| When Larry Quinlan retired as global CIO of Deloitte in 2021, he considered some romantic notions like running a nonprofit or becoming a university professor. After some due diligence, though, he followed a different path: boards of directors. For Wayne Shurts, who like Quinlan is a CIO Hall of Fame inductee, the decision to join boards came sooner. Shurts was among the first wave of IT leaders to join public-company boards during his tenure as CIO of Sysco. In an era where boards are plucking technology executives quicker than ever, many CIOs see directorships as their next career ambition. But the stark reality is board service isn’t for everyone. And many if not most CIOs are not well-rounded enough to reach that apex. "CIOs think technology will get them to the boardroom,” says Shurts, who has served on multiple public- and private-company boards. “Yes, more boards want tech expertise, but you have to provide the right knowledge, breadth, and depth on topics that matter to their businesses.” Art Hopkins, who’s global head of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Technology Officer Practice and also conducts CEO and board searches, agrees. “The basic eligibility requirement for serving on a board is that you’re a well-rounded business executive who spikes deep in some area that’s relevant to the board,” he says. “A lot of CIOs aren’t as broad as they think they are.” Conversations with experts like Hopkins, as well as several CIO-turned-board-members, reveal some key issues IT leaders face when striving for a directorship. But they also shed light on the most practical and effective ways to position themselves for the role. | 
