.. .www.\obpostings.r\e\
brain person," says Reese. Favorite part of the
job: "The breadth of responsibilities and the
challenge to find ways to better coordinate
resources."
Toughest aspect of the job: "The time com
mitment; it's an all-consuming business."
Salary: $125,000-$ 150,000
8. Meta mediary CEO
The Web makes room for a new third party in
a shopping transaction. A metamediary sits
between buyers and sellers, offering a central
ized, unbiased source of information and
resources related to a specific task, such as buy
ing a home or car (see "Making New Markets,"
May '99). From this one point, customers can
educate themselves on the topic, research
options and prices, and when ready, jump direct
ly to related vendors in the marketplace. For
example, Edmund Publications, an automobile
metamediary, offers pricing information, com
parisons, and reviews of new and used cars.
Buyers can also go directly to car dealers, insur
ance companies, financing and warranty
providers, and even spare-parts dealers. "We're
me umy vvcumic nidi eumcb
at the automotive market
strictly from the consumer's
point of view," says Edmund's
CEO Peter Steinlauf.
"Maintaining the consumer's
trust is paramount."
Steinlauf is constantly working on initiatives
to enhance the site's content and features, and find
ing strategic partnerships with other consumer-ori
ented sites. To maintain Edmund's reputation for
neutrality, Steinlauf has no direct role in develop
ing or editing the site's editorial content. That task
is handled by the editor in chief.
Evolution: Metamediaries developed in reac
tion to one of the Web's drawbacks: With so many
information resources available online, it's diffi
cult for consumers to use it all efficiently. Steinlauf
launched the Edmund’s Website in 1994 with basic
content from the company's traditional car buyers'
guides.
But he rapidly expanded the offerings with help
from reader requests for additional resources and
features.
Skills needed: A metamediary CEO must have
the negotiating skills and business acumen to strike
deals with content and distribution partners. The
CEO must also have product development and
marketing skills to help conceive new features and
services for the Website.
Favorite aspect of the job: "Being on the cut
ting edge of different programs."
Toughest aspect of the job: "Having to stay
on top of changes in technology."
Salary: $250,000
9. Chief Knowledge Officer
The CKO is responsible for
building and managing a com
pany's internal knowledge
management efforts—a sys
tem that organizes vital infor
mation from documents, data
bases, and people in a reusable and searchable
body of institutional knowledge. Chris Newell,
the CKO for Internet business consulting firm
Viant, says the first task is to extend the neces
sary technology infrastructure, including appli
cations that capture, categorize, and retrieve infor
mation entered by employees or stored in com
pany databases. The CKO must continually work
on new applications to add functionality, scala
bility, and efficiency to that system. For example,
Newell plans to enhance Viant’s knowledge man
agement systems with better search capabilities
and collaboration applications that would allow
project teams to share data online.
The CKO's additional responsibilities are
educational and strategic. Newell must teach
Viant’s employees what resources are available
and how to use the system. The goal is to create
an online collection of information such as for
mer project proposals, task methodologies, best
practices, meeting transcripts, and documenta
tion of employees' project experiences that may
be useful in additional projects or in ongoing
employee training. He also works closely with
the CEO and the heads of IT and HR to align
knowledge management with the company's
overall strategy. "A knowledge manager brings
the company's technological and anthropologi
cal pieces together. It's a multidisciplinary prob
lem." says Newell.
Evolution: Increased globalization and accel
erated business cycles strain a company's ability
to connect the right people and information for cer
tain projects. But effective knowledge manage
ment was difficult until the development of Internet
technologies, especially searching and collabora
tive technologies.
Skills needed: Although a CKO needs strong
technical skills to handle the technical infrastruc
ture, Newell says a deep understanding of how
individuals really work together is crucial.
Favorite part of the job: "It’s exciting to cre
ate the central nervous system of a company that
will bring multiple disciplines together in a way
they haven't been before."
Toughest aspect of the job: "Whatever you
build is going to work for some people and not for
others. You're not able to make everybody happy."
Salary: $100,000-$500,000
10. Chief Internet Officer
The embodiment of a compa
ny's commitment to the Web, a
CIO oversees all online strate
gy and operations. Brooks
Fisher, vice president and gen
eral manager of community
and marketspaces at Intuit, was picked by CEO
Bill Harris to transform Intuit from a packaged
software vendor to a top online personal-finance
business.
Fisher brought in a new editorial staff and Web
technology experts, while imparting the firm's Web
strategy and direction to Intuit's existing employ
ees. He also created a revenue model and made cru
cial early decisions, such as avoiding offline mar
keting in favor of online marketing and distribution
deals. Today, he runs Intuit's three consumer online
businesses, Quicken.com. Quicken Mortgage, and
Quicken Insure Market. "You just don't kick back
and watch the business grow," says Fisher. "You've
got to make big calls every week on important
investments, staffing decisions, marketing dollars,
and distribution." And he's got to keep the finances
in line with Wall Street’s expectations.
Evolution: Traditional businesses like Intuit
rely on dedicated Web specialists to avoid getting
left behind in the New Economy.
Skills needed: Leadership skills are essential
to guide the entire organization. A CIO must com
bine sound management practices and a funda
mental understanding of the economics of busi
ness with the ability to move quickly and take
risks. Fisher gained most of his business experi
ence in old media, managing operations for mag
azines such as U.S. News and World Report. But
he also spent a year at Infoseek before joining
Intuit. "My experiences in operations manage
ment. general management, and in the chaotic
early phase of the Internet industry prepared me
well for this job."
Favorite part of the job: "We re just making
it up as we go along. I find that really exciting."
Toughest aspect of the job: "The pace of this
industry, and how it affects family issues. The per
sonal sacrifice is daunting."
Salary: $200,000-$300,000
Sean Donahue (sdonahue@business2.comJ is a
staff writer for Business 2.0
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