and team project work. Topics include leadership, strategy, governance, business alignment and project management, with an emphasis on the mastery of communication skills essential to senior management roles.
Survey responses reveal that for 77% of participants the course exceeded overall expectations. Beyond the high ratings given to the caliber of instruction by top echelon professors, outstanding marks (92%) were given for class dynamics - the quality of relationships formed with the other participants during project work. “This is much more than an endorsement of the social aspects of the program”, says CIOCAN’s Vancouver Chapter past-president Ian Banks. “This is evidence that aspiring leaders need contacts and peer support to be successful, and they need sophisticated collaboration skills. The networking element was critical to the shape of our program.”
CIOCAN’s project lead, Carmen Plesch explains the importance of the program, “It’s critical that we develop leadership in the IT community and support CIOs in their succession planning efforts. As the boomers retire, we need top-notch replacements”.
Next offering of the program is slated for September/October 2011.