I must say, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to visiting Calgary in late February, but the weather proved to be benign, and the event that took me there – The CIO 100 West Assembly – another successful co-venture between CIO Canada and the CIO Executive Council (see page 6).
I’ve watched the Canadian portion of the Council grow with great interest, from its modest beginnings in June 2004, when it was launched in Toronto as the CIO Exchange, to its present vigorous form as part of a 480-member-strong worldwide body. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed that for some time now, we have been regularly publishing some of the excellent work of the CIO Executive Council in our Forum section.
Even before the Council was formed, I was convinced that such a thing would be of tremendous benefit to the IT executive community in Canada. And seeing the Council in action for almost three years now has done nothing to change that opinion. Make no mistake about it, this group does great work. And we should be proud of our Canadian members, who dedicate their time to the strengthening of the CIO profession for all of their colleagues across the country and around the world.
But the Council isn’t only about giving. There’s a lot of ‘getting’ going on here too. That was well evident at The CIO 100 West Assembly, as it was at its predecessor, The CIO 100 Assembly, in Toronto last June. These events – and there will be many more to come – are not your typical ‘talking heads’ conferences. There are a lot of great presentations, to be sure, but the real driving force behind these gatherings is the emphasis on information exchange and building relationships. In other words, it’s all about community and sharing. And that is the hallmark of the Council in all its undertakings.
If there’s one thing that disappoints me about the Council, it’s the fact that you’re not all in it. Frankly, I think you’re missing out on a good thing. And as good as the Council is now, it will only get better as every new member contributes to the growing body of collected knowledge. So you owe it to yourself – and to your profession – to kick the tires. Take it out for a test drive.
There’s an excellent gal by the name of Christine Britsas who’ll be happy to provide you with a key. She’s at 416 290-0240 ext. 151. Why not give her a ring?
Talk to me
