It's no longer a matter of whether corporate America addresses
its boardroom problems but when, where and how. Despite a growing
reliance on technology -- fueled by increased public scrutiny and
new government regulations a la Sarbanes-Oxley and Reg FD - only 5%
of global 500 companies report having Chief Information Officers
(CIO) or Chief Technology Officers (CTO) on their boards, according
to a study recently released study by PR behemoth
Burson-Marsteller. The research is based on an analysis of all
Fortune Global 500; only 15 of the 313 companies (that released
biographical information) reported having CIOs sitting on their
boards, including Canon, Delphi Corp., Gap Inc. and Wal-Mart.
"Information technology is strategically placed at the heart of the
world's major industries, running most of their critical business
processes," said Heidi Sinclair, chairperson of Burson-
Marsteller's Global Technology Practice. "Yet, this study shows
that most of the world's largest companies are not receiving
board-level strategic advice on how technology can address current
and future business problems."
Study Says Companies Behind the Eight Ball on IT
