Ed Robben, SVP and CIO of Fossil

Episode Overview

Among other topics, Ed discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy:

• The important role that Ed’s IT organization plays in a retail and brand management-focused company
• The ideology behind Ed’s leadership style, as well as his specific emphasis on rewarding high potential employees with more challenging engagements
• The unique approach taken by Ed and his team to incorporate Omni-channel and digital capabilities into the fabric of Fossil Group
• The difficulties faced by Ed and his team in aligning individuals working on global teams
• The insignificance, to Ed, of the CMO/CIO discussion and its broader implications for the future business leader
• Eye on trends:  Wearable technology… and the ability of IT to take advantage of some of the cloud and mobile offerings and enablement that can be brought to the business is exciting from a CIO’s standpoint

Ed Robben’s Biography

Ed is the SVP and CIO at Fossil Group, a global retailer specializing in fashion and accessory products, primarily watches.  Among other responsibilities, Ed oversees the technology that supports Fossil’s business operations and develops future technology strategies for the organization, while reporting directly to Fossil’s CEO.  He has held the post of CIO since joining the company in 2012.

Prior to joining Fossil, Ed served as the SVP, CIO, and Executive Board Member at J.C. Penney.  He also previously served at BNSF and the Feld Group, which was acquired by EDS where he then implemented technology solutions for the NMCI (the largest intranet in the world).

Ed graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering.

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