During recent years, there has been a large decline in applicants to study Information, Communications & Technology (ICT) at the Tertiary Level. There has been an even greater decline in female applicants, due, but not limited to, perceptions that computing is for ‘geeky’, ‘nerdy’ types and that computing jobs are leaving Australia (off-shoring to countries such as India) and therefore ICT is not a secure or innovative industry to join.   Currently there is a lack of clarity in the broader community as to what ICT is and what a career in ICT constitutes. There is a general lack of appreciation of the wide variety of roles and exciting opportunities available.

Concurrently, as the ICT industry has matured the role of technology within the organisation has shifted from efficiency to effectiveness. It is no longer a means to reduce operational cost, but represents real strategic opportunities to the business as a whole.  For an organisation to avail themselves of these opportunities it is imperative that there be a mutual understanding for how the organisation uses technology and how technology can assist the organisation in reaching its strategic aims. To foster this understanding a new level of ICT leadership is required. Traditionally there has been a focus within the ICT industry on technical competencies. Formal education and traditional career development have generally supported this progression. Historically this has equipped ICT professionals to be technical managers, but there has been little focus on the development of ICT leaders. This has contributed to a consistent distinction between “business” and ICT, often causing the technology function to be considered ancillary to the organisation as a whole. To address this issue there is a need to identify and develop ICT leaders within the industry, and furnish them with the skills required to become a leader within the organisation. It is imperative to build knowledge outside of technology understanding in order to prepare CIOs for senior management or executive roles.

Karen Bard is the Deputy Executive Director of the CIO Executive Council of Australia.  She is a petroleum engineer, working in this industry for over 20 years.  Her career concentrated on methods to define the best way to extract oil and gas from underground reservoirs. 

She has been afforded opportunities to work all over the world, gaining insight into how this high risk, high reward business operates.  Her career in oil and gas was highly dependant on technology and she started her transition into IT managing data migration and knowledge management projects.  She carried these experiences with her when she formally transitioned into the information technology industry, taking on the challenging role of CIO for Santos Ltd. 

She now leads initiatives working with CIOs, government, and universities across Australia.  These initiatives focus on education, certification, governance and standards for both project success and career development of IT professionals.  Her involvement in founding the CIO Executive Council allowed her to focus on key issues facing CIOs; culminating in her appointment to her current role.

Click here to get Karen Bard's presentation slides (PDF)