That's very common at all non-tech institutions: the top technology management positions are held by people who don't have a technical background and may know v

That's very common at all non-tech institutions: the top technology management positions are held by people who don't have a technical background and may know very little. Reasons are: • It's hard to find technically skilled people who want to spend all day doing management tasks. • It's easy to find essentially unskilled people who do want to spend all day doing management tasks. • There is a large set of unwritten rules and social expectations that the people who created and run such companies use as proxies for competence. Do you dress nice, can you play an enjoyable game of golf, are you married, how old are you, etc. These proxies invariably de-select the kinds of people who have a deep understanding of their field (i.e. single young men who are able to devote enormous hours to their craft). Edit: note the recommendations in her LinkedIn page. Every single one talks about her collaboration and communication skills, not a single mention anywhere of technical skills. It's tempting to shoot "Susan M" here but the real issue is a boardroom culture in which management is seen as a skill entirely divorced from the effort being managed.