Rock Star CIOs
When names were being thrown around for possible top technology posts in the Obama administration, many tech titans said the White House needed some tech "rock stars" who could use their star power to dislodge the federal government from its 1960s era tech and bring it into the 21st century.
When names were being thrown around for possible top technology posts in the Obama administration, tech industry titans said the White House needed some "rock stars" who could use their star power to dislodge the federal government from its 1960s era tech and bring it into the 21st century. You know, like Vint Cerf and Jeff Bezos.
The term has made somewhat of a comeback lately. A Washington Post blog called federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra "a different kind of rock star" to describe how he was received in New York City on June 30 when Kundra announced the launch of a Web site that tracks the progress of federal IT projects.
In an article in the June 15 issue of Government Executive, former Social Security Administration CIO Tom Hughes lamented the state of federal IT under the Obama administration saying, "I haven't seen a single rock star hired and that's disappointing."
Nextgov blogger Alan Balutis, a former CIO at the Commerce Department in the Clinton administration and director of the business solutions group at Cisco's global consulting arm, shot back in a recent blog post, saying Hughes' comment was "a veiled insult of Veterans Affairs' new CIO, Roger Baker (who many consider a James Taylor look-a-like)."
In a comment to Balutis' blog, Baker responded: "Thanks Alan, for the James Taylor reference, though I'd rather be known for his singing than his looks. Better than being David Crosby."
Kundra, not to be left out, used the term again on Friday when referring to Baker during an interview with Nextgov. "Fixing IT problems requires 'making sure we've got rock star CIOs in agencies,' such as Baker."
All of which begs the question: What kind of rock star are we talking about? While some may be partial to James Taylor, most people have in mind something a bit harder edged when they refer they need a "rock star." Could it be Bruce Springsteen? Maybe Walter Becker? Steven Tyler? Van Halen? Pete Townshend? Kurt Cobain? Johnny Rotten? Chris Daughtry? Um, Hannah Montana?
If we need IT rock stars to bring about change, then what's the model? Please suggest the rock stars you believe best fit the mold.
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