The ownership and representation of outsourced operations threatens to split the board according to research commissioned by global IT services provider HCL released today. Whilst 83% of UK IT directors believe that they should represent outsourcing at a board level, only 1% of finance directors and managing directors think the same. Instead, the non IT directors prefer the FD or operations director to head up outsourcing (40% and 25% respectively).

Support amongst technology leaders for the finance director is similarly low with only 2% of IT directors favouring finance directors for outsourcing leadership. Only 8% of IT directors thought outsourcing belonged to the operations director.

However both IT and non-IT directors are united in their belief that a separate Chief Outsourcing Officer or outsourcing director figure would not be a valuable addition to the business.

Rajeev Sawhney, vice-president HCL Technologies explains what this may mean for companies throughout the : "It is crucial for the success of an outsourcing agreement that the customer retains the necessary and required level of control. This means there has to be a figure who holds responsibility and authority over the outsourcing issues. However, identifying who this person is clearly a bone of contention."Historically outsourcing has lay within the realm of IT directors but it is clear finance and managing directors see outsourcing as moving into the realms of finance and operations. This presents IT directors with as much of an opportunity as a threat as they can develop their business skills and use outsourced operations as a stepping stone to the board."