HUNTER MULLER is the President and CEO of HMG Strategy, LLC, a?leading provider of networking events and professional services to CIOs and senior executives across the IT industry. HMG Strategy, LLC is the producer of world-class events such as the CIO Executive Leadership Series, which provides CIOs and senior executives with opportunities to learn from world-class thought leaders, share knowledge and best practices, and interact with peers and industry leaders representing a wide variety of dynamic markets. Muller has more than twenty years of experience in business strategy consulting with a strong focus on IT organization development, strategy, and business alignment.

• Foreword xi Preface xvAcknowledgments xxiiiIntroduction xxvA New Business Model xxvii‘‘Thoughtfully Progressive’’ xxviiiPart I: Transformational Leadership 1Chapter 1 The Rising Tide 3The CIO as Rock Star 6Real Stories from Real IT Leaders 7Learning from Listening 8More Than Technology 9The Real Challenge Is Organizational 9Leadership Is Essential 12Chapter 2 IT Does Matter 17Stay Focused on Delivering Value 20Replacing the Perpetual Pendulum 22Driving the Innovation Agenda 24It’s All a Question of Perspective 28Chapter 3 The Engine of Innovation 31Bringing Innovation to the Surface 36Incentivizing Innovation 39Chapter 4 Finding the Right Balance 45Winds of Change 49The Third Bucket 51The Closer 53Outside versus Inside 55Articulating the Value of Technology 57Chapter 5 The Customer-Focused CIO 61Top Line or Bottom Line? 65Driving Business Growth 66The Rapid Enabler 68Own, Rent, or Both? 72Multiple Models 75Also Consider the User Experience 76Chapter 6 To Cloud or Not to Cloud 79Fail Fast, Fail Cheap 83A Skunk Works in the Cloud 85Weaving the Seamless Tapestry 87Part II: Driving Change 91Chapter 7 In Front of the Firewall 93Avon Calling 100When the Model Fits 103Chapter 8 The New Speed of Change 107Updating the Mental Model 115Innovation under Pressure 119The Cloud on Wheels 121Campaigning in the Cloud 122Part III: Building Value 127Chapter 9 Pushing the Envelope 129Two Sides of the Same Coin 138A Multiplicity of Clouds 142Turn of the Tide 146Translating ‘‘Speeds and Feeds’’ into Cash Flow 152Chapter 10 Entering the Cloud 155Governance Is Fundamental to Success 161Due Diligence 163Taking ‘‘No’’ Off the Table 173Afterword 179Meet Our Sources 189Recommended Reading 221About the Author 225About HMG Strategy LLC 227Index 229

"In his book, On Top of the Cloud Muller interviewed top CIOs about the challenges and opportunities of cloud technology, and how they've learned to lead their companies into a cloud-driven future. These transformational CIOs, as Hunter refers to them, are technology leaders, not followers. They function as champions of innovation and continuous improvement, a role that often requires them to be more like a CEO than CIO." (Monster.com, April 2012)