Randy Gross CIO, Computing Technology Industry Association

How long at current company: Seven months

Career accomplishment I'm most proud of: I was an analyst for what was supposed to be six weeks of transition analysis for a Testing Center of Excellence. The pilot transitions offshore seemed successful, but post-release defects were far too high and threatened the project's viability. With that failure, our team revamped our methodology to provide for clear and measurable learning. My six weeks became three years of wide-ranging work, and that center continues to deliver high-quality software quality assurance, spanning five countries and hundreds of resources and apps.

Most important career influencer: My dad, who frames every decision with integrity first. He's the first call I make when I have a tough decision, and he's never steered me wrong.

Decision I wish I could do over: During my last year of college, I interviewed at a small research firm and accepted its offer for a steady paycheck. When I started to understand that I was involved in competitive intelligence work that, at the very least, violated my personal ethics, I decided to quit my job during the middle of the dot-com bust. The subsequent three-month job search gave me a painful lesson in patience that I've never forgotten.

The next big thing for my industry: The growing adoption of managed services in the small and midsize business market. With powerful technology (virtualization, cloud computing, etc.) more affordable than ever, the price points and comprehensive services that managed service providers offer are extremely compelling.

Best way for CIOs to cope with the economic downturn: Focus on the core internal operations that drive your business' success; look outside for everything else.

Kids and technology careers: I absolutely would recommend a technology career for my child, as it provides unlimited options regardless of where you end up. Additionally, I have a child with special needs. For him, I value and count on technology to continue its role as a positive and life-altering force.

IT budget: About $2 million

Size of IT team: 10

Top initiatives:

>> Implementing integrated CRM across our worldwide locations. We're enhancing our ability to measure campaign effectiveness and to speak with a consistent voice.

>> Upgrading our legacy association management system to allow for better member service and improved staff productivity.

>> Consolidating manual processes into automated workflows through a collaboration platform.

How I measure IT effectiveness: I look at our customer-service response times and ability to decrease downtime through process and system performance. Also, I look at total cost of ownership for system implementations.

Leisure activity: Golf

Best book read recently: The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Last vacation: Golf trip to Pinehurst

Smartphone: iPhone

Favorite sports team: Carolina Panthers

Business leader I'd like to have lunch with: Nike's Phil Knight

Least favorite corporate plunderer: Dennis Kozlowski

If I weren't a CIO, I'd be ... Tiger Woods' caddy