The Expanding Landscape of IT — And What it Takes to Lead

Businesses of the past viewed information technology (IT) leaders as being responsible for the company’s technical infrastructure. While IT leaders still own that responsibility, they also now play a more strategic role that influences organizational success.

“Every company needs IT professionals who possess a specific combination of both the technical skill and business acumen to understand and explain tech in the context of running a company,” said Randall Berry, director of Northwestern Engineering’s Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program. “IT professionals who harbor this combination of knowledge can find success in any industry and are prepared to venture into new IT specializations as they surface.”

A new MSIT eBook celebrates some of those specializations and explores what it takes to excel in them. The eBook specifically examines the realities and opportunities available in: 

• Cybersecurity 
• Enterprise architecture 
• Data and analytics 
• Consulting 

Recent MSIT alumni and established graduates of the program sat down to talk about their experiences working in each specialization and the specific skills needed to succeed.

Despite their varying roles and responsibilities, the alumni echoed the need for IT professionals well-versed in technology and business.

"Cybersecurity professionals recommend the best technical solution to meet the budget, timeline, and goals of a use case," said Vernon Pearson (MSIT '20), digital project manager at Caterpillar. "It's all decision and risk management. What is the best technical action to select today that will provide the greatest return tomorrow?"

Stella Warfel (MSIT '14) agreed.

“IT infrastructure has become an indispensable part of day-to-day operations for businesses, as organizations can no longer function effectively without essential components like email clients and hosted servers, whether they are on-premise or in the cloud,” said Warfel, director of IT at environmental services company Elevate. “The smooth and uninterrupted operation of these systems is now a crucial requirement and is considered a primary factor in decision-making processes.”

The eBook looks in depth at the realities of working in cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, data and analytics, and consulting. The goal is to showcase the importance of the different specializations — and how MSIT prepares students to excel in each.

"IT is more important now than ever before to business success," Berry said. "Being prepared to lead and venture into new IT specializations as they arise is a hallmark of MSIT, and many of our alumni are already leaders in these emerging fields."

Learn more here.