CIOs Championing Sustainable IT | Why Collaboration Tools Still Suck | How To Shine In Tech Leadership Transitions | And More

Plus: Bombs And Hackers Are Battering Ukraine's Internet Providers. 'Hidden Heroes' Risk Their Lives To Keep Their Country Online

Hi there and welcome to the latest edition of the Forbes CIO newsletter.

Against a backdrop of growing attention to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, a group of CIOs and other technology leaders has come together to support a new nonprofit focused on them, SustainableIT.org.

On its website, the organization says it’s time that technology leaders take a collective stand on sustainability. Among its priorities, SustainableIT.org wants to help define standards and best practices in areas such as energy efficiency, racial and gender diversity, and data privacy. It also aims to raise awareness of ESG issues through social media, awards programs and education and training. Another goal is to create certification programs that can be used by companies and the vendors they work with.

“There’s not really a single version of the truth [out there] about how you define and drive sustainable IT,” explains Chris Gates, the CTO of insurer Allstate and one of the nonprofit’s directors. Another board member, Ralph Loura, the CIO of Lumentum, whose optical and laser technologies are used in all kinds of digital networks and data centers, says this lack of clarity means that “a lot of IT leaders rely on what they hear from vendors.” Loura and his fellow directors want to change that.

SustainableIT.org isn’t the first nonprofit that’s sought to shine a spotlight on ESG-related issues. Others such as the Green Software Foundation highlight the environmental impact of the technology sector (which some estimates suggest contributes between 1.8% and 2.8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions) while initiatives such as the T200 are focused on helping more women reach leadership positions in corporate tech. Still, there’s so much room for improvement on all kinds of ESG issues that new, community-driven efforts focused on them deserve a very warm welcome.

It's important, though, to practice what you preach. I noticed that only one of the 14 board members of SustainableIT.org was a woman—Katherine Wetmur, a top tech leader at financial services giant Morgan Stanley. Jedidiah Yeuh, the CEO of DevOps data management company Delphix, which is providing underwriting support to get the nonprofit off the ground, says it would love to have more female tech leaders join. That sounds like a great opportunity for synergy between SustainableIT.org and members of the T200!

Yeuh’s work means he has a front row seat to one of the biggest challenges that the nonprofit he’s backing aims to tackle. “More data is projected to be created in the next three years than in the history of mankind,” he says. “If we don’t find ways to deal effectively with it, the cost to the planet could be huge.”

Thanks for reading, and do let me know if you have any suggestions for themes to cover in future issues. You can contact me on Twitter here and LinkedIn here.

Technology & Innovation

Intel’s funneling billions of additional dollars into foreign chip plants: There’s been plenty of discussion lately about whether the U.S. should be doing more to support domestic chip manufacturing given geopolitical tensions. But companies such as Intel still think globally, as its plan to invest $88 billion in Europe shows.

Why we need a new generation of collaboration tools: The pandemic has sparked an explosion in demand for software that helps employees work effectively together, no matter what the distance between them. But Forbes CIO Network Contributor Mark Settle argues that the current crop of tools still fails to deliver a truly joined-up experience for users and that big improvements are required.

Leadership & Strategy

How to lead through periods of low morale: A key driver of great customer experiences is motivated and engaged workforces. But sometimes top executives must confront crises that undermine employees’ confidence and make them start looking for other jobs. With the Great Resignation still in progress, maintaining morale is even more of a priority these days. Here are some key steps tech leaders can take to help turn things around when workers feel the blues.

Tips for using real-time data most effectively: Walmart, which this week announced plans to hire 5,000 new tech workers and open new IT hubs in Atlanta and Montreal, is a leader in exploiting insights from real-time data. This post highlights its approach and includes other helpful case studies too.

Talent & Careers

How to shine during big tech leadership transitions: When CIOs move roles, workers often worry that the new brooms will sweep in and change things in ways they don’t like. Here are some tips from Forbes CIO Network Contributor Paige Francis that tech teams and new leaders should both bear in mind to ensure they negotiate periods of executive turnover successfully.

Why New York City’s pay transparency law could have a far-reaching impact: My colleague Jena McGregor looks at how the measure could help narrow gender pay gaps nationally and improve decades of lopsided information between hiring managers and job candidates.

"A passion in my career, especially over the last five years, is how we bring people into our organization who weren’t necessarily thinking about a career in tech."

Carissa Rollins

CIO, Illumina

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