CIOs being replaced by younger models?

Sure it gets tough to keep

Sure it gets tough to keep up with the latest technologies. Just as soon as the old brain gets used to one way of doing something, it is expected to learn how to do it differently.

This is not easy for older people and younger people may know the latest technologies but they haven't had to go through multiple cycles of relearning yet. They are fresh but they are human too.

They won't have the business or management sense that the older crowd has but they are bright-eyed and ready to do new things.

Perhaps there is a way for both to work together???

Gartner expresses the

Gartner expresses the attitude that is prevelent in the industry. For you youngsters reading this, take this lesson away from you. No matter how good you are, no matter how manny accomplishments you've achieved, you will find it difficult to find a job in management once you reach forty. If that's the kinda career you aspire to, persue a career in IT. If not, run and find a career path that values folks 40 and older, or better yet become a NYC police officer. At least you can retire with a monthly paycheck when nobody wants you anymore. Ah forget all that BS, you know better than me. Let's talk when you're 40+.

How old were the Gartner

How old were the Gartner Groupies who put that report together? Did they get paid for that tripe? They should remember what they said in about twenty years when the wheel turns round again...
I have been in the computer biz since the late 'sixties, and my first system loaded octal patches via punched cards (if that does not make sense, go read some computing history). I remake myself every 5 to 10 years. I most recently did that when the dotcom bubble burst. Currently I work in documentation, which means relearning almost everything with every new release of the system. Sure, there are people who resist change, and I understand perfectly what the reasons are. But most of us in the field are just running scared, trying to stay ahead of technical obsolescence so we can avoid unemployment, trying to jump careers into jobs that are harder to ship overseas. Do I worry about that? A lot. I'm 61 years old, and maybe I'll make it to retirement before I get canned again.

Replacing? Using this word

Replacing? Using this word might be a little harsh. I would recommend that CIOs are collaborating with the younger generation in order to bridge the generation and culture gap.

This whole issue is

This whole issue is short-sighted. The economy's pretty good, so IT people can get all blustery about being strategic and blah, blah, blah. As soon as the bloated high-minded software no longer works, you still have to pay for it. Sounds like just what we don't need - another dotcom bubble waiting to happen. Only a seasoned manager who's seen a few of these boom/bust cycles would recognize the pattern - come to think of it, another good argument for keepin' ol' geezers like me around. Not impressed with Gartner for not seeing this.

I'm 36, I run an IT

I'm 36, I run an IT department for a public sector organization, I have approximatly 17 staff members reporting to me. My team is of mixed ages. I have been in IT for over 13 years.

I don't agree with Gartner, fact is I find the comments to be both discoraging and bordering on simply insulting. Over the years this sort of thing has become more and more common from Gartner. They were in my mind once a trusted source of information and reccomendation for IT professionals and leaders alike but have become, over time, simply another "change for the sake of change" management consultancy group.

Handing the keys to 20 somehtings? People who have not earned their way up to management? That is a mistake and one that could and will cost dearly to any organization. Growing up in IT it has been my experience that younger managers tend to be worse managers. There's more here then simply making sure you have some bleeding edge technology within your organization to make the stock holders, stake holders, and young recruits happy. Solid systems and finishing projects on time and with solid supporting structures will, in my mind at least, be more important. For this you need experienced staff at the helm, not some 20 somehtings with no real experience.

As for CIO level positions, in my opinion most CIO's these days are cost cutters and are so because that is how they have been hired. The organizations that have hired them are responsible for this and should re-train and re-purpose them rather then pitchign them for younger staff. And this opinion is coming from somehone that suffered through cost cutting at the hands of elderly CIOs in the past. Even through that I still think experience > flashy tech knowledge.

When I was 20 something I wanted the next level badly. Thankfully I had to wait to get it. In my 30s I feel better prepared and better experienced to handle the challenges and burdens of management. I'm not afraid to give 20 somehtings credit for their technological imput but I refuse to hand them the keys. They need to earn their way up to team leadership in my shop, just like I did. They need to develop the skills needed for leadership.

My perspective is a little

My perspective is a little different than others who have posted comments, as I am one of the "New Generation" of IT leaders. Recently, I took over as VP of IT at a company 1/10 the size of my previous company where I held a Sr. IT leadership post.

In my career, which started when most 50 somethings hit middle management, I have seen marked changes in the requirements necessary to be a champion of IT for the business. IT "Leaders" can no longer stand behind servers and systems and believe that as long as the system is up or the budget is black that they have done their job. The "New" IT leader has to understand that they are a business leader first, and an IT leader second. Age is not important, it is the perspective and the ability to build trust in their business partners and staff that matter. I hate to sound Pavlovian, but in my career, I have seen most IT leaders be unable to do little more than respond to a business request like a cashier at a McDonalds. As with the "Discipline of Market Leaders", successful IT leaders will need to understand and learn the balance between customer intimacy, operational excellence and product and service innovation in order to be successful and trustworthy.

Do I agree with Gartner's analysis? Not entirely, but I do agree with the statistics that they are putting up. In the past 4 months, I have had 4 ex-CIOs come to me looking for managerial level positions, and in each case, they were replaced by a "newer model". Does this mean that there is no hope for the older generation? Not at all, but the "old dog has to learn new tricks".

I am 45, I have been an IT

I am 45, I have been an IT Professional since 1986. I returned to college 4 years ago to finish my degrees. I have only sharpened my tool-set. I have been mentoring other students on the usage of Wikis and Blogs, plus I am actively following the arena of social networking. I don't think this is an age issue, I know just as many 20 something people that suffer from apathy as 50 something. To make such a blanket statement as "middle age IT professionals are out of touch with the real world" is a bit ludacris.

Those who preach diversity

Those who preach diversity are often uncomfortable with true diversity.

If Gartner were to change 'baby boomer' to Asian, African American, Male, Female, Muslim, Catholic, etc. its executives would be 'frogmarched' out of their offices for gross insensitivity, and probably charged with hate speech crimes.

I'm a 'baby boomer' and I've seen a lot - nothing disturbs me much -not a suspected intrusion nor the most extreme client request. That's the best part about being 'old'. Nothing disturbs me enough to divert my focus.

Like political pundits, Gartner pontificates about the theoritical yet is often unaware of reality.

New and changing technology challenges excites and motivates.

Gartner desperately needs

Gartner desperately needs competition.
Gartner has been trying to rule the world of who ever sponsor they have. Dont think that we havent noticed it. Computer Science has evolved thanks to the work of many many people, included Baby Boomers.
I also entered the field in the early 80s, and have been able to promote change, not just keep up. Many changes I promoted involved modernizing great systems built before me, and their ideas still work fine. I always though consultants were serious and experts in the field with many stripes on their shoulders, but this guy really has no idea what computer science and age is all about.