Our first Digital Symposium of the year is just around the corner. Join us on February 24 as technology leaders share their perspectives on scaling data and analytics initiatives, creating cultures of continuous learning, and the state of digital strategy in 2022, among other topics.
CIOs and other technology leaders, register here to reserve your spot today. We look forward to seeing you!
(Click here for highlights from our last Digital Symposium, and stay tuned to our YouTube channel for videos of our panel discussions.)
Noon
Welcome and Introductions
Welcome and introduction to the Metis Strategy team.
Peter High, President, Metis Strategy
12:05 – 12:20 p.m.
Fireside Chat: Bill Pappas, MetLife
Bill Pappas, EVP & Head of Technology and Operations, MetLife
12:20 – 12:40 p.m.
Panel: Creating a World-Class Digital Customer Experience
Charu Jain, SVP Merchandising & Innovation, Alaska Airlines
Sanjib Sahoo, EVP and Chief Digital Officer, Ingram Micro
Moderated by Chris Davis, Vice President and West Coast Office Lead, Metis Strategy
12:40 – 12:55 p.m.
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Rakesh Loonkar, Transmit Security
Rakesh Loonkar, President & Co-Founder, Transmit Security
12:55 – 1:15 p.m.
Panel: How Talent and Culture Enable High Performance and Enterprise Agility
Raghu Sagi, Chief Information Officer, Inspire Brands
Onyeka Nchege, SVP and Chief Information Officer, Novant Health
Moderated by Peter High, President, Metis Strategy
1:15 – 1:30 p.m.
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Sunny Gupta, Apptio
Sunny Gupta, CEO & Co-Founder, Apptio
1:30 – 1:50 p.m.
Panel: Building Resilient Digital Supply Chains
Gurmeet Singh, EVP, CTO and CIO, Big Lots Stores
Gary Desai, Chief Information Officer, Discount Tire
Moderated by Michael Bertha, Vice President and Central Office Lead, Metis Strategy
1:50 – 2:10 p.m.
Panel: How Data and Digital Capabilities are Shaping the Future of Work
Vince Campisi, SVP Enterprise Services and Chief Digital Officer, Raytheon Technologies
Edward Wagoner, Chief Information Officer, JLL
Moderated by Steven Norton, Co-Head Executive Networks, Research, and Media, Metis Strategy
Click here for highlights from our last Digital Symposium, or view the panel discussions on YouTube.
The fifth and final Metis Strategy Digital Symposium of 2021 is in the books. Thank you to the global CIOs, CEOs, and entrepreneurs who joined the conversation.
Looking to 2022, technology leaders said developing and maintaining strong cultures, motivating teams, and providing continuous learning and development opportunities are among their continued priorities. Also on the CIO agenda: maintaining agility and momentum following a period of significant digital acceleration. Additional highlights from the event are below. Check out our YouTube channel and the Technovation podcast in the coming weeks for recordings of individual panel discussions.
New ways of working enable agility and speed to market. CIOs noted that a continued shift to product-based operating models, paired with advanced applications of data and analytics, has led to greater enterprise agility. More nimble technology architectures also support more nimble operations.
Increased customer adoption of digital channels during the pandemic accelerated the shift to new team structures, roles and responsibilities and reinforced the need to deliver products and services to customers faster and with less friction. Michael Ruttledge, CIO at Citizens Financial, noted a 30% increase in the use of digital channels. Over the past year, his team has introduced more than 900 features in its mobile app. Citizens has leveraged advanced technology in those efforts, Ruttledge said, “but at the same time we’ve had to get that to market very quickly, and we’ve done that by changing our agile culture.”
Pairing new ways of working with agile, scalable technology architectures has helped the IT organization at Target move faster and deliver more value across the organization, CIO Mike McNamara said. Today, Target has hundreds of products across the business that can release updates daily or weekly. “The rate limiter is how quickly our business and our guests can absorb change rather than how quickly we can produce it,” McNamara said. “That speed and agility has just been a phenomenal benefit to the business.”
Fostering a strong culture is more critical than ever. As the war for talent intensifies and organizations embrace more flexible working arrangements, technology leaders are thinking about how best to foster a sense of connectivity and maintain innovative cultures as teams collaborate in new ways, both in the office and remotely.
Asurion CIO Casey Santos noted that her team is telling the company’s story in a more personal way, emphasizing the strength of their culture and technology, becoming more flexible, and relying on less formal recruiting techniques. Santos’ team is also training leaders at the company to be better coaches and sponsors so that they can help employees through their journey at the company. Asurion is also bulking up its internship, internal mobility, and rotational programs.
Underpinning many of those actions is a push to create learning and development opportunities for talent across the organization. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, “lifelong learning isn’t optional anymore,” said Sri Donthi, Chief Technology Officer at Advance Auto Parts. He shared the guiding principles he has followed while developing an engineering culture: creating a comfortable environment for employees to challenge themselves and excel; starting with the customer in mind while looking at the big picture; and keeping innovation top of mind. Donthi emphasized the need to lead with empathy and care, and encouraged fellow leaders to develop skills including crisis leadership, virtual leadership, and inspirational leadership.
Companies double down on upskilling and talent initiatives. Creating learning and development opportunities remains top of mind for CIOs in the year ahead, with 35% of participants noting reskilling or upskilling as their talent development priority in 2022, followed by enhancing employee experience.
Toptal Co-Founder and CEO Taso Du Val predicts that there will be a plethora of online courses that will allow employees to earn certifications. More meaningful content and a better user experience, among other factors, will make these programs more impactful than traditional education programs, he said.
Citizens Financial introduced academy programs that allow engineers to spend 10 days learning skills such as React, Java, Python, or learning APIs, CIO Michael Ruttledge said. The company also developed 38 different badging and certification programs across a range of technologies. At Discover Financial, the Discover Technology Academy runs a series of courses while also serving as a hub for multidisciplinary teams to share their knowledge and experience with others, encouraging collaboration and allowing innovation to scale more effectively.
Target CIO Mike McNamara said engineers at the company are expected to spend 20% of their time on learning and development, part of the framework Target has built to recruit, develop, and provide continued learning experiences for teams. He’s also proud that many leaders who have worked under his leadership have taken on CIO or senior executive roles at large companies around the world.
Common platforms enable data-driven customer experience at scale. Heading into 2022, leaders across industries continue to develop and refine platforms that allow their organizations to leverage analytics and AI across a broader range of products and services, deliver sufficient governance, and scale new solutions quickly.
At Experian, EVP & Global Head of Analytics and AI Shri Santhanam is leveraging a technical and commercial platform, along with the company’s vast troves of data, to develop more products powered by AI and machine learning. Common platforms allow Experian to bring in new data sets more easily and create more sophisticated models that give individuals, particularly those whose experiences may not have been reflected in traditional models, access to credit.
Anjana Harve, Global Chief Information Officer at Fresenius Medical Care, has focused on developing a platform that helps patients manage their care effectively and provides continuous insights throughout the user journey from early care to dialysis treatment. Through connected platforms, Fresenius can drive standardization, bring innovation and speed to end users, and guide workflows while providing the most relevant and personalized information for patients and clinicians.
Leaders continue to unlock new capabilities with data and analytics. Nearly 40% of attendees noted that they expect to see the most technology investment in data and analytics in the year ahead, and 71% noted that advanced AI is the emerging technology that holds the most promise for their organizations in 2022.
Discover Financial CIO Amir Arooni emphasized the importance of advanced AI in giving customers “actionable data that empowers them.” Applications of AI at Discover include real-time fraud detection and analyzing past spending data to advise customers on what to purchase and when, providing guidance on how to save more money and earn rewards.
Advanced analytics techniques are also making strides in the construction industry, which has begun to embrace technology as more digital tools, accessible via the cloud, went mobile. Turner Construction CIO Warren Kudman said the industry is “waking up to the value of data” and has used digital tools to visualize and manipulate environments virtually, reducing the likelihood of costly mistakes. Turner is also using data and ML to track and assess safety conditions at job sites, proactively identify interventions, conduct remote inspections, and track materials as they arrive on job sites.
Dean Del Vecchio, CIO and Chief of Operations at Guardian Life, discussed how the company is using data and AI to develop insurance products faster, easier, and with less friction for customers. Thanks to new tools and new ways of working, some processes that used to take 45 days have been cut to 30 seconds, he said.
Our final Digital Symposium of the year is just around the corner. Join us on December 9 as technology leaders across industries share their insights on talent strategy and upskilling, creating new pathways to innovation, and the trends and priorities guiding CIOs’ efforts in the year ahead.
12:00 – 12:05
12:05 – 12:20
Fireside Chat: Jim McKelvey, Square
Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder, Square; Founder, Invisibly; Author, The Innovation Stack
12:20 – 12:40
Panel: Scaling AI to Deliver New Customer Experiences
Amir Arooni, Chief Information Officer, Discover Financial
Dean Del Vecchio, CIO and Chief of Operations, Guardian Life
12:40 – 12:55
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Taso Du Val, Toptal
Taso Du Val, Co-Founder & CEO, Toptal
12:55 – 1:15
Panel: Fostering Agility Across the Enterprise
Warren Kudman, Chief Information Officer, Turner Construction
Michael Ruttledge, CIO and Head of Technology Services, Citizens Financial
Moderated by Alex Kraus, Vice President and East Coast Office Lead, Metis Strategy
1:15 – 1:35
Panel: Rethinking Talent Strategy for the Next Normal
Casey Santos, Chief Information Officer, Asurion
Sri Donthi, Chief Technology Officer, Advance Auto Parts
1:35 – 1:50
Digital Spotlight: Anand Birje, HCL Technologies
Anand Birje, Senior Corporate VP & Head of Digital Business, HCL Technologies
1:50 – 2:10
Panel: Digital Platforms as Strategic Growth Drivers
Shri Santhanam, EVP & Global Head of Analytics and AI, Experian
Anjana Harve, Global Chief Information Officer, Fresenius Medical Care
2:10 – 2:25
Fireside Chat: Mike McNamara, Target
Mike McNamara, Chief Information Officer, Target
December’s speaker lineup is below, and the full agenda will be released shortly. CIOs and other technology leaders, register here to reserve your spot today. We look forward to seeing you!
Speakers include:
Another Metis Strategy Digital Symposium is in the books. Thank you to all of you who joined the session and to the global CIOs, CEOs, and entrepreneurs who shared their insights. More than ever, it is critical for leaders to tap into their ecosystem of peers and advisors for information, wisdom, and support as organizations navigate this complex and uncertain environment.
Below are a few takeaways from the event. Check out our YouTube channel and the Technovation podcast in the coming weeks for recordings of individual panel discussions.
Culture is key in the transition to hybrid work. Nearly 60% of attendees noted cultivating a strong culture among teams as the greatest risk to operating in a hybrid work environment. With many return-to-office plans in flux and a new wave of employees joining firms without stepping inside an office, executives continue to place a strong emphasis on employee experience, creating new norms around equity, inclusivity, and productivity, and creating new ways for teams to engage in a hybrid setting. For technology leaders, that also includes managing a growing ecosystem of collaboration tools and emerging technologies to find the mix that works best for their organizations.
Just as CIOs helped pave the way for remote work, they also will have a role to play in helping peers understand the art of the possible regarding the future of work. The road ahead is far from clear, but today’s technology leaders are adapting people, processes, and technologies to help create organizations that can pivot quickly in the face of change and seize new opportunities as they arise.
Innovation comes from empowered teams. The ability to innovate at scale continues to rise in importance as organizations work to future-proof their operations and drive enterprise agility. To do so, a number of executives said they are exploring how to democratize innovation capabilities across their companies and unlock the full potential of their teams. Debra King, SVP, Chief Information Officer and Chief Transformation Officer at Corteva Agriscience, discussed how she and her executive team developed a culture of ownership across the organization in which team members at any level in the company were empowered to come up with an idea and execute it. The leadership team then focused on removing roadblocks and providing resources where needed.
Similarly, Tim Dickson, Chief Information Officer at Generac, discussed how the company’s first hackathon spurred new ideas while revealing pent up demand for employee upskilling. Sixteen teams participated, and over half of the ideas presented have been implemented as production deployments, Dickson said. Generac also launched a digital center of excellence that helped scale the internal capability to bring new ideas to life quickly. These new ways of working made employees feel as if their voices were being heard, while providing an avenue to develop those ideas into new products and services for the company.
Security is critical to creating strong customer experiences. Technology leaders are taking greater responsibility for the ways their organizations’ products and services impact the customer experience, and security is an increasingly critical element of that. Mickey Boodaei, CEO of Transmit Security, which received the largest-ever Series A funding round for a cybersecurity company, shared his perspective on the move toward a passwordless future, the evolution of identity and authentication, and the fine balance between security and user experience.
For consumers, identity is critical to processes such as account opening and credential validation. Too little focus on security and vulnerabilities or compliance risks may arise. Too many security measures and the user experience becomes an obstacle. As authentication technology advances and passwords continue to pose a security threat to consumer accounts, Boodaei anticipates organizations will make a concerted effort to go passwordless.
Companies scale up AI efforts. As companies continue to refine their data strategies and identify opportunities to turn data into actionable insight, significant analytics and AI deployments are only expected to grow. Nearly 40% of respondents said they expect analytics to be their greatest area of investment in the year ahead.
Machine learning and AI, paired with an increasingly sophisticated understanding of customer needs, is powering new waves of innovation across industries. Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO for Research, Innovation, and Technology at L’Oréal, described an experience that crunches data to provide customers with personalized advice on their beauty routines. The company is also using AI to mine its extensive store of historical data as well as real-time consumer information to deliver cutting-edge products. For example, L’Oréal has trained an AI algorithm to read the thousands of online customer ratings and reviews of the company’s makeup products. With real-time insight, research and innovation teams can then make relevant product changes and target advertising more effectively.
At Johnson & Johnson, new technologies have enabled the company to reimagine consumer health and deliver care for patients in new ways. Augmented reality and virtual reality, paired with AI, have helped train surgeons eight times faster by combining digital imagery with insights about how to perform the best surgical procedures. AI and digital twins have helped Johnson & Johnson accelerate enrollment in COVID-19 vaccine trials and improve batch production of vaccines, from one batch every two weeks to two batches every half week.
Embracing change and becoming nimble is more important than ever. Of the tips IT leaders shared about sustaining a competitive advantage in the current environment, the most common was the ability to be nimble. That means being able to pivot quickly when the market changes, seize opportunities as they present themselves and stave off issues as they arise. Indeed, more than 75% of attendees said creating a culture that embraces uncertainty, as well as the ability to pivot quickly, would have the greatest business impact over the next six to 12 months.
Companies are making a number of changes to make their organizations more nimble, including transforming their operating model, adopting new technologies, upskilling employees and bringing in new talent, and driving innovation through partnerships.
Nimbleness is at the heart of many of today’s technology transformations, including the shift to embrace cloud, APIs, and other technologies, said Bernadette Nixon, the CEO of Algolia. These modern software architectures ultimately allow organizations to move more quickly and evolve their systems to support market shifts, further empowering teams to become more efficient and nimbler in their processes.
We hope you’ll join us for our next Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on December 9, 2021. Stay tuned to our website for more details.
Join best-in-class technology leaders to learn how today’s top companies are driving digital transformations and maintaining an innovative edge amid a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty.
Our agenda is below. CIOs and other technology leaders, register here to reserve your spot today, and stay tuned for more updates.
Welcome
12:10 – 12:25
Fireside Chat: Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO, L’Oréal
Barbara shares lessons from the company’s remarkable transformation, which has fused science and technology to create cutting-edge beauty products and design new digital journeys for customers.
Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO for Research, Innovation, and Technology, L’Oréal
12:25 – 12:45
Panel: Digital Acceleration and Innovation in Times of Uncertainty
By all accounts, the global pandemic has further accelerated the already rapid pace of digital transformation and increased the urgency for more robust business capabilities across all aspects of organizational operating models and business ecosystems. In this context, many organizations have found ways to strengthen business capabilities for the benefit of all stakeholders. The global CIOs of Corteva Agriscience and Johnson & Johnson will share how their teams have found unique ways to innovate, achieve higher levels of agility, and build sustainable resilience in the face of ongoing uncertainty.
Debra King, SVP, Chief Information Officer and Chief Transformation Officer, Corteva Agriscience
Jim Swanson, EVP & Enterprise CIO, Johnson & Johnson
12:45 – 1:00
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Mickey Boodaei, Transmit Security
Just weeks ago, Transmit Security raised $543 million in Series A funding and had a pre-money valuation of $2.2 billion, marking the largest Series A in the history of cybersecurity and one of the highest valuations for a bootstrapped company. In this fireside chat, Transmit Founder and CEO Mickey Boodaei the evolution of identity and authentication as the world moves toward a post-password future.
Mickey Boodaei, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Transmit Security
1:00 – 1:20
Panel: How Fifth Third Bancorp Drives a Culture of Innovation
Fifth Third Bancorp is among the largest money managers in the Midwest, with $483 billion in assets under management as of June 30. Greg Carmichael, the company’s President, Chairman, and CEO, joined the company in 2003 as Chief Information Officer. In this discussion, he shares lessons learned on his path to the CEO role and chats with the company’s current CIO about the company’s investments in FinTech and its continued push to build world-class digital capabilities for its customers.
Greg Carmichael, Chief Executive Officer, Fifth Third Bank
Jude Schramm, Chief Information Officer, Fifth Third Bank
1:20 – 1:35
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Ed Jennings, Quickbase
The CEO of Quickbase describes how automation, low-code and no-code platforms are enabling organizational agility and the role of Citizen Automation in the future of work.
Ed Jennings, Chief Executive Officer, Quickbase
1:35 – 1:55
Panel: IT-Led Breakthroughs and the Digital Shift in Insurance
Technology leaders from two major insurance companies will discuss the role of IT in defining and enabling the future of work, IT-led digital breakthroughs, and the foundational changes that digital capabilities are bringing to the insurance industry.
Lisa Davis, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Blue Shield of California
Mike Shadler, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Pacific Life
Moderated by Chris Davis, Vice President & West Coast Lead, Metis Strategy
1:55 – 2:15
Panel: A People-Focused Approach to Transformation
Organizations increasingly acknowledge that creating an outstanding customer experience requires enabling an equally outstanding employee experience. In this session, technology leaders will discuss how digital efforts focused on people are driving engagement and enabling the development of new capabilities.
Mike Giresi, Chief Digital Technology Officer, Molex LLC
Tim Dickson, Chief Information Officer, Generac
2:15 – 2:30
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Bernadette Nixon, Algolia
Algolia processes more than 1.5 trillion searches per year across more than 10,000 business customers. In this session, CEO Bernadette Nixon discusses what’s next for search and the growing role that APIs play in delivering seamless customer experiences.
Bernadette Nixon, Chief Executive Officer, Algolia
2:30 – 2:50
Panel: Combining AI and IoT to drive digital processes
Companies today rely on a rapidly evolving combination of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things applications as they modernize their operations for the digital age. In this discussion, technology leaders share their insights on successfully scaling and monitoring these digital processes to drive efficiency and product innovation.
Vagesh Dave, GVP & Chief Information Officer, McDermott International
Danielle Brown, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Whirlpool
Moderated by Michael Bertha, Managing Director and Central Office Lead, Metis Strategy
The third Metis Strategy Digital Symposium of 2021 is in the books. A special thanks goes to the global CIOs, CEOs and entrepreneurs who offered their perspectives on the future of work and innovation and shared their organizations’ plans for returning to the office and an emerging “new normal.”
Below are a few takeaways from the event. Check out our YouTube channel in the coming weeks to view recordings of individual panel discussions.
Digital acceleration focuses on employee and customer experience. The pandemic unleashed a wave of digital acceleration as organizations navigated a rapid shift in how we live and work. As parts of the world begin to reopen, CIOs say they expect that acceleration to continue as organizations seek to create tools that deliver value to customers quickly across both physical and digital channels.
Hotels, for example, are upgrading Wi-Fi to create a better experience for guests who may blend work and pleasure while staying at a property. Updated apps will allow guests to schedule housekeeping at times that fit their preferences, providing more flexibility to guests while driving changes to internal operations. At B2B companies, digital experiences such as virtual coaching and real estate tours are likely to continue even as more people return to offices. Technology leaders noted continued investments in technology platforms that will allow their organizations to adapt to changing circumstances quickly.
Hybrid work models get their first big test. As a “new normal” comes into focus, one thing executives agree on is that the future of work will be hybrid. When asked what an anticipated future-of-work operating model would look like, 92% of attendees indicated it would be some form of hybrid work. Indeed, 60% said they have communicated future-of-work plans to employees, while nearly 30% said they plan to do so in the next few months.
While the future may be hybrid, a return to the office will not be uniform across industries and developing a playbook has been more of an art than a science. Leaders noted that while they have established plans around the future of work, they expect those plans to adapt as they test new ways of working and learn what works well (and what does not). Nevertheless, they say a mix of in-person and remote working will create opportunities to attract new talent and foster new forms of innovation.
Platform investment aids sustainable, scalable innovation. Many executives noted faster decision making as one of the pandemic’s silver linings. A challenge for IT leaders now is figuring out how to maintain a spirit of speed and innovation while providing the tools and governance needed to deliver growth. As one executive put it: delivering “business value at startup speed.”
CIOs said enterprise-wide technology platforms increasingly play a role in doing just that. At Pizza Hut, for example, platforms have become the foundation upon which new innovations can be delivered. That approach allows for sufficient governance of new initiatives while allowing new solutions to scale quickly, improve productivity, and reduce costs.
IT increasingly key to enabling enterprise strategy. Vanguard CEO Tim Buckley (himself the company’s former CIO) and current CIO John Marcante discussed how the company’s rotation programs helped develop them as leaders. These programs allow leaders to “drink deeply” in technology while giving them a broader view of the business, a perspective that ultimately helped them understand technology’s role in achieving business objectives. While metrics like productivity and uptime are important, Marcante said, technology leaders’ influence shows itself in how they apply technology to enterprise strategy and create more flexibility for the business.
For CIOs hoping to ascend to the CEO role, or even to be more valuable in their current position, Buckley advised executives to not only know their own role deeply, but to also learn and understand the challenges facing colleagues across the business. “Being good at your job is table stakes,” Buckley said. “If you want to be a change agent, you have to understand other peoples’ [jobs]…”
Low-code/no-code continues to democratize IT: The pandemic spurred an uptick in adoption of low-code and no-code tools to build work apps, with Forrester estimating that the market has grown by 23% between 2019 and 2021. Quickbase CEO Ed Jennings said that has caused some IT departments to warm to the idea of citizen developers, employees outside IT who create business applications for themselves or others. Jennings said low-code/no-code applications may be part of the solution as companies continue to face talent shortages, particularly among technical staff. Indeed, 56% of executives polled at the event noted that finding candidates with the proper skillset is the biggest obstacle to hiring. If the barriers to creating useful business applications dissolve, Jennings said, IT increasingly becomes the responsibility of the entire organization. Many executives we have spoken with say they continue to experiment with the technology.
Stay tuned for more information on our next Digital Symposium, which will take place September 22.
Whether facilitating a rapid shift to remote work or developing new digital capabilities for customers, the past year has reinforced the mandate for technology leaders to deliver greater value for customers faster than ever before, and to enable that speed and agility at scale.
In a poll of more than 100 technology executives at the Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, 42% noted speed to market as their key measure of their company’s nimbleness, with customer satisfaction coming in second with 27%. The findings underscore the increasingly strategic importance of CIOs and other technology leaders as they enable their organizations to succeed in the digital age.
For example, speed and customer-centricity took center stage at Dow as the company revamped its IT organization in recent years. Led by CIO and Chief Digital Officer Melanie Kalmar, the company re-oriented its work around services, and created product teams that were accountable for delivering those services from end to end. Throughout the transformation, “we focused on the customer experience, the employee experience, and working at the speed of business,” Kalmar said.
That mandate became more acute during the pandemic as many leaders transformed their organizations overnight to serve customers and employees that suddenly faced new, often more difficult, circumstances. “That speed and agility that we’ve always talked about as being important starts to have a lot more meaning when you realize you’re helping your friends and neighbors,” said Kimberly Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at Fannie Mae.
Dow and Fannie Mae are two of many companies born before the digital age that are transforming their people, process, technology, ecosystems, and strategy to seize new opportunities and stave off threats. Throughout our recent conference, leaders from Capital One, CarMax, The Washington Post, Novant Health and many more shared how they have enabled their companies to move quickly by embracing DevOps, shifting to product-oriented operating models, and revamping their talent strategies to bring in new and diverse skill sets.
You can find more insights from the Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on our YouTube channel, including conversations with:
What separates the companies that have succeeded for decades from those that have faded? Successful companies built nimbleness into their DNA.
As established firms face tougher competition from digital natives and an ever-increasing pace of change, fostering that nimbleness is critical. To do so, companies must modernize practices related to people, process, technology, ecosystems, and strategy. This conference will highlight the stories of companies who have done all of the above best, including Capital One, FedEx, Novant Health, and The Washington Post.
The full agenda is below. If you are a technology executive interested in attending, please email steven.norton@metisstrategy.com. We look forward to welcoming you!
Noon – 12:15
Welcome: Getting to Nimble
Metis Strategy President Peter High will share introductory remarks and outline the concept of nimbleness as it relates to digital transformation.
12:15 – 12:30
The Importance of Adaptability featuring General Stanley McChrystal
Drawing on his experience as a general in the United States Army and leader of the Joint Special Operations Command, Gen. McChrystal will discuss how a common purpose, trust, and individual empowerment can help organizations break down traditional silos and move with the speed and agility of their most nimble competitors.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, retired four-star general, US Army, and leader of Joint Special Operations Command
12:30 – 12:50
People: The Key to Success
Talented and motivated people are crucial to any successful transformation effort. This panel will explore how two leading companies have driven foundational change in IT by rethinking roles, recruiting strategies, and retention efforts.
Rob Alexander, Chief Information Officer, Capital One
Kimberly Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Fannie Mae
Moderated by Peter High, Metis Strategy
12:50 – 1:05
Entrepreneur Spotlight: The Future of Authentication
This conversation will explore the ways in which companies are moving beyond passwords and re-thinking identity and access management in the post-pandemic world.
Rakesh Loonkar, co-Founder and President, Transmit Security
1:05 – 1:25
Process: An Opportunity to Define your Company’s Future
For many companies, processes are inadequately mapped out and have not been updated to reflect changing times. In this session, we will discuss how process modernization efforts can engage a diverse array of contributors across organizations and literally define the future of work.
Shamim Mohammad, Chief Information and Technology Officer, CarMax
Melanie Kalmar, CIO and Chief Digital Officer, Dow
1:25 – 1:40
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Overcoming Increasingly Nimble Adversaries
As companies grow nimbler, so do the actors who may wish to exploit them. In this entrepreneur spotlight, George will discuss his career in the cybersecurity industry and explore the biggest cybersecurity threats facing enterprises today.
George Kurtz, President, CEO, and co-Founder, CrowdStrike
1:40 – 2:00
Strategy: Harnessing Strategic Alignment to Drive Growth
Without a clear strategy, the advances made by cultivating your people, process, technology, and ecosystem will be difficult to realize. In this session, we will explore how technology leaders can drive strategic alignment across the enterprise.
Shailesh Prakash, CIO and Chief Product Officer, The Washington Post Company
Chintan Mehta, CIO and Head of Digital Technology and Innovation, Wells Fargo
2:00 – 2:20
Technology: Building the Foundation for a Nimble Enterprise
Sprawling technical debt and outdated legacy systems often signal a company that hasn’t built nimbleness into its DNA. This conversation will focus on leaders who addressed technical debt head-on and embraced new technologies and platforms that deliver speed and flexibility.
Rob Carter, Chief Information Officer, FedEx
Steve Randich, Chief Information Officer, FINRA
2:20 – 2:35
Entrepreneur Spotlight: The Rise of Zero Trust
In this discussion, Jay will discuss the rise of Zero Trust architecture and share his perspective on the changing security landscape as we prepare for a world of cloud, IoT, and 5G.
Jay Chaudhry, CEO, Chairman, and Founder, Zscaler
2:35 – 2:55
Ecosystems: Sources of Insight and Innovation
The network you cultivate has the power to shape both the direction of your organization and your evolution as a leader. This panel will explore best practices for cultivating strong and lasting relationships with peers, customers, recruiters, venture capitalists, and other partners.
Angela Yochem, Chief Transformation and Digital Officer, Novant Health
George Llado, CIO, Alexion Pharmaceuticals
2:55 – 3:00
Closing Remarks
Peter High, Metis Strategy
On January 26 at Noon EST, global technology executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and CEOs will gather virtually to discuss topics that are top-of-mind for CIOs in 2021. Our conversations will explore how firms can maintain digital momentum and develop innovative cultures amid a new world of work, scale their data and analytics efforts to deliver meaningful business growth, and create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable technology industry.
Please see the agenda below. To learn more or request an invitation, please email steven.norton@metisstrategy.com. We look forward to seeing you there!
Noon ET
Welcome and introductions
12:10 pm – 12:30 p.m. ET
Rethinking Employee Experience for a New World of Work
As companies continue to move toward “hybrid” working models that blend in-office and distributed work, they are simultaneously re-examining what it means to deliver an outstanding employee experience. This discussion will explore how technology leaders are enabling employees to do their best work no matter their physical location.
Rick Rioboli, CIO, Comcast
Richard Cox, CIO, Cox Enterprises
12:30 pm – 12:50 p.m. ET
Digital Customer Experience and Innovation
The global pandemic is widely recognized as a digital accelerator and a major factor shaping the future of work. The combination of novel digital capabilities and innovative ways to collaborate will shape employee and customer experiences for the foreseeable future. In this panel discussion, CIOs from Stanley Black & Decker and Verizon will share how they have turned pandemic-induced challenges into opportunities to make lasting improvements that benefit employees and customers alike.
Shankar Arumugavelu, Global CIO, Verizon
Rhonda Gass, VP and Chief Information Officer, Stanley Black & Decker
12:50 p.m. – 1:05 p.m. ET
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Ashok Reddy, Digital.ai
In this fireside chat, Ashok will discuss his journey from firms such as Broadcom, CA Technologies, IBM and Honeywell to his current role at Digital.ai. He’ll also share thoughts on how connecting software development and delivery to strategic business outcomes can help companies achieve their digital transformation goals.
Ashok Reddy, CEO, Digital.ai
1:05 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. ET
Creating a Diverse and Equitable Workforce
Diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts rose to the top of many CIO agendas in 2020. In this panel, we will discuss strategies for developing diverse talent pipelines, creating inclusive and equitable organizations, and becoming an agent for positive organizational change. We will also discuss TechPACT, an initiative that aims to increase underrepresented communities in technology and “create a world where anyone with a passion for technology will have the opportunity to succeed.”
Janet Sherlock, CIO, Ralph Lauren
Earl Newsome, Americas CIO, Linde
Moderated by Steven Norton, Co-Head of Research, Media, and Executive Networks, Metis Strategy
1:25 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. ET
How Data and AI are Transforming Health Care
After a year of massive change in the health care space, leaders will discuss how advanced analytics and other technologies will enable greater transformation in the year ahead.
Ramkumar Rayapureddy, Global CIO, Viatris
Mark Hill, Chief Digital Information Officer, CSL Behring
1:45 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. ET
Behind the Scenes: Data-Driven Operations
We’ve all heard the saying that “data is the new oil,” but what does that mean in practice? This panel will explore how technology executives are embedding data and analytics across their organizations to enable a culture of innovation, unlock new efficiencies, and deliver differentiated products and services.
Shaleen Devgun, CIO, Schneider National
Atif Rafiq, President of Customers, Commercial & Growth, MGM Resorts International
2:05 p.m. – 2:25 p.m.
Technology and Innovation in Financial Services
Megan Crespi of Comerica and Catherine Zhou of HSBC discuss the technology trends shaping the finance industry in the year ahead.
Megan Crespi, Chief Operations & Technology Officer, Comerica Bank
Catherine Zhou, Global Head of Venture, Digital Innovation and Partnerships, HSBC
2:25 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
Security in Unprecedented Times
Peter and Shawn will discuss the implications of the SolarWinds attack on large companies, as well as the threats and trends that are shaping today’s cybersecurity landscape.
Shawn Henry, President, CrowdStrike Services and CSO, former FBI Executive Assistant Director
2:40 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. ET
Fireside chat with Daniela Rus, director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Daniela will share her thoughts on the evolution of AI in the enterprise and shine a light on some of the latest research coming out of MIT, including an initiative to build self-driving cars and enable mobility on demand.
Daniela Rus, director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
