Next CIO UK – the new community for future IT leaders

Next CIO UK recognizes and celebrates the rising stars in the UK IT sector. Next CIO will help emerging digital, data and technology leaders develop their careers, build their professional networks and hone their skills. This will be accomplished through editorial content, an in-person awards ceremony in London and mentoring from Next CIO UK judges and past CIO 100 winners alike.

Judges Nadine Thomson, Dave Roberts and Dom Howson sat down with Doug Drinkwater, Editor of CIO UK, to discuss how the new Next CIO program can help aspiring leaders gain recognition and improve their career prospects. The trio also reveal what they hope to see in the awards submissions.

Sign up here Sign up for Next CIO Great Britain from 21^St march.

The power of communities like Next CIO and CIO 100

The first Next CIO aims to bring together future technology leaders from all walks of life, and it’s that sense of community that Dave Roberts, global IT director at Stantec, says can be invaluable throughout your career.

“I think creating this Next CIO community is really going to provide this fantastic support that’s going to help people really thrive and develop in their roles,” he says.

Dom Howson, CIO at Viridor, has seen this firsthand as he is a frequent member of the CIO UK 100.

“I’ve benefited a lot from the CIO 100 community and everything around it,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot in my career. More from my colleagues and people I listen to and their experiences rather than any glosses you might get from a vendor. I think that’s enormously powerful – the power of this community.”

However, Howson acknowledges that there are few communities where aspiring digital, data or technology leaders can connect and learn. This is where Next CIO UK will play an active role, bringing together successful cohort members at the awards ceremony and offering complementary mentoring and workshop opportunities throughout the year.

Nadine Thomson, Mediacom’s Global CTO, believes such communities can be places where you can exchange ideas with colleagues, improve your career prospects and make friends in the process.

“What I’ve gotten from the CIO 100 community is connections, networks and support – and that’s so important for your career.

“Many of the CIO 100 become friends; We go out for a coffee or a glass of wine and we’re just a real support network that understands some of the challenges you face every day.”

Next CIO is looking for diverse future IT leaders

With Next CIO UK targeting digital, data and technology professionals aspiring to be in a senior role within five years, it represents an opportunity to spot emerging talent while also representing the IT industry’s biggest blunder to tackle – diversity.

Highlighting that only 17% of women work in technology and that there is no ethnic representation (Editor’s note: In the CIO 100 UK 2021, only 21% were women and 15% were black or Asian), Thomson says that Next CIO is an opportunity to celebrate a more diverse group of future leaders.

“I’m excited to see more women leaders and I know as a jury we’d like to see more diverse leaders in all areas across the board.

“For me, this is an opportunity to help us reach the next generation of technology leaders, to nurture and showcase a diversity of technology leaders, and to show that you can come from any type of career path to become that CIO or CTO post to reach.”

Howson and Roberts say that emerging leaders need a wide range of skills and experience to get to the top when the time comes, and this underscores the importance of CIOs working in detail succession plans. Thomson, meanwhile, believes that developing leadership roles in technology means there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the position of CIO or CTO.

“Different companies need different experiences,” she says, pointing out how a start-up can require deep technical expertise, while a FTSE 100 company needs an executive who offers real leadership skills.

Opportunities for mentors and mentees

Successful Next CIO UK 2022 cohort members are eligible to receive personal mentoring from Next CIO UK judges and CIO 100 members. Roberts sees a clear advantage for both sides.

“I think it’s incredibly important to have people on your journey who can give you an unbiased look at what you’re going through,” he says.

“From the mentee perspective, it’s really important that you have a clear agenda of what you want to achieve,” he adds, going on to say that the mentor, on their part, needs to provide “active listening” rather than prescriptive guidance.

Howson, who, like Thomson and Roberts, will be one of the mentors of the Next CIO program, also sees benefits for mentors in learning from mentees.

“You get something out of it as a mentor. It’s probably a circumstance, question, or piece of advice that we haven’t had to deal with before. You settle that among yourselves.”

To express your interest in mentoring, please send an email Doug Drinkwater.

How do I apply for Next CIO? What to include in your submission?

Applications for Next CIO UK are now open until March 21, 2022. Awards may be submitted directly by the nominee or on their behalf by a line manager or officer.

All entries will be reviewed by the panel of experts and the winners will be announced at the live awards ceremony in London 16^th June 2022.

“Have the confidence and apply,” says Thomson. “When you’re on that [webinar]then all you have to do is submit an application. That would be my call.”

Other top judges’ tips from the on-demand webinar:

• Be authentic, passionate, and reflect on your accomplishments over the past 12 months.

• Detail your accomplishments… but be short and sweet.

• If possible, show data and evidence, as well as executive support.

• Show where you’ve had clear business impact.

• Illustrate how you took new approaches to solving problems.

• Show willingness to advance professionally.

• Understand that not everyone is a storyteller – but write the submission in your own words

• Appreciate that nobody is the finished article – everyone learns.

• Ask a colleague to review your application before submitting it

Sign up here Sign up for Next CIO through 21^St march.