When I had to transform our SAP implementation, I spent at least a year with all the different Bayer business functions and subgroups, learning about their products, their markets and their plans for the future. When I was finished with that project, I had gained a profound knowledge of the pharmaceuticals business and its consumer products. That was a tremendous enabler for me in my career.

But there must be more than just a couple of CIOs in any particular industry who are engaged with their companies' markets. We have to get more systematic about cultivating a deep business knowledge so that we gain a wider reputation as a profession that understands the market and has the potential to run business activities.

Claudio Abreu is president and CEO of Bayer Business and Technology Services and a member of the CIO Executive Council. E-mail mentor topics to connect@cio.com.

For more information on the CIO Executive Council, visit our