The best CTOs of 2009

InfoWorld selects 25 IT leaders who've used tech smarts, wise management, and hard work to give their businesses a real boost. Learn from the best.

It's not easy being a CTO. In a product company, you have to figure out how to raise the bar -- and then deliver a hit product. In other companies, you have to provide the systems that let the business run smarter, faster, bigger, or all three. And your resources are under pressure, from legacy thinking to smaller budgets, from disjoint divisions to unexpected industry shifts.

The InfoWorld CTO 25 awards honor those who triumph over significant challenges, using IT as their main vehicle to get results. The best CTOs use their technology savvy, management skills, and often force of will to achieve the right results. Almost always, all three attributes are needed. This year's crop of InfoWorld CTO 25 winners is no different in that regard from past winners, even if their specific challenges varied.

[ Discover the challenges faced by -- and lessons learned from -- past InfoWorld CTO 25 winners. ]

As you see how the InfoWorld CTO winners of 2009 met their individual challenges, we hope you'll uncover a few approaches or techniques you can use to meet your own.

The 2009 InfoWorld CTO 25 Award winners are:

• Anthony Abbattista, Allstate Insurance
• Joseph Abidaoud, Direct Energy
• Peter Balnaves, CVS Caremark
• Jacquelyn Barretta, Con-way
• Brian Cohee, Mixpo
• Christopher Crowhurst, Thomson Reuters
• Srini Devadas, Verayo
• Roland Etcheverry, Champion Technologies
• Kevin Flowers, Coca-Cola Enterprises
• David Giambruno, Revlon
• Stephen Herrod, VMware
• Tom Keen, BlueStar Energy Services
• Edwin Marcial, IntercontinentalExchange
• Ross Mason, MuleSource
• Wayne Mekjian, Wells Fargo
• David Mercier, Johnson Controls
• Andy Mulholland, Capgemini
• Judith Spitz, Verizon Business
• Adam Stanley, Aon
• Erik Swan, Splunk
• Paul Valle, Papa Gino's
• Jeff VerHeul, AMD
• Aber Whitcomb, MySpace
• Jack Wilson, Amerisure
• Brian Young, Creighton University

Look back on other CTOs and industry leaders who made the cut over the years:

The best CTOs of 2008
InfoWorld chooses the top leaders for technology and management innovation

2007 InfoWorld CTO 25 awards
Every year, InfoWorld honors senior IT executives who have demonstrated leadership within their companies and in the IT community. This year, we're pleased to have a particularly strong group, many of whom have led the development of next-generation tech.

2006 InfoWorld CTO 25
From hundreds of entries, we cull 25 leaders who exemplify the best in IT management and innovation