The IT executive's ultimate handbook for survival in a rapidly changing economy The Practical CIO: A Common Sense Guide for Successful IT Leadership provides needed advice for modern executives competing in a challenging global environment. Proactively establish goals for IT Hold all vendors accountable Extract maximum value from existing IT investments Manage and market the IT brand Build relationships up, down and sideways across the enterprise and beyond its traditional boundaries Act like a CEO Brimming with interviews and case studies from leading global enterprises such as Microsoft, Prudential, Citigroup, Chiquita Brands, Smithfield Foods and West Marine. The Practical CIO is designed for clear-eyed IT and C-level executives with no patience for hype or overly optimistic visions of a «better tomorrow.» Truly a commonsense guide for successful IT leadership, this book delivers exactly the kind of hard-nosed, actionable advice that executives urgently require.