Metis Strategy

Among other topics, Manjit discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Clorox’s increasing focus on developing direct relationships with the end-customer, and the ways in which this is enabled such as enhanced understanding of the customer journey through digital marketing as well as direct shipping enabled through supply chain efficiencies * The techniques Clorox uses to build consumer journey maps, and the ways in which their brands use the consumer journey maps to determine how and where to engage * The ways in which IT immerses itself in the day-to-day operations of different groups so that they can better understand their challenges and thus better serve them * Clorox’s focus on data and analytics, and the focus on helping groups find the right data sets rather than just analyzing as much data as possible * How and why the IT team has gotten involved in new product innovation, especially in the early stages * The skill mix changes required for Clorox to reach its goals, and the ways in which they bring in people with new skills or perspective * Eye on the Trends: AI/ML, Agile, DevOps, IoT, Connectivity Manjit is the SVP and CIO of The Clorox Company, a consumer packaged goods company with $6 billion in revenue. As CIO, Manjit is responsible for the company’s information technology organization and directing the company’s strategic technology initiatives. Manjit is also on the Clorox Executive Committee. Manjit joined The Clorox Company in November 2014. Prior to joining The Clorox Company, Manjit led the industry solutions group at Box Inc., where he was responsible for aligning strategies with key customers across different industries. Prior to Box Inc, Manjit served as CIO for Las Vegas Sands, and was CIO of Chiquita Brand International before that. Manjit served as a regional CIO for Gillette in Singapore. Early in his career, Manjit worked for Procter & Gamble, where he pioneered the company’s digital marketing footprint and set up early e-commerce capabilities. Manjit received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science from the State Univeristy of New York at Binghamton and a Master of Science degree in computer science from Indiana University. Manjit is an Advisory Board Member at several organizations including Greylock Partners, DocuSign, CipherCloud, among others. I recently caught up with Manjit by phone from his office in Oakland, California, and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as Manjit discussed the importance of upgrading Clorox’s skill mix by bringing in people with new skills and perspectives from both inside and outside the CPG industry; and Principle Four, IT and Business Partnerships, as Manjit highlighted IT’s central position in Clorox, and the ways in which they collaborate with various departments to connect dots and identify opportunities that others may have missed.    

Among other topics, Denis and Gill discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The role of technology in advancing the World Bank Group’s mission, and how it goes about exploring how it can leverage emerging technologies * How Capital One is balancing the need to explore and leverage new technologies with the reality of its legacy systems * The rationale, key activities, and challenges around both organizations’ migration to the cloud * The World Bank’s transition from waterfall development to agile development * The value WBG sees in blockchain, and some of the proof of concepts they are exploring in their blockchain-focused innovation lab such as land titles and remittances * The implications of blockchain in the financial services industry, especially regarding the security benefits * How large organizations can facilitate trust with their customers, and the challenges of competing  with consumer-focused technology companies * The challenges facing the WBG ITS department, such as budget cuts and expectation to deliver more results with less resources * Gill’s perspective on Capital One’s innovation lab, such as the way in which it is organized, its impact on attracting talent, and some of the innovations that have come out of the lab * Eye on the trends: artificial intelligence, voice interfaces, and cognitive insights Denis is the VP of Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) and CIO of the World Bank Group, an international organization and development bank focused on the twin goals of ending extreme Poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity for the bottom 40 percent of population in every country. As CIO, Denis manages the World Bank Group’s information management and information technology portfolio, which is tightly linked with the institutions’ overall strategic direction. Denis joined the World Bank in 1998, where he has held a variety of leadership positions before ascending to the CIO role. Denis has a degree in Civil Engineering from Laval University. Gill Haus is SVP Retail and Direct Bank CIO at Capital One, a Fortune 100 company with $25.5 billion in revenue. At Capital One, Gill is responsible for building and sustaining an innovative technology organization while fostering a culture of excellence in software engineering, all in pursuit of Capital One’s strategic mission. Gill joined Capital One in January 2016 and has held a variety of leadership roles, most recently as Managing VP Retail and Direct Bank CIO. Prior to Capital One, Gill had technology executive positions at AOL, Curb, and at PayPal. Gill received a Bachelors in Information Systems from the University of Maryland.

Among other topics, Larry and Theador discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The genesis of, and vision for Everipedia, including the company’s unique business model and its plans for growth * The differences between Wikipedia and Everipedia, such as unrestricted topics and blockchain infrastructure * The benefits of building Everipedia on the blockchain, such as self-governance, immutability, incentivizing contributions, among others * Everipedia’s forthcoming cryptocurrency token, IQ, and how it enables self-governance and incentives contributions by aligning the interests of editors with the overall success of the site * How the peer-to-peer hosting, rather than central hosting, enables Everipedia to provide access to information even in countries that typically censor free speech * Larry’s outlook on the future of blockchain and implications for the enterprise Everipedia is a wiki-based online encyclopedia that is the largest in the English language. Everipedia leverages blockchain technology to incentivize content generation and ensure democratized access to information. Theodor co-founded Everipedia in 2014. Prior to that, he was the creator of social gaming networks Hello and Mobafy, and was a web developer at Swedish advertising agency NOGA. Larry is the CIO of Everipedia and has been focused on developing Everipedia’s blockchain network since joining in December 2016. Larry co-founded Wikipedia with Jimmy Wales in 2001. Larry also taught philosophy at Ohio State University as a visiting professor. Larry received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Reed College and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Ohio State University. I recently caught up with Theodor and Larry by phone from their office in Los Angeles, California, and our conversation the genesis of and vision for Everipedia, the company’s unique use of blockchain and the value it provides, the key differences between Everipedia and Wikipedia, among a variety of other topics.  

Among other topics, Melanie discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * An overview of Melanie’s responsibilities, including cybersecurity, digital transformation, infrastructure, corporate facilities, DOW services business, among others * DOW’s digital transformation initiatives, including their focus on improving the employee experience through procedure automation and voice-based data collection, as well as their efforts to transform the customer experience * The future of work and how facilities and technology can work in tandem to make employees happier and more productive * Melanie’s “dual horizon” approach to using the mega-merger between Dow and Dupont as an opportunity to fundamentally rethink the approach to IT and digital * Dow’s Diamonds Systems Solutions group (DSS), which brings together cross-functional teams to break down silos within the company * Melanie’s experience as a female CIO, and what can be done to encourage girls and women to enter STEM fields * Eye on the trends: blockchain, artificial intelligence/machine learning, the boundaryless organization Melanie is the CIO of Dow, the world’s largest chemical company with revenue exceeding $48 billion. As CIO, Melanie has developed and implemented a strategy for IT, business process solutions and analytics, and spearheaded the company’s digital transformation efforts. She also has global responsibility for Cyber Security and Risk Management, Reporting & Advanced Analytics, Facilities Management, and the Dow Services Business. Melanie joined Dow in January 1987 in Research Information Systems in Midland, Michigan. In 1990 she moved to the corporate Information Systems group where she held progressive leadership roles across many areas of IT. In 1996, she relocated to open the Southfield, Michigan office, launching the strategic IT partnership between Dow and Accenture. She returned to Midland in 2004. Melanie received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Central Michigan University and completed the Executive Education Program at Babson College and the Thunderbird International Leadership Program in Phoenix, Arizona.  

Among other topics, Dinu discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * An overview of Dover Corporation and its structure, including its four diverse business segments – Energy, Engineered Systems, Fluids, and Refrigeration & Food Equipment * How IT is organized, including Dinu’s efforts to establish the enterprise IT function to provide strategy, governance, and shared services to the traditionally decentralized, operating business-based IT * Dinu’s experience as Dover’s first-ever CIO, and the rationale behind Dover creating a CIO role after 60 years without one * How Dinu finds the right balance between standardization at the enterprise level and customization at the business-unit level, including standardization priorities such as security and infrastructure * Which efforts Dinu has prioritized, such as high enterprise risk, modernizing infrastructure, people, and governance * Dinu’s current strategic priorities, and his focus on transforming IT from a focus on back-office support to becoming a leader in business growth and innovation * Eye on the Trends: blockchain Dinu is Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Dover Corporation, a highly diversified, $7 billion industrial manufacturing company with business segments focused on energy, engineered systems, fluids, and refrigeration & food. Since joining Dover Corporation in June 2016 as the company’s first-ever CIO, Dinu has been responsible for Dover’s global IT strategy, cyber security, shared services including infrastructure and enterprise applications, overall IT function leadership and governance. Dinu joined Dover Corporation from Baker Hughes, where he was a Senior Director or IT and IT Integration Lead. Before joining Baker Hughes, Dinu led multiple teams and projects at BMC Software and Accenture. Dinu received his Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the Jones School of Business at Rice University. Dinu servers as a board member for several non-profit organizations, including Make-A-Wish Foundation and Chicago Cares.

Among other topics, Steve discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How Steve used the multibillion-dollar acquisitions of HGST and SanDisk as an opportunity to transform Western Digital’s systems, processes, and technologies and lay the foundation for the company to scale * The journey of integrating 3000+ applications, and specifically the importance of focusing first on putting communications and collaboration tools in place to enhance the speed and efficiency with which the organization can move forward * How the focus on good governance has allowed them to build out program work streams and application roadmaps around ERP, Human Capital Management, PLM, among others * How Steve set up change management programs within each workstream to ensure that the users can adapt to the new technology at the same rate it is implemented * The criteria Steve uses to prioritize the integration effort * Western Digital’s Predictive Analytics as a Service offering and how Steve created a big data platform that is flexible enough to support users at all maturity levels across the business * How Western Digital leverages on-premise and cloud-based CPU and GPU high-performance computing clusters to run massive engineering simulations that greatly improve speed to market as well as reduce the cost of development * Eye on the trends: artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the industrial IoT Steve is the SVP and CIO of Western Digital Corporation, which, with $19 billion in revenue, is one of the largest computer data storage companies in the world. As CIO, Steve has overseen the integration of three multi-billion-dollar Fortune 500 companies into a single Fortune 100 company, following Western Digital’s acquisitions of HGST and SanDisk. Steve came to Western Digital through its acquisition of HGST were he was CIO at the time. Prior to that, Steve spent five years as CIO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, where he implemented a three-year IT strategic plan and reduced IT spend by 50%. Before Amylin, Steve was the CIO of Provide Commerce. Prior to his ascension to the CIO role, Steve was the VP of IT at Invitogren, and at Anvent/Memec before that. Steve was the Director of IT at a number of companies, including Gateway, Qualcomm, ADC Wireless, NextWave, and Applied Digital Access. Steve received a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA (Technology Management) from the University of Phoenix.  

Among other topics, Diane discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How IT is structured within Textron, and how dual reporting structures are used to enable business-unit IT and enterprise-level IT effectively collaborate * The criteria that business units use to find a balance between shared services and specialized solutions * How Diane’s strategic plan – which focuses on (1) advancing the business, (2) making IT easy, (3) protecting the enterprise, and (4) succeeding with talent – keeps the business units moving in a coordinating direction while allowing variability for specific strategies * How Diane uses ideation events and hackathons to drive innovation across the business and provide the environment for employees to grow outside of their comfort zone * How IT is made easy by emphasizing communication and maintaining comprehensive knowledge bases on IT tools * Diane’s career progression, and why she advises aspiring CIOs to gain experience both inside and outside of IT * Eye on the trends: the diffusion of technology through all business functions, and machine learning and artificial intelligence Diane is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Textron Inc., a $13.8 billion aerospace, defense, and industrial conglomerate that owns well-known brands such as Bell Helicopter and Cessna. Diane has been CIO for nearly five years and is responsible for managing the business unit CIOs and directing the day-to-day activities of Textron Information Services (TIS), including TIS executive staff. Diane oversees Textron’s Information Management Council and manages Textron’s information technology supplier and outsourcing relationships. Prior to becoming CIO of Textron Inc., Diane was VP and CIO of Textron Systems, one of Textron Inc’s many business units. Diane joined Textron in 2007 as the Director of IT Services and Support for Bell Helicopter. During her five years at Bell Helicopter, Diane expanded her focus into areas encompassing business application technologies and special projects focused on modernizing technology systems. Prior to joining Textron, Diane was VP of Information Services at Sonitrol. Prior to Sonitrol, Diane was SAP Program Manager for Honeywell Defense & Space. Before Honeywell, Diane spent five years as CIO of Ultrak. Earlier in her career, Diane was a manager at Ernst & Young. Diane received a Bachelors of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  

Among other topics, Taavi discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The conditions that enabled Estonia’s transformation into the world’s most advanced digital society * Taavi’s transition from CEO of one of the largest software development companies in the Baltic states to Estonian Government CIO, as well as some of the early projects he led * How blockchain technology can provide an extra layer of data security * How Estonia reduces friction for citizens by using regulation to encourage data sharing between government entities * The ways in which digital technology improves efficiency and simplifies life for Estonian citizens in areas such as healthcare, banking, taxes, education, voting, law enforcement, among others * How giving citizens control over their data creates a self-enforcing mechanism that protects privacy and provides security * The genesis of Estonia’s e-Residency program, and how it allows Estonia to grow its economy without relying on increased birth rates or immigration * Taavi’s view on the disruption of government and the future of digital society Taavi is the former CIO of the Estonian Government, which is widely recognized as the most advanced digital society in the world. As CIO, Taavi was the driving force behind many of Estonia’s e-government innovations such as its e-Residency program, which, just two years after launch, offers a transnational digital identity to over 20,000 e-Residents worldwide. Prior to his four-year term as the Estonian Government CIO, Taavi was the CEO of Nortal (previously Webmedia), one of the largest software development companies in the Baltic States. Taavi was one of Webmedia’s founding members and served as its Chief Development Officer and Managing Director prior to becoming CEO. Taavi serves as Special Advisor to the European Commissioner for Digital Single Market, advising on issues regarding digital single market issues and e-governance. Taavi was named Estonian Entrepreneur of the year in 2011 by Ernst & Young, the European CIO of the year in 2014 by ICT Spring, and the 12th brightest business mind in North-Europe in 2016 by the Nordic Business Forum. Taavi obtained a Master of Science in Engineering from Tallinn University of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Information Technology from the University of Tartu.

Among other topics, Davids discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Jody’s career path from administrative assistant to Global CIO * The contrast in leadership styles between Apple’s Steve Jobs and Nike’s Bill Knight, and the impact that had on her own development as a leader * The broad experience she gained at Cardinal Health, including overseeing the expansion of IT shared services * Her focus on standardizing data and using analytics to improve organizational decision making * How her organization provides services to an incredibly wide range of customers in over 200 countries * The value of CIOs serving on corporate boards, both to the board as well as to the CIO * Eye on the trends: Blockchain Jody is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of PepsiCo, a $63 billion revenue global food and beverage company. Since joining PepsiCo in April of 2016, Jody has led a team of over 3,000 IT professionals focused on delivering and supporting capabilities that improve business processes, enabling associates to connect and collaborate more easily, collecting and mining data for analytical insights, and enhancing performance across all aspects of PepsiCo’s value chain. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Jody held the CIO role at a number of organizations including Agrium, BestBuy, and Cardinal Health, where she was CIO for a decade. Prior to Cardinal Health, Jody was the Director of Information Technology at Nike. Prior to Nike, Jody spent fifteen years at Apple. Jody began her career as an administrative assistant at GE. Jody also serves on the Board of Directors at Premier Inc. Jody earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from San Jose State University

Among other topics, Johnson discussed the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How the unification of the back-office technology and shared services teams under Clay enables Walmart to operate more efficiently * The consumerization of IT, and how that drives Clay’s focus on providing intuitive digital tools that enhance the productivity of Walmart’s two million employees * The importance of having employees with the right skills and mindset in the right roles, and how Walmart ensures it has the proper skills mix * Clay’s three-pronged approach to gaining an understanding of the needs of Walmart’s business and its massive workforce, and how that informs project prioritization within his 10,000-person team * The four key elements to creating a healthy culture: transparency, encouraging healthy debate, empowering people to speak up, and celebrating failure * How the shift to a product model and end-to-end ownership has improved internal efficiency * Walmart’s network of innovation centers, and how they leverage the surrounding ecosystem of academic institutions and startups * The key lessons Clay has taken away from the various experiences across his career * Walmart’s approach to artificial intelligence and the tangible benefits they are seeing Clay is Executive Vice President of Global Business Services and Chief Information Officer of Walmart, a nearly $300 billion company that is both the world’s largest employer with 2.3 million employees and the world’s largest company by revenue with approximately $480 billion in 2016 revenue. Since joining Walmart this past January, Clay has led a global team of over 10,000 people focused on driving operational efficiencies, lowering costs and accelerating growth. Prior to joining Walmart, Clay was the Chief Information Officer at General Electric Power. While at GE, Clay drove digital transformation efforts as a member of the Information Management Council and was also the executive sponsor of GE’s Veterans Network. Prior to GE, Clay held multiple leadership roles at The Boeing Company, including Vice President of Information Technology and Director of IT Manufacturing and Quality Systems, Director of Cybersecurity and Director of Finance and Human Resources Information Systems. He also served as an executive leader for Boeing’s Accelerated Leadership Program. Prior to joining Boeing, Clay was Director of Information Technology at Dell. Clay started his career as a software developer at FedEx. Clay served five years in the United States Coast Guard, where he held numerous leadership positions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering and an MBA from the University of Texas.  

Among other topics, Linda discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Linda’s expanded purview as Executive Vice President of Technology and Chief Digital Officer * United’s digital strategy, and how they use digital to enhance both the customer-facing experience as well as internal operations * Evolving customer expectations in the travel space * How Linda has seen the role of the CIO evolve during the past 10+ years * Linda’s view on the role of the Chief Digital Officer * Advice for CIOs who aspire to join corporate Boards * How United thinks about cyber risk, and how to have the conversation with the Board * The importance of machine learning for leveraging data across the company Linda is the Executive Vice President of Technology and Chief Digital Officer for United Airlines, a $19 billion company. Since becoming EVP Technology and CDO this past June, Linda has been responsible for strategy and operations of United’s technology platforms and infrastructure, as well as United’s mobile app, e-commerce, and commercial web platforms. Linda joined United in 2014 as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining United, Linda was Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Rogers Communications, and has served as CIO for Energy Future Holdings Corporation and Flowserve Corporation. Linda is a member of the Board of Directors at Exelon Corporation. She also participates on a variety of not-for-profit and education boards including the Adler Planetarium and the Rensselaer Alumni Association. Linda holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in industrial engineering, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  

Among other topics, Thaddeus discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The progression of Thaddeus’ career through a variety of roles in many industries * The value AT&T Business provides customers and Thaddeus’ role as CEO * Shift of AT&T business from hardware appliances to software, and the resulting change to the organizational structure (and CIO role) * The changing role of the CIO from integrator and enabler to transformation leader, and how business leaders can use innovation as a disruptive tool * The mindset successful CIOs of the future need to have to help their business partners and customers thrive * AT&T’s network of innovation centers Thaddeus is Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Business, which serves over 2.5 million business customers in almost 200 countries and territories, including nearly all of the world’s Fortune 1000 companies. As CEO, Thaddeus is responsible for AT&T’s integrated business solutions and international organization. Thaddeus joined AT&T through its acquisition of Cingular Wireless, where he was CIO. Upon joining AT&T, he became CIO of AT&T, a role he held for seven years. Thaddeus has since held a number of senior executive positions including President of Technology Development, CEO of AT&T Mexico, and now, CEO of AT&T Business. Prior to joining Cingular Wireless Thaddeus was a Senior Vice President at Sabre. Thaddeus holds a Bachelor or Science degree in mathematics and computer science from The University of Texas at Arlington, as well as a MBA from Southern Methodist University.  

Among other topics, Cynthia discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Cynthia’s accounting and HR background prior to IT, how she found her way into IT, and how her new role represents the culmination of her skills and experiences * The myriad ways that Cynthia’s experience as a CIO will help her succeed as a CFO * Cynthia’s perspective on the CIO-CFO relationship, given her exposure to both sides * The value that IT delivers to Norfolk Southern * How the company drives itself to innovate, despite being in an industry with a high barrier to entry * Cynthia’s strategy going forward, as compared to that of her predecessor * The gains women have made in senior IT and finance positions Cynthia is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Norfolk Southern, a $36 billion class 1 railroad. Since becoming CFO this past August, Cynthia has leveraged her financial and IT background to deliver value back to shareholders, as well as deliver productivity throughout the business. Cynthia joined Norfolk Southern in 1985 and has held a variety of senior leadership positions at the company, including Chief Information Officer, Executive Vice President Administration, Vice President Human Resources, and Assistant Vice President Accounting Operations. Prior to joining Norfolk Southern, Cynthia was an accountant at Ernst & Young’s predecessor CPA firm, Ernst & Whinney. Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Missouri and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.  

Among other topics, Fletcher discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Fletcher’s accent to the CIO position, and how he prepared for the role * IB M’s cultural transformation, and the role of IT in driving this on the digital front * How IBM views cognitive business solutions and the ways in which IT supports and enables these efforts both internally and externally * How Fletcher approaches delivering IT value to a highly technical company * The philosophy and practice of “embedding security into everyone’s job” * How Fletcher engages with CIOs that are both his peers and his clients * Fletcher’s perspective, as a young CIO, on making IBM more attractive to millennials Fletcher is Chief Information Officer of IBM, a 106-year-old, $140 billion technology company. Since becoming CIO this past May, Fletcher has focused on creating an agile culture to increase the pace of innovation and is responsible for delivering a productive IT environment to several hundred thousand IBM employees, contractors, and business partners worldwide. Fletcher has held a variety of positions at IBM during his 10+ years with the company, including most recently Vice President of Workplace as a Service. Prior to joining IBM, Fletcher was a manager with Walmart’s Enterprise Systems Management group. Fletcher holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and German from Connecticut College.

Among other topics, Scott discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * How these companies fulfill our needs for God, love, consumption, and sex * Why society is willing to ignore the destructive policies and behaviors of these companies, and the economic and societal dangers of doing so * The potential benefits of these companies competing against each other * Society’s reverence for founder CEOs * Why the companies should break themselves up * The Amazon singularity: how consumer stocks trades depend on what Amazon is doing in their sector * The new problems that the companies create for tax policy and regulation * Characteristics of the U.S. that fostered the creation and grown of the companies   Scott Gallloway is a Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business. He is the author of, “The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.” Scott is also the founder of nine firms including L2, Red Envelope, and Prophet. Scott has served on the board of directors of Eddie Bauer, The New York Times Company, Gateway Computer, and Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He was elected to the World Economic Forum’s “Global Leaders of Tomorrow” and was named “One of the World’s 50 Best Business School Professors” by Poets & Quants, in 2012. Scott received a B.A. from the University of California –Los Angeles and an MBA from the University of California – Berkeley.