Executive Director
Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers

After consulting with key stakeholders at CUCCIO, the following key opportunities and challenges were identified for the new Executive Director:

Diverse Challenges

This is a dynamic and interesting time for the higher education/post-secondary sector in general and the information technology (IT) function in particular. IT continues to play an increasingly key role in all aspects of universities, and supporting the administrative, academic and research functions, as well as leading, informing and influencing strategic use of information technology within the sector is vital. The Executive Director must be excited about, and capable of,  identifying and responding to multiple, large-scale, trends and  IT and the higher education sector using a collaborative approach that meets the needs of our community.

New Approaches

The Executive Director’s duties have been handled for more than a decade by a capable Executive Director.  A new Executive Director will have the opportunity to put their stamp on the organization including executing a recently adopted strategic plan, working with the Board to put a clear work plan in place to support the strategic goals and continuing to build the reputation and brand of the organization as the provider of unbiased information, advice, and guidance on all IT and other related issues and trends impacting the sector.

Positively Influence within a Complex Stakeholder Environment

CUCCIO is a national, member-funded, member-driven organization working to advance a variety of initiatives with government and other stakeholders in the interest of its 75 members. Balancing differing member perspectives and interests, the Executive Director works closely with CIOs to ensure that the collective voice is represented to a variety of other organizations, whose mandates will have an impact on, or be influenced by the work of the CIOs. The Executive Director must be deft in understanding the interplay between all parties to realize the strategic goals of CUCCIO and the community it serves and ensure that CUCCIO operates in a way that is (and is seen as) highly credible, consistent, fair and transparent.

Spirit of Collaboration

Success for the new Executive Director will mean building effective and enduring relationships within the CIO community, the broader CUCCIO membership and the leaders of the many partners and stakeholders organizations in the sector. As a highly collaborative organization that is seen as the ‘go-to’ place for CIOs, members and stakeholders, the new Executive Director will want to bring a similar collaborative approach to their work. Being seen as engaging, credible and strategic will be hallmarks of success for the Executive Director.

Enjoy Work Life Balance

The distributed nature of the membership and the small team size means that the Executive Director role can be delivered effectively from any Canadian location with the nature of the office (rented space or a home office) being very much at the discretion of the Executive Director. The role provides a unique opportunity to have a high degree of influence and impact while being unencumbered by the operational responsibilities and requirements related to running a large team and office.