We were chatting the other day with former Microsoft executive Steve Vamos about the "digital dilemma" – mainstream businesses don’t have enough digital executives and technology companies don’t have enough business executives.

Steve has just been appointed to the board of Telstra, Australia’s biggest telco, to bring some online expertise to the table. Steve was CEO of the Nine Network-Microsoft joint venture, ninemsn and has a strong background in information technology. He says that even in the IT business, the challenge has been to find leaders who understand the business applications of technology.

"They are rare and will be rare for some time yet," Steve says.

For younger executives without business experience, companies need to find ways to upskill them rapidly. They are already comfortable with the technology, but the business is often uncomfortable with fast-tracking them through different areas.

For younger executives without business experience, companies need to find ways to upskill them rapidly. They are already comfortable with the technology, but the business is often uncomfortable with fast-tracking them through different areas.

If you don’t allow them to cross boundaries and learn stuff, they’ll get impatient and leave.

We are also seeing the emergence of the network-centric CEO as many consumer enterprises leave behind their traditional silos and adopt a "one-business" outlook.

Steve says: "This is very Web 2.0 when you think about it. It’s all about interactivity and people connecting across different platforms and spaces in real-time. The person running any Web 2.0 organization needs to understand they are running a network and not a walled garden that has walled gardens within it."