Melanie Kalmar, Chief Information Officer of Dow

Episode Overview

Among other topics, Melanie discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy:

• An overview of Melanie’s responsibilities, including cybersecurity, digital transformation, infrastructure, corporate facilities, DOW services business, among others
• DOW’s digital transformation initiatives, including their focus on improving the employee experience through procedure automation and voice-based data collection, as well as their efforts to transform the customer experience
• The future of work and how facilities and technology can work in tandem to make employees happier and more productive
• Melanie’s “dual horizon” approach to using the mega-merger between Dow and Dupont as an opportunity to fundamentally rethink the approach to IT and digital
• Dow’s Diamonds Systems Solutions group (DSS), which brings together cross-functional teams to break down silos within the company
• Melanie’s experience as a female CIO, and what can be done to encourage girls and women to enter STEM fields
• Eye on the trends: blockchain, artificial intelligence/machine learning, the boundaryless organization

Melanie is the CIO of Dow, the world’s largest chemical company with revenue exceeding $48 billion. As CIO, Melanie has developed and implemented a strategy for IT, business process solutions and analytics, and spearheaded the company’s digital transformation efforts. She also has global responsibility for Cyber Security and Risk Management, Reporting & Advanced Analytics, Facilities Management, and the Dow Services Business.

Melanie joined Dow in January 1987 in Research Information Systems in Midland, Michigan. In 1990 she moved to the corporate Information Systems group where she held progressive leadership roles across many areas of IT. In 1996, she relocated to open the Southfield, Michigan office, launching the strategic IT partnership between Dow and Accenture. She returned to Midland in 2004.

Melanie received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Central Michigan University and completed the Executive Education Program at Babson College and the Thunderbird International Leadership Program in Phoenix, Arizona.

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