Role of the Chief TechnologyOfficerGiven the title of my Blog Chief Technology Officers Blog I thought it would be a good ideatobriefly exploreits namesake.The role of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is one of the least defined and understood corporate executive roles(such as CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, etc). The role hasbeen gaining prominence inmany organizations,as witnessed withthe newly created position ofChief Technology Officer of the United States. This can be attributed to the growing impactof technology on both organizations and society, and highlights anexpansion of focusbeyond Research and Development to broaderCompetitive Strategy.According toWikipediaAchief technical officerorchief technology officer(abbreviated asCTO) is an executive position whose holder is focused on scientific and technical issues within an organization. Essentially, a CTO is responsible for the transformation of capital be it monetary, intellectual, or political into technology in furtherance of the companys objectives.The size and type ofthe organization heavilyinfluences the responsibilities of a CTO. For instance, a small technology company would involve more hands-ontechnical responsibilities than a largefinancial servicescompany, which would involve moreresponsibilities associated with technology standards andintegration.Where the roles of CTO and CIO coexist withinan organization, the CTO istypically responsible for the companys technologydirection (R&D)witha focus on commercialization outcomes, whereas the CIO is typically responsible for the companys business systemssupporting the flow of information.Thewhite paperThe Role of the CTO: Four Models for Successwritten byTom Berray and Ray Sampath providesinteresting insight into the role of the CTO based on discussions with hundreds of CIOs and CTOs. It proposes a model that dissects the CTO role based on organizational needs, as follows:

CTO Role By Organizational NeedsThewhite paperthen identifies and ranks 10 business requirements and processesneeded for each of the CTO models, which I haverepresented visuallybelow:[Green= High,Yellow= Medium,Orange= Low]Ads by PlusHDV1.4Ad Options

1. Identify new technologiesAds by PlusHDV1.4Ad Options

2. Exploit new technologiesAds by PlusHDV1.4Ad Options

3. Integrate new technologies

4. Leverage technology across business units

5. Drive the business strategy

6. Drive revenues

7. Reduce costs

8. Enhance client relationships

9. Enhance communications and collaboration

10. Build out or leverage existing IT infrastructureI agree that an effectiveCTO needs to perform each of these 10 business requirements and processes toa varying degree depending on organizational needs. Out of interest, I rated the perceived needs of myorganizationagainst these 10 business requirements and processes, and found theclosest match for my role of CTO to be Visionary & Operations Manager, closely followedby External-Facing Technologist.To finish, I quote BarakObama in his2008 planScience, Technology, and Innovation for a New Generationwhere he announced the need to appoint the nations first Chief Technology OfficerRevolutionary advances in information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other fields are reshaping the global economy. Without renewed efforts, the United States risks losing leadership in science, technology and innovation.