What I've really been doing...

I retired!  I am still writing iPhone apps and am on a couple corporate Boards, but I am officially retired!  It was a great run and the Water Street people were phenomenal throughout the retirement process.  So, look for fewer updates on this page and more on the others!

eBooks - I've published a number of eBooks with the team at TAGCXO

Decide what kind of person you need to fill the CIO role - August 2023

Three valuable pieces of advice if you are a new CIO - September 2023

How to stay current with the cutting edge of IT trends - November 2023

Speaking engagements

  • CIO Executive Summit - Phoenix - December 9, 2021
  • CIO Visions - Las Vegas, June 2018
  • Titans of Tech - CIO Synergy - Chicago, April 2011
  • The CIO Forum - Richmond Events, October 2010
  • 2010 Indiana IT Symposium - efm Events - September 2010

I love me :-)

I am one of Computer World's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2011.  Look at the yearbook.


2010 Information Week list of top 500 innovative companies.  And 2011.

What I've Been Doing

Publications and Awards

Highlights from my blog "Decoding IT for Business" at cio.com with their original publication dates. cio.com is discontinuing the blogging platform as of December 31, 2019, so I will be moving this content to this site. All content is copyright Paul T. Cottey in the year originally published.

        Bad beginnings have bad endings October 3, 2019

        How was your telecation™? July 8, 2019

        You are what you say. May 7, 2019

        There's a New Sheriff in Town. January 28, 2019

        Look at me! November 16, 2018

        Figures lie. Liars figure. September 17, 2018

        I'm glad you found someone to love you July 23, 2018

        You are not paranoid if everyone is against you April 5, 2018

        Wrap it up and put a bow on it December 13, 2017

        But it worked for me... October 24, 2017

        A rose by any other name September 11, 2017

        The case for hiring an external-facing CIO August 7, 2017

        The case for hiring an internal-facing CIO July 17, 2017

        Follow the 'no scroll' rule with email June 12, 2017

        If it is worth doing, it is worth automating May 15, 2017

        KTLO is not just radio stations April 3, 2017

        Spring cleaning March 6, 2017

        All the king's horses February 6, 2017

        The kid in all of us December 19, 2016

        Thankful things November 21, 2016

        Using LinkedIn effectively October 17, 2016

        I've seen this one. This is a classic. August 29, 2016

        Malware strategy: Prevent, Contain, Recover July 12, 2016

        What to do if you work in a 'personality cult' environment June 13, 2016

        Why 'management by flying around' is necessary in a distributed world May 16, 2016

        Why IT needs, and even likes, lawyers April 18, 2016

        How to do critical behavior interviewing right March 21, 2016

        IT People are Business People February 29, 2016

        Shall We Play a Game? January 25, 2016

        What Kind of IT Leader do you want to be? December 21, 2015

        How to Prepare Your IT Team for the Future December 7, 2015

        How much change is too much change? November 2, 2015

        A thank you goes a long way October 12, 2015

        New CIOs don't always have time to ease into their new role September 21, 2015

        It's who you know and who knows you that matters September 4, 2015

        How to communicate with the business August 24, 2015

        6 ways to keep up with IT trends August 10, 2015

        How to determine what your users need vs. what they want July 27, 2015

        Why listening to your users matters July 13, 2015

        When to replace laptops June 29, 2015

        The old college try June 15, 2015

        How to stay current June 8, 2015

        How to manage rogue IT end users June 1, 2015

        If you were a fish May 26, 2015

        Make hard things look easy May 18, 2015

        What got you here will not keep you here May 12, 2015

Guest blogs at Hellersearch.com and elsewhere

When is an IT Executive Really Ready to Retire?, originally published on January 25, 2023

The T's in IT, originally published at TAGCXO on January 6, 2022

Returning to the Office, originally published March 3, 2021

The Novel Normal, originally published April 8, 2020

Signs it is time to reinvent your CIO Career in 2019, originally published January 2, 2019

The ROI of Using a Search Firm, originally published February 14, 2018

It's Time to Train Your Replacement, originally published September 6, 2017

Other Articles

US CIOs prepare for the return from the home-office - Confare - March 29, 2021


You are not as done as you think you are - CIO Review - October 26, 2018


Ask a Leader - Career Advice, originally published in Computerworld, May 9, 2011


Sounding Board - Disaster Recovery on a Budget, CIO.com, April 27, 2011


How to Plan your Enterprise Architecture from Information Week June 24, 1996*


How to Tweak Tuxedo from Information Week March 27, 1995*

        * May be copyright Information Week

Copyright © 2000-2024, Paul T. Cottey. All rights reserved.