IT companies had Chief Strategy Officers (CSOs) for a while. More recently, they started to hire Chief Security Officers (CSOs). Now, a third kind of CSO is born: the Chief Sourcing Officer.
At this point, I can see that you're scratching your head. What in the world is the job of an Chief Sourcing Officer?
Here is the answer, courtesy of the Gartner Group.
Much as the 1990s witnessed the appearance of Chief Technology Officers, with the proliferation of multi-sourced environments, the first decade of the new millennium will evidence the appearance of CSOs. These individuals will play critical roles in implementing successful dynamic sourcing strategies and translating those strategies into IS service delivery via an ever-changing resource pool. To accomplish these responsibilities, CSOs will have three focus points - communication, coordination and integration. They will focus on interacting with executive-level leadership and leading - not directly managing - IS delivery teams.
How do you succed as a CSO of a third kind? Gartner answers this question.
To be successful at this level, the CSO must have superior communication and leadership skills. The role of the CSO at this level is analogous to professional sport coaches in North America today. Teams are formed and reformed on a yearly basis, and successful coaches must be capable of inspiring commitment in a short time period to a very specific goal - among a group of people who do not necessarily know each other, but have been drawn together to achieve that goal.
Is this clear? Are you ready to become Chief Sourcing Officer?
Source: Lisa Stone, Gartner, in CIO Magazine Online version, May 24, 2002
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