Financial Services CIOs urged to keep on innovating and keep on staying close to the board
Leading CIOs from the UK's financial services sector debate the industry's biggest issues at today's Financial Services IT Summit.
The inaugural Financial Services IT Summit in London has seen leading heads of technology and other experts share key information and points of view on a range of issues, with innovation and the role of the Financial Services CIO leading the debate.
In a session called 'Managing the competitive advantage', JP Rangaswami, the award-winning CIO from investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, spoke about an openness - between competing companies as well as within a company's IT function - for example, urging CIOs not to act like traffic wardens, tying users' hands.
"If you want to be a car park attendant, be prepared for the abuse," he said.
Others spoke about avoiding "managing out innovation" by focusing on meeting service level agreements rather than the business goals those SLAs are there for.
There was also plenty of talk about the role of CIOs in sourcing technology and technology services and how expertise in these areas positions them as a vital bridge between IT departments and the board.
David Lester, London Stock Exchange CIO, speaking on a 'Making the case in the Boardroom' panel, said that for much of the 1990s his organisation could have done a better job of using outsourcing, being more selective. "Now my IT department sits between the business and our outsourcing partner," he said.
Egg CIO Gary Price, speaking in the same session, said: "I'm just an executive that happens to run IT."
The Financial Services IT Summit was hosted today by silicon.com, a property of CNET Networks UK, at the Renaissance Chancery Court, London. The conference attracted an influential audience of senior IT decision makers from the financial services sector, professional consultants and suppliers of technology services and solutions. Providing an unrivalled forum to share the latest thinking and arguments on emerging technologies and strategies specific to the financial services sector, the conference featured a strong mix of content including prominent keynote speakers, panel discussions and breakout sessions.
Steve Pattenden, Managing Director of conference organisers The European Technology Forum said, "It's hard to understate the importance to financial organisations of finding the right technology solutions and strategies, and CIOs are constantly looking for ways to drive their business forward. Today's speakers have generated a great deal of debate and new thinking about a range of key issues and provided our audience which much food for thought."
For the full conference programme and list of speakers, visit www.fs-itsummit.co.uk.
About silicon.com
silicon.com is the leading UK website for senior IT and business decision-makers seeking to assess and understand how technology will drive their business forward. Delivering comprehensive daily news, expert analysis and commentary, whitepapers, case studies and special reports, silicon.com provides broad context and strategic insight into the key issues influencing how businesses use technology today.
About The European Technology Forum
The European Technology Forum is a leading events and membership network for senior executives working in, advising or serving the technology industry. Its top class events include Government IT, the Innovation and Growth Summit and the Mobility Summit, as well as a number of private label events for corporate clients focused on connecting vendors and marketers.
About CNET Networks UK
CNET Networks UK is a part of CNET Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: CNET) a leading interactive publishing company headquartered in the US, with offices in 12 countries globally. The UK office was established in 2003. CNET Networks UK focuses on the business technology and consumer entertainment categories through five UK-focused websites: Builder UK, silicon.com, ZDNet.co.uk, CNET.co.uk and GameSpot UK. CNET Networks UK also delivers one-to-one services through its direct marketing arm CNET Direct; and events through the European Technology Forum.
