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

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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.

Martin Giles

Martin Giles

Senior Editor, CIO Network

Technology & Innovation

Google’s $5.4 Billion Acquisition Of Cybersecurity Firm Mandiant Comes As Tech Leaders Brace For Escalating Digital Threats
 
 
 
Google’s $5.4 Billion Acquisition Of Cybersecurity Firm Mandiant Comes As Tech Leaders Brace For Escalating Digital Threats

Microsoft had been looking closely at Mandiant, which has uncovered plenty of high-profile cyber intrusions such as the one at SolarWinds in 2020, but Google beat it to the altar. The tech giant sees the deal as a way to further reinforce the security offerings of Google Cloud, which will take the cyber firm under its wing. That could be a timely move given growing concern amongst tech leaders about whether the war in Ukraine will see more cyberattacks in other countries.

Read The Full Story →

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.

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Leadership & Strategy

5 Secrets Of A Profoundly Remarkable Customer Experience
 
 
 
5 Secrets Of A Profoundly Remarkable Customer Experience

A study of hundreds of stories shared by satisfied customers highlights five consistent themes that help turn people into fervent and loyal brand advocates. These include the ability to deliver unique and valuable customer experiences, as well as ones that enlighten consumers with “teachable moments.”

Read The Full Story →

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

The Outset Of The Pandemic Was Easy Compared With What Is Coming
 
 
 
The Outset Of The Pandemic Was Easy Compared With What Is Coming

We’ve just passed the second anniversary of living in a world locked down by a global pandemic. Businesses got used to most of their people working remotely, but now some are reopening offices and asking employees to return for all or part of each week. As Forbes CIO Network Contributor Peter High notes in this thought-provoking post, adapting to the new world of hybrid work has profound implications for everything from efficiency to corporate culture.

Read The Full Story →

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.

Illumina’s New CIO To Craft A More Personalized Healthcare Experience
 
 
 
Illumina’s New CIO To Craft A More Personalized Healthcare Experience

Carissa Rollins, the former CIO of UnitedHealthcare, has just joined Illumina, which applies innovative technologies to genomics in order to help discover more effective treatments for cancer and other diseases. Rollins says her goals at the business, which reported $4.5 billion in revenue for its 2021 fiscal year, include helping to create more tailored medical experiences for patients, boosting workforce diversity and hiring more people from non-traditional backgrounds.

Read The Full Story →

"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

Across Forbes

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