A high school physics teacher. A hockey coach and referee. An intern at the National Science Foundation.
What do these seemingly disparate positions have in common? They were all early career choices for CIOs and CTOs who are now successfully immersed in IT strategy and technology leadership at major institutions, including a university, a commercial real estate company and a telecommunications start-up.
road not taken
Instead of following the traditional trajectory to a C-level tech position -- a computer science or engineering degree, followed by years ofhelp desk work, programming and project management -- these tech leaders took an alternative route to the top IT spot.
Whether the itinerary was deliberate or unplanned, their early experiences off the beaten high-tech path provided invaluable communication, business andpeople skillsthat they believe helped separate them from the rest of the IT pack.
Rick King, chief technology officer at Thomson Reuters Professional, credits his years spent as a teacher, a coach and a hockey referee for giving him people skills that he finds are a key differentiator.