"Leadership Spotlight" includes interviews with Chapter Presidents, SIM Board members, Management Council members and other SIM leaders.  "Leadership Spotlight" will not only highlight SIM’s leadership and chapters,  but it will offer insight from our leaders on topics, treads and issues facing the Society, our chapters and the IT industry.

 

An archive of interviews will be found HERE.

 

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May 2016
Name: Kevin Rooney
SIM Role: SIM Chicago Chapter Preident

Question 1  |  Question 2  |  Question 3  |  Question 4  |  Question 5  

 

1. Please provide an overview of the SIM Chicago chapter.
The SIM Chicago chapter has a long and proud past, a vibrant and active present, and a bright and growing future. Founded in 1968, our chapter serves over 300 of the premier IT leaders in the Chicago region. We offer 19 programs a year that range from large galas in the spring and fall that feature national speakers to invite-only CIO breakfasts. Through strong and highly selective partnerships, we have built a diverse ecosystem that connects the C-Suite to deliver value to our organizations, our members, and our community.

 

2. What are your goals for your term as the President of the SIM Chicago chapter?
Our goal for our chapter is to continue to challenge ourselves to innovate and raise the bar for our members in every area. In a time where the role of technology is more strategic than ever, the demand for our members' time is intense. We need to continue to deliver high-quality programs where our members can connect, engage and grow through deep personal connections with the best and brightest peers in the community. As we invest more in raising awareness of SIM and strengthen those personal connections and learning opportunities, we see our chapter growing significantly which in turn drives stronger partnerships and more ability to give back to the community.

 

3. What are the hottest trends in the industry?
We see two hot macro-trends in the industry which are really the two sides of business. The first is around digital transformation - how as a CIO do you transform your organization leveraging the data and technology to quickly position the business to drive revenue? The second is around enterprise risk management - how as a CIO do you protect the organization from all the various cyber threats and other enterprise risks as you transform your business.

4. What challenges is your chapter currently facing?
As I mentioned above, the biggest chapter challenge is competing for the time of our members. The Chicago market brings many different opportunities for CIOs to network. Where and how we partner, how we differentiate SIM, and how we expand our brand awareness are critical success factors for our chapter.

5. What is the one piece of advice you will give the next President of the SIM Chicago chapter?

Our chapter has a fantastic succession plan, where our leadership model which involves 2 year cycles as president-elect, president, and chair as well as an opportunity to serve as a trustee after that time. We all work very closely and have the support of a 28 person board that is incredibly engaged. My advice to future leadership in our chapter or others is that it really does take a village. Make sure to listen to the vast talents in your community and ensure that they are engaged and accountable for driving the chapter forward in areas that they have the passion to make a difference. The reality is that we all already do this in our day jobs. And, while we talk about driving revenue, managing risk, and technology change, at the end of the day it always comes down to people.

 

An archive of interviews will be found HERE.