Colin Carmichael‘s career journey is truly inspiring, starting as a mechanical engineer in a heavy engineering company and rising to become the CIO of esteemed IT companies like FireEye and 8×8. Along the way, he held notable positions such as Senior Director at CooperVision, VP of IT Applications at Polycon, and Senior Director of ERP & Finance Systems at Amazon. During his two-decade tenure at Sun Microsystems, he filled various IT roles. Colin Carmichael attributes his career success to his insatiable thirst for learning and commitment to excelling in every role. He also emphasizes the importance of taking risks and delivering on them, which he sees as a significant driver for career advancement.
In my recent conversation with Colin Carmichael, he generously shared key principles for career growth and offered invaluable insights that are essential for aspiring executives. Delve into his story below for a deeper understanding of his journey and the lessons learned along the way.
Describe your career progression from the start to where you are and what pivotal decisions, moves you made, circumstances, and other facts that facilitated your growth.
I started my working life as a Mechanical Engineer working in a traditional heavy engineering company in Scotland. I studied for my Master’s degree while I was working full-time. I got into IT when my company bought a CAD/CAM system and started doing CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing). I then joined Sun Microsystems as they made a move into Scotland to create a world-class manufacturing site (the first outside of the USA). I worked in various roles for them before moving to the USA on a transfer and never looked back. I spent 20 years at Sun. I worked in virtually every IT role you can think of at every level. It really set the base for my IT career. From there I joined Amazon at Seattle HQ. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and would commute every week to Seattle. Amazon was an amazing company growing like a proverbial weed. Pace was enormous but the experience was amazing. I was running their Global Finance systems including ERP. After that, I set my target to become a CIO. I looked for high-tech companies of a certain size (~$1Bn revenue, 2000-3000 employees). After a couple of stops in Polycom and CooperVision (a Life Sciences company), I landed my first CIO role in FireEye. I really enjoyed the 4 years I spent there as we worked on many Business Transformation programs, moving the company from a traditional hardware and software direct selling business to a SaaS first company in the Cybersecurity market. That industry was hugely exciting, interesting, and scary! Unfortunately, the company split up and I had to move on. I then joined 8X8 looking for another growth company with lots of transformation. Large-scale transformation programs were one of my main areas of interest and experience.
What are the key skills and qualifications that aspiring tech executives in the tech industry should focus on developing to enhance their career prospects?
The technical skills associated with your domain area are a given. The critical differentiators include [360 degrees] leadership, relationship management, influencing, and boundaryless contribution to key business initiatives. Especially as a CIO, you get involved in every aspect of the business. So you need to partner with every C-level and be seen as a value add partner to their mission. You have to be seen to be involved in their business and demonstrate understanding of it, then offer insights and look for opportunities to accelerate their agenda. To me, one important (and underutilized) skill to do this is listening. Then engage in the conversation at the right time with contextual opinion or input. Business acumen is key. You should converse in business terms and refrain from injecting technical jargon or even technical topics unless the question deserves a specific technical viewpoint.
What are some key milestones or achievements that tech executives should aim for at various stages of their career to demonstrate their growth and readiness for higher-level roles?
- The main thing in looking at career milestones is to forget about (or at least not focus on) the job title or level. You should demonstrate growth naturally by engaging in the right level of conversation. Be conscious about being seen (through your conversation) to be taking a bigger picture perspective and keeping your eye on the bigger mission. This will naturally get you noticed by [typically] the next level of management and you’ll build capital with them that will bear fruit as promotion opportunities or discussions come up. When you naturally get involved in discussion with the more senior person(s) you’ll know you’ve reached another milestone. But please don’t overreact to this point and find yourself just managing up!
- Get involved in the more visible initiatives. Be seen to be willing to take risks, but deliver! Be seen again to be focused on the end goal and be willing to be creative or differentiating in how to achieve that successfully. Don’t allow yourself to be pigeon holed into a role (but don’t abandon that responsibility either). Stretch yourself to go beyond any perceived, or real, boundaries.
How important is it for tech executives to actively seek out mentorship or coaching opportunities to advance their careers? What benefits can they derive from such relationships?
Mentoring is a great tool in everyone’s career. Be selective in who you select as a mentor if you have a choice. Look for someone that compliments you, as opposed to another you. Good mentoring relationships get you out of the weeds and lift you up to think about what’s really important and share advice on how to approach situations or problems. Also look for a mentor that can be a long term advocate for you if possible. Don’t abuse the relationship though. It should be a relationship that naturally develops to the point your mentor wants to proactively help you in your career. They will only do this if you, the mentee, prove your worth and are seen to grow through the relationship.
In your experience, what role does professional networking play in the career progression of tech executives? How can tech executives effectively build and leverage their networks?
- Networking is one the most important tools for anyone looking for career growth. Unless you are looking to be a career person in one company you will face a day where you have to look outside. Prior networking will have given you relationships to lean on and a wider world perspective on what’s “good” in the market. It should also give you relationships that you can use to navigate opportunities in companies you are targeting.
- You should also remember that networking is a 2 way street. You should look for opportunities you pay it forward too.
Are there any specific certifications, advanced degrees, or executive education programs that can significantly enhance the career prospects of tech executives in the tech industry? Which ones would you recommend?
I believe the more senior you are the less important specific academic awards are, unless your specific role requires it (for compliance or a pre-requisite for a job). Having said that in IT a good accelerator for that business acumen that is so important are MBA or mini Executive bootcamps. They give you an end-to-end view of the business and the levers that a company has to operate. Also, I believe we’re all always learning! That doesn’t stop as you elevate in the organization. You constantly have to learn new techniques to deal with new situations and technical competencies that evolve in your respective industry. These are extremely important and they don’t have specific academic programs.
Can you share any examples of notable tech executives who have successfully transitioned from one role (e.g., CIO) to another (e.g., CEO) within the same organization or industry? What factors contributed to their success?
I’ve had the privilege of working for 3 CIOs where I’ve seen them grow and move outside of IT into prominent business roles. One became the CEO of an underwater robotic company. One became the Head of Corporate Business Development (setting the entire strategy for the company) and one became the head of what is now Amazon’s AWS. All 3 had 3 things in common – 1. they were driven by a bigger mission and were relentless in their pursuit, 2. They were well respected for their success as the CIO at their company and 3. They were leaders in every respect of the word.
How important is it for tech executives to cultivate a personal brand and establish thought leadership within the industry? What are some effective ways for tech executives to showcase their expertise and gain visibility?
No one gets exposure by being inside a bubble. Personal brand needs to extend beyond your current organization. Industry forums are plentiful and you must participate in key ones. These are great for networking but also for building that brand. Be seen to contribute in these forums for everyone else’s benefit. Look to participate in industry trend conversations, offering your personal opinion along the way. Write blogs or articles on topical issues.
Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring tech executives who are looking to accelerate their career progression and make a lasting impact in the tech industry?
Build, and lean on, those long-term relationships that you can leverage when the time requires it. Have a plan for your career. It doesn’t need to (IMHO) be a huge robust written plan, but at least have a plan in your head that you are continuously checking in on. Have a presence. Be visible. Remember to take on challenging roles and initiatives that can be noted as significant achievements on your resume.
Also Read:
Chris Moschovitis: A Career Journey that Epitomizes Unyielding Perseverance for Growth
Gary Laieski: Leadership Rooted in Strong Human Values
Surya Avantsa: Turning Challenges into Opportunities for Growth
As a visionary Business and Technology Leader, I bring a proven track record of driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and delivering exceptional results in fast-paced and dynamic environments. I have honed outstanding skills in articulating a compelling vision and rallying active support from internal executives, development teams, and client business and IT leadership. I am proud to be a member of both the Forbes Technology Council and HITEC (Hispanic Technology Executives Council), which underscores my commitment to being at the forefront of industry trends and developments.
My special talent is demonstrating value to clients at all touch points – I instill these concepts in my teams.
