On-the-record with IBM's CIO

As IBM's CIO, Mark Hennessy has a very big job, made more challenging because he did not have a background in IT. Nevertheless, his 26 years at IBM has given him a "pretty good idea of technology and how to apply technology to solve business problems." In a recent question and answer session with InformationWeek, Hennessy talked about his work at Big Blue and the challenges he faces.

While he doesn't run IBM's IT shop, he is responsible for maintaining IT service levels. "Operational excellence: It's an important part of my job," he says. "I need to make sure we're delivering the productivity we've promised, provisioning employees with the tools they need, and addressing security issues." The role of the CIO in any business is becoming bigger, he says. And they are positioned to integrate operations across business divisions as well as across the map. "CIOs are uniquely positioned to see their organizations end-to-end," he says. "I'd been in a lot of different parts of IBM, but for the first time I can see the organization end-to-end."

For more on the business of being a CIO at IBM:
- Read this InformationWeek Article