Metis Strategy

Among other topics, Adrian discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Adrian’s role as CIO at Goddard Space Flight Center and how he influences IT as a whole, manages the terrestrial mission network, and provides robust and efficient IT resources to scientists and engineers * How Adrian seeks to implement innovative practices at Goddard through drawing from public, open source, and private sector communities (such as venture capital firms) * How cross-collaboration in IT emerged through emphasizing an agency view, and how various centers operate in an environment where they  simultaneously compete and collaborate to win certain pieces of work * Adrian’s focus in ensuring the IT organization maintains focus on how IT can contribute to Goddard’s competitiveness as a center, and how this principle underlies the IT strategy * How Goddard manages massive amounts of structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data in order to support sound, real-time decision making * Goddard’s security posture and its focus on data management due to operating in an environment where there is a significant amount of sharing of information with external entities * Eye on Trends: Consumerization of IT and how consumers leverage a broad range of technologies and tailor them to their own individual needs, mobility and how individuals can have access to information from anywhere on any device, and the rise in open source and utilizing open source communities to develop and refine technologies. Adrian Gardner’s Biography Adrian is a member of the Senior Executive Service and currently serves as the Director of the Information Technology and Communications Directorate and Chief Information Officer for the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) at NASA. As such, he is responsible for providing the GSFC workforce with the information infrastructure and tools that adapt and evolve to effectively and securely support management, science, research, and technology programs while developing, implementing, and operating specialized IT systems to support NASA mission planning and operation, and providing systems that disseminate information to the public and that preserve NASA’s information assets. Adrian is also Chair of POC Working Group for DATA.GOV; Co-Chair of the Federal CIO Council Information Sharing Subcommittee, and he formerly held the role of Chief Information Officer for the National Weather Service. Among his many accolades, Adrian was awarded Temple University’s IT Manager of the Year award for 2012, recognizing him as one of Information Management’s Top 25, and he played an integral role in Goddard Space Flight Center’s most recent recognition as one of Information Week’s Top 500 Innovators. Adrian is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Public Policy.  Additionally, he holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from USC, and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Hood College.  Adrian also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science and Ecology from the Tuskegee Institute.

Among other topics, Mike discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How IT can no longer run as a silo, and that IT needs to understand business strategy and be aligned with other parts of the organization, particularly with marketing and product functions at Netflix * How current IT organizations need broader communication skills, as IT is no longer a cost center to the CFO, but needs to interface and integrate with marketing, products, and other parts of the organization * How Netflix attempts to remain on the bleeding edge of technology, and how being located in Silicon Valley and maintaining contact with venture capitalists helps in this regard * How IT needs to avoid saying no, and adopt the posture of saying yes or figuring ways to solve problems by having an “IT as a service” mentality * How the multitude of devices used in the workplace leads to the convergence of data to the cloud, and the subsequent challenges in ensuring data security * Eye on Trends: Social and mobile, and how they will enable seamless collaboration anytime at anyplace Mike Kail’s Biography Mike Kail is the Vice President of IT Operations at Netflix, a provider of on-demand Internet streaming media and flat rate DVD-by-mail delivery. Mike leads a team of more than 115 employees in his organization. Prior to his time at Netflix, Mike was the Vice President of IT Operations at Attensity, a social analytics company, where he was responsible for various big data components as well as the integration of Americas and the Europe, Middle East and Asian IT teams. Mike is on the customer advisory boards of Box, Sumo Logic, OneLogin, and Context Relevant. Mike has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Iowa State University.

Among other topics, Chris discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How IT is uniquely positioned to help business solve problems that the business doesn’t expect IT to solve, and how IT leaders must find gaps in the organization and work to fill them * How focusing on fundamentals, influence, and empathy act as the building blocks for transformation * How Chris helped build a world class IT program/project management office, and how their successes resulted in the PMO coming out from under IT * IT’s success in collaborating with marketing in a series of initiatives including the Red Royalty program, brand transformation, and more * Chris’ business transformation role, and how he orchestrates change in people, process, and technology to help holistically change the business * Eye on Trends: Social media and mobile, and how there are many great ideas that are as of yet unfulfilled in these areas as it pertains to the services industry * Q&A: Chris answers questions pertaining to how information security is managed at Red Robin, how changes are initiated, and outsourcing Chris Laping’s Biography Chris is the Senior Vice President of Business Transformation and the Chief Information Officer of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, a growing chain of casual restaurants. In his current role, Chris is responsible for all aspects of IT at Red Robin, and has led numerous initiatives and transformations in the organization. Prior to joining Red Robin, Chris served as Chief Information Officer and Principal of Statera, Inc., and also spent time as Chief Information Officer at Capmark Financial Group and GMAC Commercial Holding Capital Corp.  Chris has a strong emphasis on recruiting and team development and has an outstanding track record of maintaining a disciplined cost structure and results-oriented focus. Chris has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including ComputerWorld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders award in 2004, InfoWorld Magazine’s InfoWorld 100 award in 2002, 2003 and 2005, and was nominated for CIO Magazine’s CIO 100 award in 2002. He is frequently quoted in trade journals and utilized in speaking engagements. Chris received a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Florida State University and his Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Florida.

Among other topics, Jean discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Jean’s unusual path to becoming CTO of First New York Securities, as she discusses her background in hotel management, finance, and law * How Jean’s business background keeps her focused on the business value of technology, and that she ultimately seeks to find technology solutions to business problems * The necessity of educating users on how to take advantage of technology solutions, and how it is important to speak in business terms as opposed to technology terms * The process by which Jean transformed the IT organization, which included conducting a baseline assessment, understanding the direction of the business, and prioritizing initiatives accordingly * Eye on Trends: Cloud computing and how enterprises will need to find a way to integrate all of the different cloud solutions they have. Jean Hill’s Biography Jean is the Chief Technology Officer of First New York Securities, a global multi-strategy trading firm. In this role, Jean is responsible for developing and managing the firm’s IT infrastructure. Jean joined First New York Securities from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where she was Vice President and Deputy Chief Technology Officer.  In previous roles, she was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and also Director of IT at Merrill Lynch. Jean has BS in Business from Cornell University and a JD from Fordham University.

Among other topics, Jay discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Jay’s role at Tesla Motors and how Tesla operates in a fast-paced, innovative environment, and seeks to change the way in which automotive companies operate * The relationship IT has with development teams, and how IT collaborates on providing the necessary infrastructure to enable teams to develop quickly and efficiently * How all of Tesla’s business-critical applications for core functions are home-grown, and how this enables Tesla to be flexible and agile * How Tesla is providing a comprehensive customer experience through the use of analytics, mobile applications, and more * Eye on Trends: Cloud computing, and how it provides more flexibility and allows the organization to easily manage, maintain, and provision software to employees, particularly as the organization grows Jay Vijayan’s Biography Jay is the Vice President of IT and Business Applications for Tesla Motors. Jay and his team are responsible for infrastructure, operations, security and business applications for all of Tesla including support of engineering groups, corporate business groups and the global sales, marketing and service organizations. Jay works with all the company’s groups to identify opportunities, to structure IT solutions, and to deliver measurable returns to the business. Before joining Tesla Jay was the Sr. Director, IT Business Applications for VMware. In that capacity, Jay led the Applications Development of all business applications for VMware during a period of dramatic growth for the company, as it jumped from $700 million to $3.77 billion in annual revenue during the period between 2007 and 2012. Prior to his time at VMware,  Jay held a variety of Applications Management positions at Oracle. Jay has a master’s degree from the University of Madras.

Among other topics, Rick discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His role as COO of Technology, and how he is responsible for driving economies of scale within IT * How Rick manages the tech footprint of IT as Thomson Reuters undergoes numerous acquisitions and divestitures * How Rick applies lessons from his early experiences as a teacher and coach to the IT world by focusing on people, as well as communicating more effectively with business colleagues * The importance of creating a personal brand, and how Rick has built his brand through a variety of methods, including a personal blog * How Thomson Reuters encourages innovation by recognizing for the innovative effort as opposed to the end result * Eye on Trends: The advent of mobility, and how mobile devices will take over the traditional PC world Rick King’s Biography Rick is the chief operating officer for technology of Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. Rick has been with Thomson Reuters since 2000 and has held numerous executive-level roles in the company.  Prior to Thomson Reuters, Rick held executive-level positions at Ceridian Employer Services and Jostens Learning among other companies. Rick began his career as a teacher and coach in Vermont. In 2011, Rick was named by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to serve on the Metropolitan Airports Commission and the Governor’s Technology Advisory Council.  In addition, Rick is recognized as an expert on broadband and was named by former Governor Tim Pawlenty to chair Minnesota’s Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force.  Rick serves on Minnesota’s Science and Technology Authority Advisory Commission and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Telecommunication and e-Commerce Committee.  He also serves as a trustee for Minnesota Public Radio, is vice chair of the board of trustees for the Science Museum of Minnesota and serves on the advisory board of the Carlson Global Institute at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Rick’s many accolades include being honored as Minnesota’s 2008 Technology Executive of the Year by the Minnesota High Tech Association. Rick has a bachelor’s degree in math and education, and a master’s degree in administration and planning from the University of Vermont.

Among other topics, Tony discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The genesis of Microsoft IT’s transformation to align to business processes, and how it derives from the desire to get the IT organization, systems architecture, and business processes properly aligned * How IT must go beyond collaboration and digitally connect the company across business units, as IT is one of the few departments that spans the enterprise and can act as a strategic enabler * How Microsoft employs an IT transformation method referred to as “GET”, where the organization plans for the change and Gets ready, creates roadmap for all changes to Evolve, and executes organizational changes to Transform * How this transformation has enabled IT to deliver standardized business processes that cuts across all product development silos, and has significantly improved speed to market * New skills that need to be promoted such as brand management and focus on digital business process, so as to improve the business awareness and understanding of IT employees * Eye on Trends: Cloud computing and how it facilitates the digital process journey Microsoft is undertaking through improved scalability and flexibility Tony Scott’s Biography Tony Scott is the Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Microsoft.  Tony and his team are responsible for security, infrastructure, messaging and business applications for all of Microsoft, including support of the product groups, the corporate business groups, and the global sales and marketing organization. Tony champions IT as a value-added business for Microsoft and works with all the company’s groups to identify opportunities, structure IT solutions and deliver measurable returns to the business. Tony is also the executive sponsor for Microsoft’s Operational Enterprise Risk Management efforts and supports the integration of management principles from the Quality & Business Excellence team, which drive continuous and breakthrough process improvements across the company. Before joining Microsoft, Tony was the senior vice president and chief information officer for The Walt Disney Company, the chief technology officer, Information Systems and Services, at General Motors Corp. (GM), and the vice president of Information Services at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.  Tony also spent time at Marriott International Inc., Cadren Systems, Sun Microsystems Inc. and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Tony has a bachelor of science in information systems management from the University of San Francisco and also holds a juris doctorate with a concentration in intellectual property and international law from Santa Clara University.

Among other topics, Susan discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Susan’s perspectives concerning the potential of the role of the CIO, how it is under transition, and how the future looks really bright * How technology is too important to leave solely to IT, as it is an enterprise asset and should be treated as such, and how every organization has the IT capability they deserve, and business leaders should actively consider what their aspirations are for IT * Susan’s book 8 Things We Hate About IT: How to Move Beyond the Frustrations to Form a New Partnership with IT, and how it acts as a tool for CIOs to provide to business leaders, and provides an outside in perspective concerning IT, and presents opportunities to improve partnerships * How IT leaders need to communicate in business terms, and appropriately express what drives the costs of IT, as well as how IT adds value * Eye on Trends: How technology will be embedded in services and products, and that major trends such as mobility, cloud, web services, collaboration, analytics, etc. all really lock in together. Susan Cramm’s Biography Susan Cramm is an executive coach and president of Valuedance®, an executive coaching and leadership development firm. Over the past 14 years, Susan has coached executives from a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Toyota, Sony, and Whole Foods Markets.  She is a frequent speaker, a blogger for the Harvard Business Review, and author of the Harvard Business Press book, 8 Things We Hate about I.T.: How to Move Beyond the Frustrations to form a New Partnership with I.T. Susan is the former CFO and executive vice president at Chevy’s Mexican Restaurants, where she led the finance, business strategy, restaurant development, franchising, legal, and information technology functions. Prior to Chevy’s, Susan worked with the Taco Bell Corporation and held the positions of CIO and vice president of the Information Technology Group and Senior Director of Financial and Strategic Planning. Susan received her master’s degree in management from Northwestern University, specializing in finance, marketing and quantitative methods and her BA from the University California, San Diego, summa cum laude, specializing in management and computer science.  

Among other topics, Dee discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The similarities and differences between Amtrak and other travel organizations, such as airlines, that Dee has been a part of * Amtrak’s new eTicketing initiative, and how it can help transform Amtrak through not only improving the customer experience, but also through streamlining processing and reducing paperwork * How Amtrak’s IT organization has matured in recent years, and have transitioned from being an internally focused IT organization, to one that focuses on delivering business value * The recent development of a Project Management Office and an Enterprise Architecture Group that were put in place to ensure transparency and optimal governance as funds for initiatives increase * The development of Amtrak’s corporate strategy, and how it was a collaborative effort built by multiple levels of people at Amtrak * Eye on Trends: Mobility and how it can drive innovations, cloud computing and the cost benefits it offers, as well as social media and collaboration technologies, and how they can help reduce silos within an organization   Dee Waddell’s Biography Dee is the Acting Chief Information Officer of Amtrak, a government-owned railroad corporation.  He reports to the CEO and provides business leadership as an executive committee member and is responsible for all aspects of IT with an overall budget of over $270 million in FY 2012. Previous to this appointment, Dee served as Group Chief Information Officer, supporting the marketing and customer initiatives of the company. Prior to Amtrak, Dee was with United Airlines leading united.com and was responsible for e-commerce revenue of nearly $3 billion.  Dee has led large initiatives in both business and technology roles at a number of major organizations including Motorola, Accenture and the Department of Defense. Dee was recognized in 2009 by CIO Magazine as a “rising star in IT”, with special distinction as a stand-out winner in team-building. Dee has a BA in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, an MBA in Strategic Management from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and is currently working towards his Doctorate in Management from the University of Maryland.

Among other topics, Michael discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Michael’s role in the organization and his fourfold goals of managing security, sustaining growth, providing associate enhancements, and improving customer and owner satisfaction through IT initiatives * IT’s growing role in the hospitality industry as the enabler of entire experience, from how customers stay and consume content, to how associates will utilize technology to improve the customer’s experience * Creating an ecosystem of partners that allows Hyatt to align with leading edge product offerings, and become more involved in the product lifecycle, which facilitates the introduction of innovative solutions to the Hyatt environment * How the ecosystem of partners has caused a shift in skills within Hyatt IT; there is less emphasis on true developers, and a greater focus in areas such as business analysis and vendor management * How Michael dedicated resources to innovation early in his tenure, which has allowed resources to focus on bringing innovative ideas to market, such as an online lock system activated through mobile technology * Eye on Trends: Cloud computing and how it can help Hyatt capture economies of scale, despite having fewer properties than their main competitors. Mobility and how it can bring capabilities that ultimately improves the customer experience     Michael Blake’s Biography Michael Blake is the CIO at Hyatt Hotels Corporation.   In concert with other senior leaders, he is responsible for driving innovation and supporting revenue growth, as well as managing the evolution of Hyatt’s global IT function. Prior to his current role, Mike was Vice President of Finance-Global Marketing, Brand Standards & IT for Hyatt Corporation.  He has over 20 years of experience in finance and technology in various roles, including time as Senior Vice President of IT at First Data, VP of IT Finance at Kaiser Permanente, and Director of IT Finance at Sears.  In each of his roles, he was the highest ranking IT Finance resource and key internal consultant and advisor to national senior leadership teams. Mike has an MBA with a concentration on Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He also has an MS in Information Technology from Northwestern University.  

Among other topics, John discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * John’s role in the organization and how he has sought to keep technology leading edge through running a lean and standardized IT department * How Lifetime Products’ Global IT team employ a “follow the sun” process, and how the team utilizes extensive documentation, tight collaboration, and strong communication to overcome the challenges of this particular type of process * How certain portions of marketing report to John, combining both creative and technical aspects within IT, which ultimately creates a closer partnership with the business * Lifetime Product’s practice of limiting IT vendors to create a simple, cost effective, and standardized environment, which facilitates staying on the leading edge of technology and assists innovation * Eye on Trends: Mobility and business intelligence, and how the business intelligence environment can be extended to mobile devices so that employees can make quicker decisions from wherever they are       John Bowden’s Biography John is the Chief Information Officer and Vice President of IT for Lifetime Products, the world’s leading manufacturer of blow-molded, polyethylene tables and chairs, headquartered in Clearfield, Utah.  He leads a leading edge Global IT environment as well as serves as a key strategic business advisor in reducing total cost of ownership, standardizing on technology, adopting technology to improve mobility & business intelligence, and providing opportunities for employees. John has won numerous awards, including being named a Top 25 Chief Technology Officer by InfoWorld in 2008 for the ongoing deployment of “Virtual Desktops” throughout Lifetime’s Global IT Network, as well as being named Utah’s CIO of the Year in 2002.  

Among other topics, Michael discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How the San Francisco Symphony has utilized technology over its history to stay at the cutting edge of music production and the concert experience, and how they actively seek new ways to stretch these boundaries * The internal and external uses of mobile, and how the external use of mobile is of particular interest due to its potential in terms of facilitating ticket sales, donations, access to media, and engagement with patrons through social networking * How many individuals on Michael’s team are seasoned musicians or big fans of music, and how it creates a much deeper connection to the organization due to greater knowledge and appreciation of the product, which ultimately drives innovation * How business intelligence has been of increasing importance in the non-profit sector, particularly with organizations that sell tickets, as it is a very complex and data driven business, and business intelligence can have a tangible, positive impact on revenue * Eye on Trends: Mobile technology and how it facilitates engagement with patrons, predictive analytics and its ability to help drive revenue, as well as social media, and how it facilitates the social aspect of a naturally social experience   Michael Skaff’s Biography Michael is the CIO of the San Francisco Symphony, where he directs the business technology strategy for one of the Bay Area’s largest non-profit organizations. Prior to his time at the Symphony, Michael was the Manager of Technical Services at Bare Essentials; he has also held IT leadership positions at AdSpace Networks and NativeMinds, among other companies. Michael is on the Corporate Partner Board at eWeek Magazine, among other advisory roles he plays in media and beyond. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis.

In this interview, Arthur Langer, Chairman and Founder of Workforce Opportunity Services, a nonprofit charitable organization that helps companies build strong talent pipelines through unique work-study programs, discusses World Class IT principle one, People, and principle five, External Partnerships, with Metis Strategy. Some of the topics discussed include: How the CIO role is evolving to become more strategic The importance of articulating complex IT concepts in business terms to facilitate collaboration with the business How IT can be categorized as drivers and support, with the latter a target for outsourcing The origins of Workforce Opportunity Services and how they help major corporations fulfill their needs The process by which Workforce Opportunity Services supplies talent to corporations Eye on the trends: The increased role of IT as technology develops as a competitive advantage

In this interview, Dan Fallon, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Navistar, a $14 billion truck and engine manufacturer, discusses World Class IT principle four, IT-Business Partnerships, with Metis Strategy. Some of the topics discussed include: Dan's role in facilitating how technology is leveraged within IT and across the business IT's broad view of the business enabling IT to see opportunities for integration The demarcation between business strategy and IT strategy How the culture of collaboration acts as a foundation for a culture of innovation Eye on the trends: IT teaming with the business to achieve specific results through Centers of Excellence, the consumerization of IT and how it has helped accelerate the advancement of IT, location-based services and how it ties to Big Data, and the use of bio-informatics

In this interview, David McCue, Chief Information Officer of Computer Science Corporation (CSC), a $16 billion provider of information technology and professional services to governments and commercial enterprises. discusses World Class IT principle two, Infrastructure, principle three, Project Portfolio Management, and principle four, IT-Business Partnerships, with Metis Strategy. Some of the topics discussed include: David's role and responsibilities as Global CIO and Corporate Vice President CSC's three-legged approach to global governance Standardizing around process, not technology, and deploying global solutions Methods for effective best practice sharing Approaching the role of CIO from a business perspective Eye on the trends: Mobility, and how it enables individuals to be able to do anything, anytime and anywhere; analytics that enable seeing data in large amounts, and how it enables near real-time answers to business queries; and the importance of security in terms of protecting intellectual property so as to maintain a competitive advantage