11/20/2018

Does a Tech Leader Need to be Tech-savvy?

Technical knowledge is often seen as essential

There’s a conversation to be had about how much technical skill IT leaders need to do their job, but it’s probably safe to say that Japan’s new deputy chief of cybersecurity may not have enough.

Yoshitaka Sakurada, who is in charge of the country’s digital preparation efforts ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealed during a recent committee meeting that he doesn’t use a computer for work. He apparently had struggled to understand the basic concept behind a USB drive, which is obviously a problem, considering that USB drives are a major physical risk for cybersecurity, and Sakurada is in charge of an event with a large physical component.

According to the English-language publication Japan Today, he admitted that he tends to dictate his messages, so he doesn’t need a computer. “Since the age of 25, I have instructed my employees and secretaries, so I don’t use computers myself,” the 68-year-old Sakurada said.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.