At the September 7th meeting of the Toronto Chapter Board of the CIO Association of Canada, Sherif Sheta stepped into the position of President. Sherif has served the board for eight years, originally as treasurer, then leading the membership portfolio and most recently holding the Vice-President position.
Gary Davenport, Past-President of the National Board, noted that Sherif has made significant contributions to the Association, including co-chairing the 2014 CIO Peer Forum™. “We look forward to working with Sherif as he joins the National Board. I am sure that he will be a strong voice representing the roots of the Association and delivering value to our members.”
Steve Heck, who moved into the position of Past-President, hands the reins over, saying “The hard work of the CIOTOR Board is being reflected in the new member activity and the level of engagement of the Toronto Chapter members. The recent flurry of new members continues to reinforce that CIOCAN is a relevant and important peer network, even in the face of strong competition for CIO’s time and attention in Toronto. The industry partnerships are complementing our efforts by bringing significant opportunities to increase the value proposition for our members. I am confident that Sherif’s leadership will build on our accomplishments of the past several years enabling the chapter to accomplish even more. CIOCAN / CIOTOR will continue to be the organization with which CIOs and senior IT executives need to be involved.
Sherif noted that under Steve Heck’s leadership, the Toronto chapter saw significant transformation in the past 3 years. “With Steve’s vast network of industry leaders and his thought leadership, the Association became the de facto go-to community for IT leadership research and collaboration with other IT groups. Steve’s collaborative style enhanced our image and made us more relevant in the community. This translated into membership growth. Steve leaves his post on a high note with the largest chapter membership ever”.
Looking ahead, Sherif said “I am thrilled to step into this role on such solid footing. As a board we refreshed our chapter strategy anchoring our activities on engaging our members in everything we do. Our membership directors will work tirelessly to make every new member feel welcome and develop a sense of belonging. Our events directors will cater the agenda based on members’ input from the annual surveys and current topics that are top of mind. Our mentoring directors put on a wonderful program to pair new-in-role CIOs or high-potential direct reports with experienced members to create a rewarding mentoring relationship. Our communications directors have an exciting program to keep our members engaged and informed through a variety of channels. I am very excited about our board and new strategy and am confident that our members will see the benefits in the months to come.”
Information about the events and activities of the Toronto chapter can be found on the Toronto Chapter page of the CIOCAN website.