Stewart McCutcheon, EVP and CIO of Ecolab, Inc.

Episode Overview

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

• The imperative of the IT organization’s strategy to look to become a source of competitive advantage for global organizations in the future
• The various ways in which Stewart has built cross-functional capabilities to pull knowledge from the disparate functions of R&D, IT, and business, in a way that enables a greater understanding of the organization’s needs
• The important yet difficult conundrum of “build” versus “buy” in a global information technology organization, and the strategic importance of customization of systems and processes in creating competitive advantage
• The challenges and opportunities Stewart identified when serving as the lead integrator of two merging companies with distinctive cultures and processes
• Stewart’s unique promotion to CIO from the company acquired in a merger, and potential reasons behind the decision
• Eye on Trends: The success of high intensity, goal-oriented task forces assembled to improve flawed processes, the growing trend of the CIO having more core competency as a business person than a technologist

Stewart McCutcheon’s Biography

Stewart McCutcheon is Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of Ecolab, Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies services. Stewart is considered a visionary in the space of IT integration and transformation, a topic we cover in some depth in this interview. Among other responsibilities, Stewart oversees both corporate and functional information technology across the global company, which includes Ecolab’s operations within the region and its individual business sectors. Previously, Stewart served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Ecolab.

Before joining Ecolab through a merger with Nalco Holding Company, Stewart served as the Chief Information Officer of Nalco since joining the company in 2009. In 2010 McCutcheon was named as Nalco’s Chief Productivity Officer, a role in which he was responsible for improving productivity in the supply chain and procurement functions among others.

Prior to joining Nalco, Stewart had also served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Acsis, Inc., a leading supply chain software provider. Previously, McCutcheon served as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Elemica Inc.

Stewart holds a Bachelor’s Degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina, from which he graduated cum laude.

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