CIO First 100 Days Archives - Page 4 of 5

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

His role as CIO within the FCC
How he prioritized his work as he began at the organization
How he has matched the skillsets needed at the FCC to the skills needed for future technology trends
The drive towards cloud infrastructure and how he balances that desire with security concerns
His prolific use of social media
His quest for learning and how he has balanced it against his professional work
His path to the public sector and public service
The desire for increased collaboration between the public and private sector
Eye on trends: International relationships in Australia and Taiwan as a bridge from East to West, the Internet of Everything, Crowdsourcing

David Bray’s Biography

David Bray is the Chief Information Officer of the Federal Communications Commission, an agency of the US Government, and has held that role since August of 2013. As CIO, David leads the modernization of the Commission’s technology endeavors. His efforts in modernizing the more than 200 systems of the FCC were recognized with AFFIRM’s Cloud Computing Leadership award in 2015.

Prior to joining the FCC, David served in many other areas of the government, including stints at the CDC’s Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program, the Department of Energy, the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Science and Technology Policy Institute, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Information Sharing Environment.

David is also a prolific presence on social media, appearing at the top of multiple top social CIO lists, including on Forbes.com. He received an Eisenhower Fellowship to Taiwan and Australia, and has received multiple awards for his public service including the Roger W. Jones award for Executive leadership, the Arthur S. Fleming Award, and a National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Award.

David earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Biology, a Master of Science in Public Health, and a PhD in Information Systems, each from Emory University. He has also been a visiting associate at the University of Oxford, and was a Post-Doctoral Associate in 2008 at both MIT and Harvard.

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

Leveraging technology platforms across airlines to achieve economies of skill and scale
The role of the Chief Information Technology Officer versus the CIO and CTO
Implementing a cloud-first approach and mobility solutions
Parallels between the hospitality space and the airline industry
Investing in people to meet the demand rapid business growth places on IT
Enabling safe growth by focusing on better prioritization and program management
Using a strategic approach to external partnerships to realize economies of scale and human capital development
How Gulf culture encourages investment in leading-edge technologies
Eye on the Trends: Integrating data analytics from synthesized loyalty programs and location-based services to improve customer experience and targeted marketing.

Rob Webb’s Biography

Rob is the Chief Information Technology Officer of the Etihad Aviation Group, comprising Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, and equity partner airlines in Europe, Africa, and South Asia.

Prior to joining Etihad, Rob served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Technology Business Management Council, a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to advancing the discipline of managing the business of IT. He was also an advisor at Greylock Partners, a leading venture capital firm in Silicon Valley primarily investing in start-ups and growth-stage ventures.

Rob served as Chief Information Officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation from July 2009 through May 2012, and as Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer and Corporate Vice President of Equifax Inc. between 2004 and 2009. Prior to his time at Equifax, Rob was an IT executive at General Electric, where he served as CIO for several divisions including Commercial Finance, Consumer Finance Japan, and GE Energy Services.

Rob holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from the University of Western Ontario, and received an MBA with an emphasis on International Business from ESCP Europe.

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

Healthcare Service Corporation and his role within the organization
How he transitioned to a new industry and how that affected his initial plans on joining the organization
How he organized his time to understand his new team and organization
The strategy that came out of his initial time at the organization
Some of the ways in which he has gauged success
How he has contemplated change within the organization amongst its people
Lessons as to how he has harnessed the power of Big Data
Developing more member-centric capabilities

Steve Betts’s Biography

Steve is the Senior Vice President and CIO of Health Care Service Corporation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and the largest customer-owned health insurance company in the United States. Prior to joining Health Care Service Corporation, Steve served as the Global Chief Information Officer of Aon Corporation. An organization he joined in 2003. Steve serves as a board member of ACORD Corporation, the British American Business Council of Chicago, and Lumity (a non-profit IT resource center). Steve has also previously been awarded a CIO 100 Award from CIO magazine while at Aon Corporation. Steve graduated from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Management Science.

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

The synergies between Jenny Craig and Curves and the effects of their merger
His role and how he prepared for his role as an interim CIO
How he drove progress during his initial time as CIO
How he ensured that IT was on the same page with business units from a strategic standpoint
The changes that are reflected in the way IT now does its work
As CIO he acts as an initial customer to his organization, and how he can lend an empathetic ear to other customers of Microsoft
Some of the ways that the IT organization is able to work across multiple levels of the organization
The strategic roadmap for the future at Microsoft (including the ongoing integration with Nokia, as well as the move to a subscription basis for major Microsoft products)
Advice on how to move from an interim CIO to a full time fit for the position
Balancing innovation and security with his background as Chief Information Security Officer for Microsoft
Eye on the Trends: Big Data, Machine learning, BYOD capabilities, Digitization

Jim Dubois’ Biography

Jim is the Corporate Vice President and CIO of Microsoft. In that role, he is responsible for the company’s global security, infrastructure, IT messaging, and business applications. Jim was appointed interim CIO in May 2013, and was appointed to the post full time in January of 2014.

Jim has been with Microsoft since 1993, where he started work in various positions, including international stints in London and Tokyo. His previous positions within Microsoft have included posts as Director of IT Client Services, General Manager of the Service Management Division, Chief Information Security Officer, and Vice President of Microsoft Products and Services (the post he held prior to becoming CIO).

Before joining Microsoft, Jim worked in various positions within Accenture, where he focused on financial aid distribution systems.

Jim received his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and business from the University of Washington.

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

Her role and vision for the IT organization at Starwood
The way in which the IT team gets involved in the customer experience
How her experiences as a customer of Starwood colors her experience to developing internal plans
How she divided her time during the first 100 days of coming on-board at Starwood
Some of the early plans Martha had for the organization and how she sees those plans moving forward into the future
IT’s role from an innovation perspective and how they organize around those activities
How her tenure at GE Capital helped her transition to Starwood
Eye on the Trends: Data as an asset, computing miniaturization (mobile, wearables, etc.), and the Internet of Things

Martha Poulter’s Biography

Martha is currently Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., a position she began in June of 2014. Prior to joining Starwood, Martha spent eighteen years at GE Capital in a range of information technology and e-Business leadership roles. Most recently she served as Vice President, GE and CIO, GE Capital from August 2010 to June 2014 where she was responsible for further integrating the best of GE Capital’s IT applications, infrastructure and resources across all consumer and commercial platforms. From 2008 to 2010 Martha served as CIO for GE Capital, Americas where she was responsible for driving global digitization strategy, organization and delivery of customer value through technology, and from 2007 to 2008 she served as CIO for GE Capital, Capital Solutions. From 1995 to 2007, Martha held various positions for GE, Corporate Financial Services. Prior to joining GE Capital, Martha held various positions with Southern New England Telephone, a telecommunications company.

Martha completed her MBA from the University of New Haven and received her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Connecticut.

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

His role at Canadian National and his technology plans
How he thinks about data integration with the large network he has built amongst customers and vendors
How his organization has thought about the Internet of Things and how to bring that trend to life
How he rose to the role of CIO in a new industry
His past experience at consulting firms and British American Tobacco and methods he has transferred from those roles
How he has attracted and retained talent at Canadian National to stay up-to-date on technology
Eye on the Trends: Predictive Analytics and the Internet of Things

Serge Leduc’s Biography

Serge is currently the Chief Information Officer of Canadian National Railway. Serge has gone through a transformation at CN, taking the company from a federated structure, to a more homogeneous one around business engagement, applications management and delivery; infrastructure and telecommunications; and planning and strategy

Prior to joining Canadian National, Serge held various senior positions for Canadian and UK-based organizations, including Alliance Forest Products and British American Tobacco. At British American Tobacco, his responsibilities included implementing SAP and global supply chain management solutions in various countries around the world, and also ran a major enterprise infrastructure program.

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

The benefits of drawing from IT experience across different verticals and industries to deliver game-changing solutions to a new sector.
Eric’s innovation in applying the “customer perspective” to the traditionally internally focused organization of IT, as well as how it has led him to become a more externally-focused and sensitive CIO.
The comprehensive approach Eric took when developing Chico’s innovative FAS Digital Retail Theater to seamlessly blur the line between the “bricks and clicks.”
The imperative of “relentless transparency” with the customer when capturing information at the point of sale, both to build trust and communicate enhanced value to the customer experience in a way that sustains the relationship between consumer and brand.
The ability of the Tech Tables to leverage technology in a way that elicits a natural and memorable social interaction with customers while significantly decreasing inventory carrying costs for Chico’s.
Eye on Trends: The blurring of lines between the augmented reality digital experience and its spillover into everyday reality, the idea of real life interaction with technology as a continuum that now extends to each moment of the customer lifestyle and the ability of a brand to tap into that connectedness.

Eric Singleton’s Biography

Eric Singleton is the Chief Information Officer of Chico’s Inc., the international women’s retailer with a portfolio of four brands, Chico’s, Boston Proper, Soma Intimates, and White House | Black Market. Eric is considered a leader in the field of omni-channel retailing, a topic we cover in some depth in this interview. Among other responsibilities, Eric oversees information technology within the enterprise, including but not limited to the desktop, IT and information security, and information delivery.

Prior to his tenure at Chico’s, Eric served as the Chief Information Officer for Tommy Hilfiger Corporation where he held worldwide responsibility for the company’s Information Technology division, and as Senior Vice President of Technologies for AOL, Inc., the multinational American mass media corporation. Among many key responsibilities at AOL, Eric led software engineering where he architected and implemented a unified platform for the discovery, trial, purchase and management of AOL’s Paid Services offerings, while also overseeing AOL’s technology roadmap.

Eric holds a Bachelor’s Degree in computer science and business from the University of Central Florida and is a graduate of the Executive Management Marketing Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

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

The current set-up of his role at CVS Caremark
The strategies he leveraged as he prepared for his first 100 days at the organization
His philosophy on hiring vs. bringing-in external resources to a company
Discussion of five strategic pillars that Steve prioritizes, and how he uses the ACT framework (accountability, collaboration, and tenacity) to develop metrics against those strategic pillars
How CIOs need to be great business leaders and strong technologists
Eye on the Trends: The recent changes in the healthcare sector combined with consumerization of technology will continue to empower people in better managing their healthcare

Steve Gold’s Biography

Steve is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for CVS Caremark Corporation. In this role since July 2012, he is the company’s senior technology executive, with responsibility for all information systems and technology operations, including information technology strategy, application development and technology infrastructure. Steve was previously Senior Vice President and CIO for Avaya, and also held similar roles at GSI Commerce and Merck & Co., where he supported its Human Health and Vaccine division.

He also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Medco Health Solutions, Inc., from July 1993 to September 2003, when it was a subsidiary of Merck.

He holds B.S. in Computer Science from St. John’s University.

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

The steps he took to prepare for the Global CIO job at Hogan Lovells
The most important processes or technologies implemented within the first “100 days” on the job
Movement towards the role of “global” CIO, and the implications this position will have for firms in the future
Defining the parameters of success from an IT standpoint in a global organization
Eye on the trends: The growing importance of IT services in the legal field – enabling remote working capabilities for lawyers and protecting client data

Michael Lucas’s Biography

Mike is the Global Chief Information Officer for Hogan Lovells, a top 10 global law firm that has 43 offices across the United States, Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East.

Mike joined the firm in 2001 and is currently responsible for technology strategy worldwide.

Prior to his time at Hogan Lovells, Mike spent time in IT leadership positions at companies such as Winstar Communications, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, LLP, and CH2M Hill. Overall, he has over 17 years of IT Leadership and Sr. Management experience.

Mike received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Oregon State University, and a Master’s Degree in Information Systems from George Washington University.

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