Governance In IT

“Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other,” Bill Gates

Mention Information Technology (IT)governance, and you probably think that it is some or other computer security protocol or compliance issue best left to techies.

Far from it! As Carolynn Chalmers, executive director of Candor Governance, explained it to me, IT governance has evolved from referring to the organisation’s mainframe and what makes it work, including all communications aspects. It includes networking, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and machine learning.

“IT governance is best left in the hands of competent legacy builders, experienced governing body members, and considered innovators. It is a mindful and purposeful task which requires foresight and deep insight,” she said. IT governance should therefore fall within the ambit of the very top levels of management as a strategic function.

Carolynn has been interested in what computers can do since she first put her fingers on a keyboard in 1979. She was never really attracted to the gaming side of things, but rather how well and creatively computers could solve problems and present results. Around 2003 when working as a Group CIO, the company’s Chairman took Carolynn under his wing and provided her with her first insight into “impact investing” and “social responsibility”. It was a light bulb moment for her where she realised that leadership and oversight is not only about what one “must do” but, more importantly, it is all about what one “should do”.