Bask Iyer, EVP of Dell Digital and CIO/CDO of Dell and VMware

Episode Overview

• The relationship between Dell and VMware, which are two separate companies
• How Bask balances his dual responsibilities as an executive at both companies, including owning IT and ecommerce responsibilities at Dell, and working closely with R&D at VMware
• The challenges of bimodal IT, including the difficulty of motivating people who are on the “slow IT” team
• The differences between the IT organizations at VMware and Dell:
  • VMware was a digital native whereas Dell’s IT had to transition to digital
  • The organization structure at VMware is straight forward IT with heads of infrastructure, apps, and information and physical secretly, IT, whereas Dell is centered around portfolio leaders
• Bask’s perspective that digital transformations must start with people, then processes, and then technology; and how Bask has focused on attracting the right people with the right skills to the companies
• What it takes to implement a successful digital transformation centered around cutting bureaucracy, putting the transformation under a leader while avoiding a bimodal approach, and ensuring that the transformation extends past IT to the entire organization.
• An eye on the trends: Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things.
• Bask’s view on age discrimination which is excluding older employees despite their talent, wisdom, and creativity, and the importance of avoiding that by multigenerational workplaces where younger and older employees can learn from each other
• A rundown on the future of IT which involves all businesses becoming digital, a growing CIO role, and changing expectations among consumers

Bask is the EVP Dell Digital and Chief Information and Digital Officer Dell and VMware. In those roles, he oversees the critical technology systems supporting some of the world’s largest global business and commerce operations. He is also responsible for driving Dell and VMware’s digital transformation to accelerate outcomes; deliver world-class experiences; and share the team’s best practices using technologies, services and solutions from both companies.

Prior to working at Dell and VMware, Bask was the Group Senior Vice President of Business Operations and the Chief Information Officer of Juniper Networks. Before Juniper Networks, Bask was the Group Chief Information Officer of Honeywell. Prior to Honeywell, Bask was a divisional Chief Information Officer of GlaxoSmithKline.

Bask received his Bachelors of Science in Engineering from Annamalai University as well as his Masters of Science in Computer Science from the Florida Institute of Technology.

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