There's a new twist in the growing trend of finding and keeping the right CIO. While many American companies are importing CEO talent from Europe, Asia and the Middle East, there's a reverse trend when it comes to CIOs. It looks like the U.S. is actually exporting CIOs to growing economies such as China. This is the impact of globalization, and it means that a talented executive can land anywhere in the world these days.

There are plenty of other countries besides China that are attracting American talent. British Petroleum recruited Dana Deasy from GM this year, and Telstra, the Australian telecom company, hired American Tom Lemming in February. All this means that it is important to find a pool of talented CIOs and to keep them engaged. Find ways to make the job challenging and give them the resources they need to do it right. If a business does not do that, a CIO could easily bolt to greener pastures. New Zealand, perhaps? -Judi