Metis Strategy

Fannie Mae COO Kimberly Johnson believes the company’s new mission, their focus on operational risk and cyber security, their tremendous data and predictive analytics, and their innovation efforts has the company in a much better position than ten years ago. We also discuss how Kimberly made the jump from CCO to CRO to COO, her advice for rising female executives, among other topics.

FINRA CIO Steven Randich argues that the public cloud offers significant advantages over a private cloud environment. As an early adopter of the public cloud, Steve highlights many of the benefits FINRA has enjoyed, including access to the latest technologies, improved cybersecurity, and the ability to pay for the service on-demand. We also discussed Steve’s view on the future of robotics and automation, how the best IT teams serve as a trusted advisor to the business, the evolving role of the CIO, among other topics. Learn more: bit.ly/FOWCIT_Randich

Former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter discusses his work in both the public and private sector to promote clean energy and entrepreneurship. We also discuss his roles as Director of The Center for the New Energy Economy and Strategy Partner at Blackhorn Ventures. Learn more: http://www.metisstrategy.com/interview/bill-ritter/

* Blackstone’s IT strategy, which focuses on the coordination of many small use cases across an extremely broad spectrum versus * Blackstone’s focus on optimizing their business to ensure that all professionals have a secure and stable set of applications and the tools needed to be as efficient as possible in driving productivity. * How larger companies have been overtaken by startups by failing to update their legacy technology, and how Blackstone has worked tirelessly to ensure that the innovation-preventing technical debt does not accumulate. * How the CTO role has evolved, and its current focus on integration solutions. * Why companies need to embrace and dream ahead with technology, how the CIO and CTO roles vary in difficulty based on the CEO’s approach to innovation, and the difficulty across all companies to find the necessary talent to innovate. * Sapient’s culture of teamwork and collaboration, his role at Capital IQ focused on what their customers were being delivered, and Blackstone’s long-term view of investing, which originally drew Bill’s interest. * Google, Microsoft, and Amazon’s innovation in a space that all companies can take advantage of. * An eye on the trends: The cloud, Machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence [AI] Bill is the Chief Technology Officer of Blackstone, the alternative asset management and financial services firm with revenues exceeding $7 billion. As CTO, Bill is responsible for working with vendor partners to better understand the business to make better types of investments. Bill is also responsible for advising companies across Blackstone’s portfolio operations group. Prior to Blackstone, Bill was the Chief Technology Officer at OpenSky. Before OpenSky, Bill served as the Chief Technology Officer at Capital IQ. Bill also worked as an Architect at Sapient. Bill received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a computer science major and a concentration in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania.

* An overview of Qlik’s, a leading provider of analytics software and visualization analytics, and their focus on the user experience. * How Qlik engages their diverse customers, which include end users, department heads, functional areas, and IT. * How Qlik solves a larger problem than their competitors by focusing on the entire data platform as opposed to just end-user analytics. * How the complexity of analytics results in a slightly slower transition to a full cloud model, and how Qlik is at the forefront of that transformation. * The value Qlik provides its customers by giving them an integrated platform to solve all their analytics needs. * How Mike’s experience as a former CIO allows him to better understand the product and persona Qlik is selling as well as empathize with the customer’s difficult task of dealing with a heterogeneous vendor environment. * Mike’s decision to hold a variety of different experiences in his 26 years at ADP as opposed to holding the same title at multiple firms. * Advice to CIO’s looking to advance beyond the CIO role such as ignoring those who say it is not possible, leveraging your network, and having the willingness to take unique experiences that force you out of your comfort zone. * Qlik’s free data literacy program, and the company’s social responsibility to increase data literacy around the world. Mike is the Chief Executive Officer of Qlik, a leading provider of analytics software and visualization analytics. As CEO, Mike is responsible for leading Qlik’s mission to become the leader in the analytics economy. Prior to Qlik, Mike was the Chief Operating Officer of Medidata Solutions. Before Medidata Solutions, Mike spent 26 years at ADP in a variety of senior leadership positions including Chief Information Officer, Head of Product Development, and General Manager of Global HR/Payroll. Mike received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Dickinson University and his MBA from Pace University.  

* Why autonomous vehicles are beneficial such as creating a safer driving environment and the reduction of traffic and parking lots. * Why Mike believes autonomous vehicles are still a few years away, including the immaturity of technology, the integration the technology requires, and the location-specific difficulties. * An overview of the legislation and regulation component, and Mike’s view that will be the equivalent of a driver’s license for self-driving cars. * How traditional automakers are taking different approaches – including building, buying, and partnering – to develop autonomous capabilities. * How legacy organizations are transforming for digital competitiveness, including the need for new technology across all departments as opposed to just IT, and the switch from servers to the cloud. * An overview of the wide range of business functions that SaaS solutions are offering, and why first-generation SaaS systems need to evolve to meet evolving customer needs. * How open source software has become increasingly popular in companies due to its superior security and ability to avoid vendor lock-in. * Mike’s reflection on his time at Cisco, including how his expectation that the internet would take off led him to Cisco, and how he surrounded himself with innovators and risk-takers who embrace transformative changes in the world. * Index Ventures’ perspective that when making investments, it is more important to look at the entrepreneur and founding team, as opposed to the specific sector. Mike is a General Partner at Index Ventures, where he helped establish the firm’s San Francisco office. As a Partner, Mike is responsible for investing in early-stage companies, with a focus on open-source and SaaS companies. Prior to Index Ventures, Mike was the Chief Executive Officer of Joost. Before Joost, Mike held multiple executive positions at Cisco Systems, most recently as Senior Vice President and GM of the Routing and Service Provider Group, and before that, as the company’s first Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to Cisco, Mike worked as a Product Development Engineer at Hewlett-Packard. Mike received his Bachelor of Science in Medical Engineering, his Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, and his MBA from Stanford University. Mike currently serves on the board of 16 public and private companies, including Fiat Chrysler.    

* The four parts of an organization that should be the focus on any digital transformation effort, including business strategy and business model, internal operations, customer touchpoints, and skills and operating model. * Gupta believes that transformation should begin with an examination of customer pain points, rather than bigger technology changes. * How the blurring of industrial boundaries is forcing companies to ask, “What business am I in,” and develop competitive advantages by creating compliments and network effects. * How Best Buy redefined its business to successfully compete with Amazon by changing its cost structure with the store-within-a-store model, and then used that revenue to build out service and subscription offerings. * How the New York Times successfully moved to a profitable subscription model, despite traditional media facing challenges in realizing significant online advertising revenue. * How John Deere changed its business model and began hiring data scientists after realizing it wasn’t in the business of selling farm equipment, but rather, was in the business of farm management and making farmers more productive. * How the nature of competition has shifted from across products to across ecosystems and platforms, and why companies should look to partner externally to succeed here. * Why innovation labs alone are not effective, and companies instead need to focus on transforming the core of their business proposition and not just the sides. * The responsibility senior management has to retrain employees in order to stay competitive, and how Unilever has done so by pairing junior and senior employees to create a diverse mentorship platform. * Advice on how to pitch a multi-year digital transformation to a skeptical management team or board Sunil is the Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and the author of new book Driving Digital Strategy: A Guide to Reimagining Your Business. Prior to joining Harvard, Sunil was the Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and Assistant Professor at UCLA. In 1996, Sunil spent his sabbatical with McKinsey & Co. Sunil received his Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and a Ph.D. Marketing from Columbia Business School. Sunil serves on the board of US Foods.  

* How Albert took on COO responsibilities beyond the CIO role by identifying the need to streamline not just the companies underlying technology, but the operational processes as well. * Albert’s responsibilities, which in addition to IT and digital transformation include product development, procurement, supply chain, customer service, and real estate. * The evolution of the CIO role from the back office to the front office and Albert’s view that the role has become transformative to the point where it needs to encompass the operating model of the business * The three-phased transformation Albert is leading, which includes radical simplification, platform strategy, and execution strategy * How Pearson is working towards a single platform, similar to Netflix for education, which would be highly scalable, global in nature, high-quality, and one that can deliver all of their experiences around the world to millions of learners. * An overview of the changes occurring at Pearson, including radical simplification and consolidation of systems, moving from data centers to the cloud, and people and culture changes. * How Pearson has looked to an innovation ecosystem for idea generation * How the company is using AI and augmented reality to make a difference in education and the workforce. * How Pearson is preparing for the skills revolution with its Technology Academy, and how they are working to assist other companies in doing the same. * Albert’s view on companies needs to re-equip their workforce and the challenges that arise with it. Albert is the Chief Operating and Technology Officer at Pearson, the 174-year-old, £4.5B British education and publishing company. In this role, Albert has been responsible for overseeing the company’s multi-step digital transformation, as well as procurement, supply chain, customer service, and real estate. Prior to joining Pearson, Albert was the Group Chief Information Officer at Vodafone. Before Vodafone, Albert was the Chief Information Officer at Nortel Networks. Albert received his Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering at South Devon College of Arts and Technology and his MBA from Exeter University.  

* An overview of Glazer’s, North America’s largest wine and spirit distributor with over five thousand brands. * Ann’s role as CIO, where she is responsible for infrastructure, information security, the supply chain, digital, among other areas. * Glazer’s objective with digital as it relates to the customer experience, which is to ensure that customers and supplier-partners can interact with them on their terms * How Glazer’s has merged the IT organizations to ensure that the company is meeting State regulations while maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit within the company. * How the merger and integration with Legacy Glazer’s provided an opportunity to both integrate and update legacy systems. * How Glazer’s has leveraged their network of partners to drive the technology for the future. * How Glazer’s was able to complete a high-profile merger and add a national partnership while making sure the users did not feel the burden of all the movement by making excellent decisions and having the support of senior executives. * An eye on the trends: Business Intelligence, AI, IoT, Blockchain Ann is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, North America’s largest wine and spirits distribution company with revenues exceeding $16 billion. As CIO, Ann is responsible for a wide variety of areas such as infrastructure, information security, the supply chain, and digital. Prior to Southern Glazer’s, Ann was the Vice President of Consumer Products, Retail, and Distribution at Capgemini Consulting. Before Capgemini Consulting, Ann was the Vice President of the Fresh Dairy Direct and Supply Chain at Dean Foods. Ann additionally has held a variety of roles at The Coca Cola Company. Ann received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Georgia and her Masters in Executive Education and Business from Harvard University.  

* The relationship between Dell and VMware, which are two separate companies * How Bask balances his dual responsibilities as an executive at both companies, including owning IT and ecommerce responsibilities at Dell, and working closely with R&D at VMware * The challenges of bimodal IT, including the difficulty of motivating people who are on the “slow IT” team * The differences between the IT organizations at VMware and Dell: * VMware was a digital native whereas Dell’s IT had to transition to digital * The organization structure at VMware is straight forward IT with heads of infrastructure, apps, and information and physical secretly, IT, whereas Dell is centered around portfolio leaders * Bask’s perspective that digital transformations must start with people, then processes, and then technology; and how Bask has focused on attracting the right people with the right skills to the companies * What it takes to implement a successful digital transformation centered around cutting bureaucracy, putting the transformation under a leader while avoiding a bimodal approach, and ensuring that the transformation extends past IT to the entire organization. * An eye on the trends: Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things. * Bask’s view on age discrimination which is excluding older employees despite their talent, wisdom, and creativity, and the importance of avoiding that by multigenerational workplaces where younger and older employees can learn from each other * A rundown on the future of IT which involves all businesses becoming digital, a growing CIO role, and changing expectations among consumers Bask is the EVP Dell Digital and Chief Information and Digital Officer Dell and VMware. In those roles, he oversees the critical technology systems supporting some of the world’s largest global business and commerce operations. He is also responsible for driving Dell and VMware’s digital transformation to accelerate outcomes; deliver world-class experiences; and share the team’s best practices using technologies, services and solutions from both companies. Prior to working at Dell and VMware, Bask was the Group Senior Vice President of Business Operations and the Chief Information Officer of Juniper Networks. Before Juniper Networks, Bask was the Group Chief Information Officer of Honeywell. Prior to Honeywell, Bask was a divisional Chief Information Officer of GlaxoSmithKline. Bask received his Bachelors of Science in Engineering from Annamalai University as well as his Masters of Science in Computer Science from the Florida Institute of Technology.      

* How the DWP touches all lives in the United Kingdom whether that be looking after children with separated parents, the working class, disabled people, or retired people to produce better outcomes for them and society * The DWP’s digital goal to become more efficient by meeting the emerging customer experiences to improve outcomes for society * How the DWP is able to satisfy the diverse group of people that they serve by avoiding a one size fits all strategy in favor of active segmentation that leads to better delivery of targeted services * How being an older company can be an advantage during a digital transformation due to the diverse mature analytics on data spanning over decades * How the DWP has balanced retaining existing employees and hiring new talent by holding a series of interventions to help existing employees think about their values while additionally bringing in new people for the people in-house to learn from * Why Mayank prefers a more combined approach to IT versus a bimodal IT approach * Why Mayank switched from the private to the public sector including the opportunity to catch up to the private sector in technology transformation, the opportunity to make an impact on 22 million real people’s lives, and the chance to work with the most talented and humble people Mayank is the Chief Digital and Information Officer of the United Kingdom’s Department of Work and Pensions, the UK’s largest public service department which impacts over 22 million citizens. Mayank is responsible for IT infrastructure, data, and security, as well as for driving the implementation and adoption of digital technologies to meet emerging customer expectations. Prior to joining the DWP, Mayank was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley where he was responsible for Global Wealth and Investment Management Technology. Prior to that, Mayank was the Chief Information Officer at Sage UK. Prior to Sage UK, Mayank was the Group Chief Information Officer at iSOFT. Prior to iSOFT, Mayank was the International Chief Information Officer at Avaya. Mayank received his MBA from The Manchester Business School, and has completed the executive program at Singularity University (non-accredited). Mayank is a Wharton Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Mayank currently serves on the board of the Tech Partnership in London and for the DWP.  

* Bill’s perspective on the digital transformation taking place in the industrial sector and how this transformation will eventually impact all sectors. * The challenges of executing a digital transformation, and Bill’s thoughts on the critical “soft” elements, such as culture, leadership, and talent. * Bill’s advice on how to blend talent by bringing new people into work with existing employees as opposed to less effective approaches such as not bringing people from the outside at all or segregating new employees. * A rundown of the digital reporting structure at GE, where Chief Digital Officers report to the CEOs of their business, as well as to Bill. * An overview of the roles and responsibilities of the three programs created for digital:  GE for GE, GE for installed base customers, and GE for the industrial world. * The importance of realizing that change must be reflected by the entire organization and that it is something that cannot be done overnight. * An emphasis on how digital is able to drive greater productivity and efficiency while giving clear outcomes that companies can show to their customers, something GE always starts. Bill is the Chief Executive Officer of GE Digital, as well as the Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of General Electric, a 126 year-old industrial conglomerate with revenues exceeding $120 billion. At GE, Bill has been responsible for leading a massive digital transformation by bringing in new employees, reprogramming the existing employees, and bringing in Chief Digital Officers from the outside. Before joining General Electric, Bill served as the Vice President at CISCO. Prior to working at CISCO, Bill was the Senior Vice President at Software AG. Bill has also held executive management positions at The Advisory Board, The MITRE Corporation, and Concept 5 Technologies. Bill received both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Computer Science from California State University, Fullerton. Bill serves on the Board of Directors of Magna International Inc.  

* Gary’s responsibility as Operating Partner focused on helping companies which he advises grow. * Gary’s perspective from serving on boards such as Citigroup and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and the different experience resulting from them. * How Gary keeps up with the pulse of enterprise buying by keeping in touch with previous colleagues and through the exposure being a board provides. * Ways in which the CIO has evolved and become more exciting due to the migration to machine learning, new technology, and the increasing importance of developing software quickly. * Ways in which companies can make the challenging technological transformation by either leveraging and refactoring old software, or by developing applications that replace their legacy. * Eye on the Trends: Machine Learning Gary is an Operating Partner and part of the Resources Group at General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm that has over $20 billion dollars in assets under management. As an operating partner, Gary is responsible for providing strategic support and advice to the firm’s investment teams and portfolio companies with a focus on strategy and technology. Before joining General Atlantic, Gary was the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at General Electric, where he led the mergers & acquisitions, sourcing, IT, operations, and quality teams. Prior to joining General Electric, Gary was a partner at the Boston Consulting Group. Gary received both his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, as well as his MBA from Harvard University. Gary currently serves on the boards of Citigroup, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Box, Mu Sigma, and Turbonomic, among other companies.

* An overview of Zendesk’s business and the growth the company has experienced going from a startup to a $500 million public company in eleven years * Tom’s responsibilities as COO which include IT responsibilities such as business analytics and security, as well as operational responsibilities such as go-to-market and customer-facing functions * Tom’s perspective on the ever changing customer service world and how the company has been able to evolve by focusing on having an agile foundation while making sure the right technologies are in place. * The difference in how CIO’s of traditional companies with monolithic systems and modern companies with cloud-based technology are trying to incorporate new technology to keep up with the competition. * An overview of Tom’s adjustment from a retail company to Zendesk, as well as Tom’s perspective on how the CIO role has been reinvigorated over the past year going from back-office focused to customer-focused * How reporting directly to the CEO has benefited Toms career by allowing him increased access conversations around value from the standpoint of operational improvement, and Tom’s advice for how CIOs can take on additional (CIO Plus) responsibilities, including leveraging the unique position of IT within the organization * Tom’s advice to older companies looking to leverage modern technology, which includes trialing new software to see what works best for the company. * Eye on the Trends: AI and machine learning Tom is the Chief Operating Officer of Zendesk, a cloud-based provider customer service and engagement platform with nearly half a billion dollars in revenue. Tom joined Zendesk as Chief Information Officer, and has transferred many of those responsibilities to his role as Chief Operating Officer. In addition to IT, security, and analytics, Tom is primarily responsible for operations, go-to-market, and customer-facing functions. Before joining Zendesk, Tom was the Executive Vice President of Global Product Operations and Chief Information Officer for Gap. Prior to Gap, Tom was the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at L-Brands. Additionally, Tom invests in and advises a number of technology startups. Tom received his Bachelors of Science in Systems Science from the University of West Florida. Tom currently serves on the board of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area.

* An overview of PSAV’s business as well as Cathie’s key focus on stabilizing the IT environment and making technology an enabler for the business rather than a roadblock * PSAV’s digital transformation, which is focused on the technician experience, business insight through data analytics, and looking to other industries for ideas * How Cathie encourages her staff to find learning opportunities, such as sending them to spend a day in the field as a technician so they can understand the day-to-day as well as how the business makes money * Cathie’s experience serving on a board, including her personal path to membership and the lessons she has learned in terms of leadership, such as watching managers deal with the challenge of growing without losing focus on the core vision of the business * Cathie’s advice to peers looking to join a board, which centered around the importance of showing your interest, exposing yourself to organizations beyond your own, and joining impactful clubs to build your profile * The state of women in IT, as well as Cathie’s perspective on getting more women involved in IT, including showing young women the benefits of IT, refuting the notion that women cannot be mothers and business leaders, and most importantly, giving women the crucial business experience to grow and develop * Eye on the Trends: Blockchain, AI, and conversational user interfaces   Cathie is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at PSAV, the world’s largest event experiences company. As CIO, Cathie is responsible for ensuring that PSAV has the information solutions to improve effectiveness and efficiency in delivering services to customers. Before joining PSAV, Cathie was the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the Hub Group. Prior to joining the Hub Group, Cathie held a number of executive IT positions at Motorola, including several divisional Chief Information Officer roles, and, most recently, Corporate Vice President of their Global Solutions and Services Operations. Before Motorola, Cathie was the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Tellabs. Cathie began her career at AT&T. Cathie received her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and her MBA from the University of Chicago. Cathie serves on the board of Northwestern Memorial Health Care.