Market research firm Gartner has suggested that the most successful companies over the next few years will be those with an entrepreneurial chief information officer (CIO).
Jorge Lopez, vice-president and analyst at the company, explained that as the recession begins to recede, shareholders will expect to see business begin to pick up again and for earnings to grow.
He claimed that the right CIO should have a degree of persuasiveness about them, clear vision about handling problems and exploiting opportunities, as well as a sensible yet ambitious view with regard to risk-taking.
Mr Lopez said: "One of the biggest dilemmas facing organisations as we head toward 2010 is how chief executive officers and CIOs can execute entrepreneurial tasks in the current risk-averse environment."
Gartner recently announced that nominations are being accepted for its Customer Relationship Management Excellence Awards 2010, organised alongside 1to1 Media.
The deadline for entrants is January 29th, with the presentation ceremony taking place in London on March 17th.