Skilled leaders in big demand

IT spending might have softened, but skilled IT leaders are still in demand. According to Gartner, the research company, global spending is below its peak but still finished last year higher than in 2010.

Spending on technology is being bolstered in various ways. There is pent up demand, following cuts to IT budgets in 2008 and 2009. Companies are embracing new technologies, from advanced data analysis tools, to iPads. And businesses are looking to technology to help them cut costs - for example by using videoconferencing instead of air travel.

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As a result, the most able IT leaders are in demand. According to David Elton, an IT sourcing specialist at PA Consulting, there is a "cadre of people who are in demand, and who move relatively seamlessly from company to company, perhaps as often as every two to three years".

These chief information officers, and the chief technology officers and IT directors who report to them, are playing an increasingly critical role in business strategy, even where the CIO is not a full board member. "The reason these CIOs are in demand is they have the right mix of experience," suggests Mr Elton.

Demand is also being spurred on by longer-term changes in the way companies do business. More are selling goods online and social media is of growing importance when it comes to dealing with customers. Some CIOs are finding their jobs upgraded to that of chief operating officer, but senior managers with strong IT skills are also finding roles in fields such as marketing and distribution.

"Technology is aligned to changes in consumer behaviour and boards realise that technology is about making sure the company engages with customers," says James Hallahan, at executive recruiter, Harvey Nash.

"There has been a massive change in what clients are looking for in technology leaders over the past five years." The focus, he says, is now as much on "emotional intelligence" as a deep knowledge of IT.

At the highest levels, good CIOs with these skills command basic salaries of