Metis Strategy

Among other topics, Antoine discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The state of the artificial intelligence industry and his work over the past fifteen years * How Sentient Technologies has applied there work to the retail and online shopping industry * How the technology maps out the process of interaction to create a better user experience * The large amount of capital currently held by Sentient Technologies and his plans for those funds * The war for talent in Silicon Valley * The balance between innovation and safety within the artificial intelligence industry * How he thinks about artificial intelligence in his daily life * The strategic planning process, and what he sees coming in the next five to ten years * Why he chose to pursue his career in the United States as opposed to Europe Antoine Blondeau’s Biography Antoine Blondeau is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sentient Technologies, the highest funded artificial intelligence start-up in the world. Antoine has worked at a number of technology companies, including Nortel, Salesforce.com, and Good Technology.  He also previously served as the CEO of Dejima, the company involved with the DARPA project that later evolved into Apple’s personal assistant, Siri. Antoine received his MBA from the Paris Graduate School of Management.

Among other topics, Lidia discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Quest Diagnostics, their scale, technology, and partnerships * Her role as Chief Information and the responsibilities of her role * How she encourages her team to engage with customers * Big Data and how her team structures and analyzes the huge amount of data at Quest Diagnostics * Security and how she balances innovation and risk-taking with security considerations * Her membership on the board of Gannett, and how she came across the opportunity to join * How boards of directors will continue to look for technical expertise as companies try to become digital Lidia Fonseca’s Biography Lidia Fonseca is the Chief Information Officer of Quest Diagnostics, a $7.5B provider of clinical laboratory services. As CIO, Lidia leads the IT function, enterprise architecture, and integrates process, data, and systems across the network. Prior to working at Quest Diagnostics, Lidia served in multiple technology roles at other major healthcare organizations including LabCorp and Philips Medical Systems. Lidia is a member of the Board of Directors at Gannett, a large media holding company, and is also an advisory board member of Medivo, a healthcare data company. Lidia earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkley, and received her MBA and Master of Business Informatics from the Erasmus Graduate School of Business.

Among other topics, Amy discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Her role as Chief Information Office of the AARP, and how he transitioned from the interim CIO role * Continuity during the transition of CIOs * Leadership and her approach to culture within IT * Communication within and outside of IT and the value inherent from improved communications * Innovation and how it is encouraged within IT * Security and how risk is managed across the enterprise * Women in IT and how she has helped improve opportunities for rising women in technology * Eye on the Trends: Cohesive user experiences, wearable technology, and autonomous vehicles Amy Doherty’s Biography Amy Doherty is the Chief Information Officer of AARP, Inc. a membership organization for people age 50 and over that operates as a non-profit advocate for its members and is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States. Amy started with AARP in 2011, originally as Vice President of Customer Service & Solution Delivery, before rising to interim CIO and eventually gaining the position on a permanent basis. Prior to AARP, Amy held multiple technology roles at Freddie Mac, C&F Bank, American Financial Realty Trust, and GMAC, among others. Amy received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental and Nuclear Engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology, and her MBA from Penn State University.

Among other topics, Chris discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His responsibilities as Global Head of Enterprise Data and Technology of State Street Bank * How his staff has been re-organized as the emphasis on data and technology has taken place * The digital enterprise, and how he thinks about digital customer experience * The implementation of Industrial Agile * How he tracks the value and ROI of investments within the IT department * Projects that have been innovative within the organization * How he has managed the portfolio of projects and ensured that IT has become more standardized * The value of technology and how non-technical people have become more interested in technology * Security and how he balances the need for security with innovation and risk-taking * Eye on the Trends: Blockchain (a distributed database based on bitcoin protocol) Chris Perretta’s Biography Chris is the Global Head of Enterprise Data and Technology of State Street Corporation, a $10 billion financial services holding company.  In that role, Chris is tasked with engendering and fostering the group’s overall technology strategy, whilst aggregating State Street’s data and insights for its global clientele. Chris has been with State Street since 2007, most recently as the Chief Information Officer.  Prior to State Street, Chris held multiple roles with divisions of General Electric.  He began his career with Andersen consulting. Chris received his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins, and his Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University.

Among other topics, Jim discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His role as Chief Information Officer of Monsanto * The digital revolution occurring in the agriculture industry * How IT works with other parts of the organization to develop digital plans across the enterprise * How the recruiting and skills needed within IT have changed * The internal brand of IT within Monsanto to assure its place within the enterprise * How IT interacts with the ultimate customers of the organization * His career path to agriculture through the pharmaceutical industry and others * Universal similarities across multiple industries within the IT department * Eye on the Trends: Decision science and analytics, predictive and prescriptive modeling,  the Internet of Things Jim Swanson’s Biography Jim Swanson is the Chief Information Officer of Monsanto, a $15 billion agriculture company.  As Chief Information Officer, Jim is responsible for leveraging the company’s information technology to deliver long-term strategic vision. Prior to joining Monsanto, Jim worked at Merck, as Vice President of IT for Global Human Health and Vice President of IT for Merck Research Labs.  Prior to those roles, he worked in other IT roles at Johnson & Johnson and SmithKline Beecham. Jim was awarded as one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders in 2015.  He attended Drexel University where he received his Bachelor Science Degree in Bioscience and Biotechnology as well as his Master’s Degree in Computer Science.

Among other topics, Jim discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How he has transitioned to the role of GE’s CIO, having come from GE Capital * His area of responsibility * The financial acumen required for the job, and how he associates with those that have a deeper financial background * Digital, and his vision for it within the company, including the Predix platform * Succession and career planning within GE * How he has organized his first few months within the role of CIO * Security and how data is secured within GE Jim Fowler’s Biography Jim is the Chief Information Officer at General Electric, a $149B industrial company.  Jim recently ascended to the CIO role, coming from GE Capital in October of 2015. Jim has previously held many roles within GE, including roles within every business unit of GE, with the exception of GE Healthcare.  He has been with the organization since 2000. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems and Marketing from Miami University of Ohio, and an MBA from Xavier University.

Among other topics, Mike discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Whether Watson was always planned as a business line, and how things evolved within the Watson idea * The mechanics of Watson, and who is involved with the creation of knowledge for Watson to pull from * The three service offerings, Watson Discovery Advisor, Watson Analytics, and Watson Explorer * Some of the common threads across industries that make them ripe for usage of Watson * Whether there is a traditional functional head who utilizes and procures Watson * The balance between Artificial Intelligence and the safety needed with Artificial Intelligence * The divide between those who are leveraging the Watson platform and those who are/will not * How he sees Watson developing over the next five and ten years Mike Rhodin’s Biography Mike Rhodin is the Senior Vice President and the Head of IBM Watson, a technology platform that uses natural language processing and machine learning to reveal insights from large amounts of unstructured data. Prior to heading IBM Watson, Mike led IBM’s Software Solutions Group, which delivered industry-specific solutions in high-growth areas, including Business Analytics, Smarter Cities, and Social Business. Mike received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

Among other topics, Trevor discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How he became the first CIO of Micron Technology, and how he prepared to start the role * How his experience as an IT executive has helped him converse with senior management * How he organized himself during his first 100 days in the role of CIO * Some examples of the quick wins and organization changes he made upon joining Micron technology * Strategic imperatives within IT that he determined early in his tenure * Measures of success and how he has tracked the success of IT * How he has worked in companies that have IT as a focal area of the organization during his career path at many major technology brands * The war for talent within IT companies and how Micron’s university grants have helped benefit the organization to find strong talent within IT * How he considers the input of younger employees and the experience of more tenured employees * Eye on the Trends:  Data as a strategic asset, machine learning, security Trevor Schulze’s Biography Trevor Schulze is the Chief Information Officer of Micron Technology, a global semi-conductor manufacturer based in Boise, Idaho.  Trevor is the first ever CIO of the organization, and was appointed to the role in July of this year. Prior to joining Micron, Trevor served at multiple major technology manufacturers.  Most recently, he served as the Corporate Vice President of IT at Broadcom.  He has also held posts at AMD and Cisco. Trevor earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arizona.

Among other topics, Tom discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His organization, Cloudera, where it stands now, and the current priorities at Cloudera * The path to success for older organizations with large antiquated infrastructures and for Digital-native organizations * Industries that Cloudera is working with the most * How Cloudera maintains its competitive advantages * How he came to be at Cloudera after the founding of the organization * The way in which he has forged a strong relationship with the founders of the organization * How the organization thinks about remaining a private company compared to  going public * The team at Cloudera and the methods he uses to build and retain the team * How he thinks about strategic planning and how the organization continues to pivot * The relationships that have been built with several MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) * Some industry-specific use cases Tom Reilly’s Biography Tom is the Chief Executive Officer of Cloudera, a fast-growing software company that provides Apache Hadoop-based software, support and service, and training to businesses. Tom has been the CEO since July of 2013. Prior to Cloudera, Tom served as the CEO of ArcSight, an enterprise security company.  Tom led the initial public offering of Arcsight and led the company in the subsequent sale to HP.  He also served as CEO of Trigo Technologies, a master data management software company, which was later acquired by IBM. Tom serves on multiple boards, including Jive Software, Ombud Inc, ThreatStream, and Cloudera. Tom received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Among other topics, Cynthia discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Her organization, Netapp, the significant transformation it is undergoing, and IT’s role in that transformation * How her organization uses its own products and the advantages of being a CIO in an organization that serves IT departments * The way that she and her team engages with Netapp’s customer base * IT’s role in innovation at Netapp * The methods used to track and retain excellent IT talent * Her career path and areas of commonality between IT departments in different industries * The strengths of younger employees of the organization and the talent they bring to the organization * Eye on the Trends: Cloud infrastructure, the Digitization of Business Cynthia Stoddard’s Biography Cynthia is a Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Netapp, a $6 billion computer storage and data management company.  As CIO, Cynthia is in charge of the company’s overall infrastructure as well as providing a long term technology vision in support of the company’s goals and strategies. Prior to joining Netapp, Cynthia was the group vice president of Information Technology at Safeway.  She also held the CIO position for NOL group, a global transportation and shipping company. Cynthia received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Western New England University, and her MBA from Marylhurst University.

Among other topics, Bill discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His organization, CenturyLink, and his role within the organization * His multi-decade tenure at the organization, and how IT’s contribution to the organization has changed over that period of time * How IT recruits individuals from other parts of the organization, and the rotational program that exists within CenturyLink * Innovation, the role that IT plays in innovation, and the methods of innovation within the organization * The on-demand resource model within IT, and the rationale behind the model * Growth through acquisition, and the role that IT plays in M&A at CenturyLink * The importance of gaining knowledge of the business, rather than just the technology * Eye on the Trends: Mobile-first mentality, services approach to architecture, Agile methodologies, and analytics Bill Bradley’s Biography Bill is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of CenturyLink, an $18 billion telecommunications company.  Bill has been with CenturyLink for over thirty years, and ascended to his current position in 2010. As Chief Information Officer, Bill is responsible for managing, maintaining, and developing information systems and solutions that support CenturyLink’s customers and employees.  He has been with the company during major acquisitions, including Embarq, Qwest Communications, and Savvis – all major players in the telecom and cloud infrastructure industry. Bill received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Louisiana Tech University

Among other topics, Michael discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His company, Ally Financial * How his organization transitioned from 70% government ownership, and the role IT played in that transition * The culture of the organization * Metrics used to gauge progress during his initial time at the organization * How he maintained the balance of IT activities needed for growth with cost-cutting in the wake of the recession * Digital, and how he partners with other parts of the organization from a digital perspective * The extent to which he has in-sourced some IT activities and how he set the organization on that path * His strategy and priorities for the future * The skill inventory of the organization and how he builds out the skills needed within his team * The process he uses to ensure that his team is up to date on new technologies * Eye on the Trends: Existing consumer technology being optimized for enterprise uses Michael Baresich’s Biography Michael Baresich is the Chief Information Officer of Ally Financial, a $9 billion bank holding company, formerly known as GMAC (General Motors Acceptance Corporation).  In that role, Michael is responsible for information technology and related services, including application development, operations, infrastructure, and information security. Prior to joining Ally, Michael was the Chief Information Officer and EVP of CIT Group.  He has also held senior-level IT roles at other major financial organizations, including Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, and Banker’s Trust. Michael received his bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University, his master’s degree from the University of Florida, and his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Among other topics, Ron discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His organization, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and his role within it * The paradigm shift in the complexity of technology and our ability to protect it * How the Internet of Things complicates the security problems already in place * NIST’s publication – Systems Security Engineering: An Integrated Approach to Building Trustworthy Resilient Systems * Who NIST engages for their publications and how they engage with their partners * TACIT Security – Threats, Assets, Complexity, Integration, and Trustworthiness * How people-centric security problems can be better addressed * The role that business continuity and disaster recovery plans play in security * Building security into systems to increase the level of confidence in systems Ron Ross’ Biography Ron Ross is a Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  NIST’s mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. Ron’s role at NIST is in the information technology laboratory, where he leads the Federal Information Security Management Act Implementation Project. He is also the principal architect of the NIST Risk Management Framework, and leads the joint taskforce between the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and the Committee on National Security Systems that developed the Unified Information Security Framework for the federal government. Ron held previous roles at the Institute for Defense Analysis and as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. Ron received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from West Point, his Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School, and his PhD in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Among other topics, Roger discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * What his title of Chief Information and Technology Architect encompasses * His strategic imperatives that he and his team are pursuing * The digital revolution and how he has handled the pace of change within the organization * ThinkSpace and the Internet of Things within Verizon * His career path and his experience within multiple areas of Verizon’s large organization * How talent management is undertaken at the organization * Eye on the Trends:  Digital, Cloud Technology, 5G Wireless Technology Roger Gurnani’s Biography Roger Gurnani is an Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Architect at Verizon Communications, a $127 billion provider of 4G wireless, fiber-optic broadband, and Global Internet network services.  In that role, he is responsible for developing and guiding the technology strategy and investments. Roger had been with Verizon since its inception in 2000, holding multiple roles.  Prior to his current role, Roger was the Chief Information Officer. Roger received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a Master of Science degree in System Engineering from Auburn University.

Among other topics, Jack discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * What the Chief Information Officer role entails at Dunkin’ Brands * How employees, as customers of Dunkin’ Brands, are able to suggest innovative ideas and technologies to enhance the customer experience * The strategy side of his role, and how that opportunity came under his purview * How technology is driving the corporate strategy and some examples within Dunkin’ Brands * Strategic planning, the process currently in place, and how IT strategy informs corporate strategy * Whether the role of strategy creation within businesses will continue to be undertaken by CIOs * The rotational program at Dunkin’ Brands to find talented future leaders in other areas of the company * How his role as CIO has changed across multiple industries in his career path * How he thinks about security * Eye on the Trends: Cloud Infrastructure,  The growth of consumer technology, Mobile technology Jack Clare’s Biography Jack Clare is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information and Strategy Officer at Dunkin’ Brands, a franchisor of quick service restaurants (QSRs) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard serve ice cream. In his role, Jack leads the company’s IT department and oversees the long-term strategic planning process for the company. He describes both sets of responsibilities in this interview. Prior to joining Dunkin’ Brands in 2012, Jack was the Vice President of IT and CIO for Yum! Brands’ International Division.  He has also held roles at Constellation Brands and Sapient Corporation, after starting his career in the United States Air Force as a system and flight test engineer. Jack earned his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Dayton, and an MBA from the University of California, Davis.