Today Gartner, Inc. announced its top ten strategic technology trends for 2020. Analysts presented their findings during Gartner IT Symposium in Orlando.

Gartner defines a strategic technology trend as “one with substantial disruptive potential that is beginning to break out of an emerging state into broader impact and use, or which is rapidly growing with a high degree of volatility reaching tipping points over the next five years.”

David Cearley, vice president and Gartner Fellow said, “People-centric smart spaces are the structure used to organize and evaluate the primary impact of the Gartner top strategic technology trends for 2020. Putting people at the center of your technology strategy highlights one of the most important aspects of technology — how it impacts customers, employees, business partners, society or other key constituencies. Arguably all actions of the organization can be attributed to how it impacts these individuals and groups either directly or indirectly. This is a people-centric approach.”

The top 10 strategic technology trends for 2020 are:

Amy Jen Su is an executive coach to CEOs and other executives to “
to sustain and scale their “highest and best” as they lead organizational change and transformation.” She has codified some of her recommendations from her work in her new book, The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles to Bringing Out Your Best Self. The five essential principles are purpose, process, people, presence, and peace. In this interview, she offers a definition of each, and how each applies to leaders. She also describes how she has used these same principles in her own work as a busy executive in her own right. (To read future articles like this one, please follow me on Twitter @PeterAHigh.)

Peter High: What led you to write your book, The Leader You Want to Be?

Amy Jen Su: The current environment and challenges facing leaders today led me to write The Leader You Want to Be. Organizational life has become increasingly complicated as work now spans across the globe and technology disruption has created an increased velocity and pace.

Being out in the trenches every day, I hear professionals share how there are never enough hours in the day, there are more people to align and influence, and the pressure to succeed is higher than ever.

It felt like the right time to synthesize everything I have learned on what it takes to scale and sustain a best self even when your outer game is changing, moving or getting more complex.

Walmart CIO Clay Johnson will join Yum! Brands, Inc. as the company’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer, starting on October 15. He will join the Yum! Brands Global Leadership Team and oversee the Company’s global technology strategy, partnering with the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell divisions to ensure the Company provides a best-in-class digital journey across mobile, online, delivery and restaurant operations.

Johnson will lead a coordinated, cross-brand effort to accelerate the company’s digital commerce strategy, use of data and advanced analytics and emerging technologies to enhance the customer and employee experience. As the chair of the Global Technology Leadership Team, Johnson will work closely with each global brand division technology chief who reports to his or her respective executive leader. In addition, Yum! Brands’ global technology risk management and IT shared services teams will report to Johnson.

Former Kimberly-Clark, Timberland, and Walmart technology executive Suja Chandrasekaran has been named Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO) of CommonSpirit Health a $29 billion nonprofit Catholic health system operating in 21 states. In this role, Chandrasekaran will lead the integration and modernization of technology systems to connect the 142 hospitals and more than 700 care sites of CommonSpirit Health, which was formed from the February merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health.

An important component in the alignment of CommonSpirit Health is to create interoperability between the technology capabilities of the formerly independent health systems. Chandrasekaran will be tasked with redesigning business processes with forward-looking technology and operating models that connect the 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians across the different geographies and communities of CommonSpirit Health, in addition to designing digital capabilities to transform the patient experience.

Kristine Grinnell has been promoted to Global Chief Information Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer of General Dynamics Information Technology. She had been the CIO and Vice President of Technology & Supply Chain. In addition to her previous responsibilities, Grinnell is now in charge of GDIT’s Technology Shared Services, which focuses on delivering directly to the company’s customers, while continuing her role overseeing Enterprise IT and Supply Chain.

Grinnell noted, “Delivering directly to the customer puts a different spin on IT delivery. The same principles of high-quality IT service management applies, as they do for the enterprise. However, it ensures you are providing IT capabilities that will accomplish the customer’s mission. I’m excited to bring together operation excellence, combined with customer focus. As GDIT continues to ‘innovate everywhere,’ this presents a significant opportunity to make a difference. This is as exciting as it can gets for a CIO!”

Chris Bayham has been named Chief Information Officer of Brookdale, effective immediately. Brookdale owns and operates over 1,000 senior living communities and retirement communities in the United States. The company was established in 1978. He will be responsible for leading technology strategy, delivery, and operations for the company, and he will be a member of the company’s senior leadership.  He is based in Brookdale corporate headquarters in Brentwood, TN, and oversees a large team of associates in both the Brentwood and Milwaukee offices.

Brookdale President and Chief Executive Officer Cindy Baier noted with regard to Bayham’s hiring, “We’re excited to have Chris join Brookdale and take the lead on developing best-in-class tools for our associates. His deep experience in healthcare is important as Brookdale continues to build its reputation and ability to provide quality care with improved patient outcomes.”

Today, Neal Sample was appointed chief information officer (CIO) of Northwestern Mutual. He will head the technology organization at Northwestern Mutual and be responsible for leading the company’s major technology systems and further developing its financial planning digital platforms. With $272.2 billion in assets, $28.5 billion in revenues, and $1.8 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual serves more than 4.5 million customers for life, disability income, and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services.

“With his extensive technology management experience and R&D background, Neal is an excellent fit for our chief information officer role,” said John Schlifske, chairman, president and CEO, Northwestern Mutual. “Neal’s leadership and skill set will have a significant impact as we continue our digital transformation and create a leading digital experience for our clients and advisors.”