In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Soumya Seetharam, Chief Digital and Information Officer of Corning, a 170-year-old material science innovator. Soumya discusses her dual role in leading IT operations and driving digital transformation, focusing on reducing technical debt, democratizing technology, and implementing AI-powered solutions like Corning GPT and GenAI operator assistants. Learn how Corning is harnessing data and AI to stay at the forefront of innovation and efficiency.
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929: In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our 2024 Metis Strategy Summit with panelists Nick Parrotta (CDIO & President of Digital Transformation Solutions at HARMAN Intl.), Bonnie Titone (CAO of Duke Energy), and Pritha Mehra (CIO of USPS) where they discuss their insights into leading large-scale modernization efforts. The conversation spans diverse industries—automotive, energy, and logistics—exploring how these leaders balance innovation with the challenges of legacy systems and crisis management.
First-ever McWane CIO Lynn Lovelady fast-tracked the global manufacturer’s corporate IT makeover by emphasizing A-teams, smart centralization, and establishing trust.
This article was originally published on CIO.com by Mike Bertha, Partner at Metis Strategy.
In 2018, the day after his employer publicly announced it was being acquired, Lynn Lovelady, then VP of IT at Energen, received a pivotal phone call that would reshape his career.
It was from Charlie Nowlin, then CFO at McWane, who for more than a year had been searching for the company’s first chief information officer.
After a long courtship that included lunches with members of McWane’s C-suite to ensure a cultural fit, Lovelady signed on to helm IT as CIO at the global manufacturer of ductile iron products, valves, hydrants, fittings, plumbing products, fire extinguishers and suppression systems, and steel pressure vessels.
The Birmingham, Ala.-based McWane’s growing corporate IT department had existed only since 2008, and for Lovelady there was a lot of work to do. =
“We were transitioning from a decentralized IT model to one that increasingly relied on corporate IT, which necessitated enhancing the planning process, governance, and implementing consistent policies on cybersecurity,” says Lovelady, reflecting on a department that was responsible for supporting the more than 20 operationally diverse businesses under the McWane umbrella.
To address the growing pains, Lovelady reinforced the importance of strategic planning for IT. In addition to rationalizing applications and other tactics you would expect, Lovelady knew establishing influence across McWane would be essential for the IT makeover to succeed, and that in turn would require over-communicating, driving accountability, measuring success, and rewarding high performance. With these principles in mind, Lovelady and his team launched their strategy, dubbing it “fifteen in five,” representing their bold ambition to drive fifteen years’ worth of transformation in the next five, and to shore up IT capabilities in doing so.
But executing wouldn’t come without challenges: multiple ERP implementations, a reluctance to adapt to new ways of working at a storied company, and perhaps most daunting, the reality that IT in each of the 20-plus businesses had grown accustomed to operating independently.
According to Lovelady, his team’s ability to overcome these headwinds hinged on three pillars that go beyond technical implementation.
Lovelady admits that in the early innings there were some who questioned whether hiring a CIO was necessary. The company, after all, had been successful historically.
To buck the trend, Lovelady prioritized meeting with all senior executives upon his arrival: to sell his strategic plan, share how he planned to make improvements, and most importantly, state his intention to earn their trust by establishing a relationship based on frequent and transparent communication. “Whether they’re personal or business, relationships take work, but that work is how you establish trust,” says Lovelady, “and picking up the phone or walking down the hall fills the trust bank over time.”
Lovelady’s focus on communication earned him respect and support from the executive team, which included the general managers of the 20-plus portfolio businesses. It showed when he presented to them. Mr. McWane himself and other EVPs started endorsing Lovelady’s initiatives, and “this backing, coupled with some early efficiency wins, helped the GMs get behind the vision and get comfortable with the new chargebacks,” Lovelady says.
To ensure his team embraced and embodied his philosophy, Lovelady purchased everyone a copy of Excellence Wins, by Horst Schulze. “While we can’t do everything the Ritz Carlton does, I think the spirit of having a customer-first mindset is critical. Following up, not assuming a problem is solved, paying attention: It’s critical we all share these values.”
Before Lovelady arrived, many major IT initiatives, especially those — like ERP projects — meant to drive efficiency across the businesses, were viewed as non-strategic. This kept top talent on the sidelines. Lovelady turned this approach upside down. “Do you really want the software you are going to run for the next 15 to 20 years being designed by just anyone?” posits Lovelady. “Or do you want it designed by your A players?”
Combined with an outstanding internal ERP implementation team, Lovelady worked with business units to put their best talent on the ERP initiatives, which in 2023 alone, led to four on-time deployments. It also led to the consolidation of seven separate CRM environments. Those two efforts combined have enabled for the first time ever end-to-end visibility of McWane’s value chain for select businesses, from the manufacturing of products, through the sales process, all the way to recognizing revenue.
An ERP veteran, Lovelady knows that technology alone isn’t what makes ERP implementation successful. “It’s about having the right people, following the right processes, and avoiding common pitfalls like customization.”
And for Lovelady and McWane, the right people are often those with substantial IT experience. “Around here, young talent are people in their thirties,” explains Lovelady, “and a lot of our team members came with backgrounds as directors, vice presidents, or even CIOs at well-respected companies.”
It is to this talent philosophy Lovelady attributes McWane’s ability to service their approximately 6,000 employees across its global footprint with less than 30 full-time corporate IT employees, and only a handful of longstanding strategic partners.
Key to reigning in and forging partnerships with the portfolio of operationally diverse companies was the deployment of what McWane refers to as “smart centralization.” Through this strategy, Lovelady and his team have struck the often difficult to balance attributes of business unit flexibility with enterprise scale.
“At corporate, we focus on things that can be done globally,” says Lovelady. These include network management, help desk, establishing and enforcing policies related to information security and risk management, and several other IT functions. “These are strategic capabilities for IT, and we have more purchasing power when we address them horizontally across our portfolio,” says Lovelady. “Besides, our businesses shouldn’t have to worry that outdated network equipment is putting their operation at risk.”
Still, the businesses operate with a high degree of local decision-making authority, Lovelady says. “We’ve simply implemented guardrails and policies to make sure we are influencing the domains where we have expertise, and we are making decisions that serve the greater good of McWane, not just an individual business.”
About five years have passed since Charlie Nowlin phoned Lovelady in 2018, and McWane’s corporate IT is firing on all cylinders. IT’s seat at the table has been cemented for many reasons. Chief among them are a rationalized, simplified, cost-effective ERP footprint; a maturing IT security and risk management capability that includes regular audits; a help desk that receives positive ratings from more than 90% of users; and a successful data center migration, which included moving more than 400 servers in real-time, so seamlessly, Lovelady says, that nobody even noticed.
Communication from corporate IT is proactive, includes regular site visits, frequent updates to demonstrate progress against the strategic plan, and plentiful impromptu calls and drop-ins. Business and IT are rowing in the same direction, with the shared goal of making the right decisions for the greater good of McWane.
Lovelady, who announced his retirement in the fourth quarter of 2023, will leave a legacy of transformation at McWane — one that will be synonymous with service excellence, integrity, and collaboration. The results he achieved are enviable, so we asked him what advice he’d share with CIOs pursuing similar journeys. He vehemently referred to the annual strategic plan that started it all, highlighting the importance of trust.
“It takes years of hard work to build trust, and it can be lost in an instant,” says Lovelady. “Don’t breach that trust, and you’ll go far.”
912: The fusion of IT transformation and AI is revolutionizing how businesses leverage technology to drive growth and innovation. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Satya Jayadev, CIO of Skyworks Solutions, a global leader in high-performance analog semiconductors that power the wireless revolution. Satya shares insights into his six-year journey at Skyworks, leading a digital transformation that took IT from a back-office support role to a business driver and visionary partner. He discusses how Skyworks is leveraging AI to optimize processes and product development and how the AI Enablement Office is identifying critical use cases across the organization. Satya also explains the role of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) in improving engineering efficiency and product design speed. Lastly, he provides a forward-looking view on how AI and 5G are shaping the future of business and consumer experiences.
888: The rapid pace of technological change, particularly with the advent of AI tools, has drastically decreased the average half-life of skills to less than five years, necessitating a focus on continuous learning at every level. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, where Liberty Mutual Global CIO Monica Caldas and WestRock CIDO Amir Kazmi speak with Metis Strategy Partner and East Coast Lead Alex Kraus about future-oriented storytelling, talent upskilling, and innovation processes. Discover how Liberty Mutual leverages its ecosystem of partners to develop the ‘Skills to Fuel our Future’ strategy, maturing employee skills in data, software, and AI, and how Amir at WestRock emphasizes purpose-driven innovation and a growth mindset. Both executives also share their thoughts on executive storytelling, cultural nuances in approaching different personas, and the importance of metrics for evaluating performance and progress.
879: AI can serve as a great enabler of customer experiences and breakthrough innovations, but a lack of preparation and organizational readiness often limits how quickly companies can adopt and leverage AI tools. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Praveen Jonnala, CIO of CommScope, and Tim Dickson, CDIO of Regal Rexnord, speak with Metis Strategy Partner and Central Office Lead Mike Bertha about how organizations can prepare to leverage AI effectively. The panel explores strategies like the 80/20 principle of organizational readiness at CommScope, the creation and implementation of AI playbooks, and the importance of data quality. Learn about practical approaches to upskilling internal teams, leveraging external partners, and focusing on business-driven AI initiatives.
865: CEOs of major companies serve as both the public face of the organization and pivotal leaders responsible for shaping its strategy and upholding internal values through their actions. In this episode of Technovation, Jim Kavanaugh, co-founder and CEO of World Wide Technology, joins Peter High in a conversation regarding his 34-year leadership tenure at the company and the career path that culminated in his current position. Jim shares his early career journey, playing professional soccer and representing the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and what led him to pivot into technology and co-found WWT in 1990. He reflects on the transition from athlete to entrepreneur, the influence of his upbringing, and the foundational values that have guided his leadership and WWT’s culture. Jim also gives his assessment of the evolution of technology since starting WWT, the strategic pivots the company has made to stay ahead in the industry, and the importance of culture, teamwork, and continuous learning in driving success. Given the rise and current significance of generative AI as a transformative technology, Jim talks about the role this technology plays at the company and how WWT’s Advanced Technology Center explores future tech advancements. Finally, he recounts the lessons he has learned from his remarkable career and offers valuable advice for individuals seeking to level up their leadership within their organizations.
859: As the digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, executives are quick to understand that doing the same thing they did before isn’t going to get them where they need to go in the future. In a panel from our February 2024 Metis Strategy Symposium, Sunbelt Rentals CDTO JP Saini and Grainger CTO Jonny LeRoy join Metis Strategy Co-Head of Research, Media, and Executive Networks Steven Norton in a discussion about digital as an enabler of scale and how these executives are evolving their organizations’ business practices through the integration of technology and people to achieve growth and efficiency. JP and Jonny share insights on their companies’ journeys toward digital transformation, focusing on scaling operations, enhancing customer experiences, and improving predictive maintenance and service quality. These executives also cover the significance of culture, value alignment, and leadership in driving innovation and operational change. The discussion also covers the role of AI in enhancing productivity and decision-making highlighting the practical applications both JP and Jonny have identified and the challenges they’ve encountered in managing the costs of emerging technology. Finally, both technology leaders conclude with strategies they’ve implemented within their organizations for maintaining a forward-looking mindset and inspiring teams to navigate the dynamic landscape of technology and business.
834: The introduction of ChatGPT and generative AI this past year has pivoted the conversation around AI in terms of how this new technology fits into a company’s broader transformation strategy. In a panel from our December 2023 Metis Strategy Symposium, Vishal Gupta, CITO of Lexmark, and Sumedh Mehta, CIO of Putnam Investments, join Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton in a conversation about driving an enterprise AI mindset and the implications the new technology has across the business. Vishal adds color to his role and team structure at Lexmark, the value he aims to deliver with new AI capabilities, and the importance that trust holds when driving a mindset shift. Sumedh expands on this with details on how he breaks down the silos present between teams at Putnam, collaborates with strategic partners to deliver AI capabilities, and brings talent into the organization to realize a successful AI strategy.
832: As AI tools become more prevalent across companies, executives are putting more emphasis on refining processes and implementing new technology to compete in a future defined by data. In a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Vish Narendra, CIO & SVP of Global Business Services at Graphic Packaging, and Filippo Catalano, CIDO at Reckitt, join Metis Strategy’s Alex Kraus on the virtual stage to discuss how they are leading the transformation in preparation for the data-driven future and the key ingredients necessary to ensure success. Throughout the discussion, both executives explain the importance of data hygiene and proper data governance as a part of a company’s data strategy and what it looks like to operationalize these new AI tools available to them. Vish and Filippo also touch on the impact AI will have on business including the value they hope to see from the use cases they’ve explored, the implications the technology will have on talent strategy, and generally what the art of the possible looks like. Finally, each panelist shares their perspective on the challenges they are facing when it comes to AI and their strategies for hedging their bets.
