Metis Strategy

Among other topics, Julia discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Using technology to improve the customer experience in the insurance space * Aflac’s Apprenticeship Program * Strategies for attracting younger team members * The workplace of the future * Utilizing metrics to improve employee and customer satisfaction * Eyes on the trends: big data and artificial intelligence   Julia Davis is a Senior Vice President and the Chief Information Officer of Aflac, a $22 billion supplemental insurance company. Since joining Aflac in 2013, Julia has overseen the day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives of Aflac’s Information Technology Division. Before joining Aflac, Julia served as Chief Information Officer at American Safety Insurance and held several IT leadership positions at GE. Julia began her career in the U.S. Air Force as a software engineer, and rose to the rank of captain. In 2016, Julia was awarded a CIO 100 Award and was named as one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 Technology Leaders. Julia received a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from Lehigh University and a master’s degree in system administration from St. Mary’s University.

Among other topics, General McChrystal discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The connections between the speed of change, agility, and decision making * Recognizing that you can be technically and tactically correct, and still be functionally incorrect * The benefits gained from decentralization, pumping information down the organization, and harnessing insights from younger, less experienced team members * Building an organizational structure of organically connected small cohesive teams * Creating a mandate for necessary change in organizations that are comfortable with their status quo * The General’s upcoming book on leadership which explores the metrics of leadership   General Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star general. He is the former commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He was responsible for developing and implementing the current counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for creating a comprehensive counter-terrorism organization that revolutionized the interagency operating culture. General McChrystal co-founded the McChrystal Group in 2011. The McChrystal Group’s mission is to deliver innovative leadership solutions to American businesses to help them transform and succeed in challenging and dynamic environments. General McChrystal is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs where he teaches a course on Leadership in Operation. He sits on the boards of Navistar International Corporation and JetBlue Airways. He is also the chair of Service Year Alliance, which advocates for a year of service for every young American. General McChrystal earned a Bachelor of Science from West Point and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College. He has completed fellowships at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Among other topics, Kumud discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The challenges and advantages of being a CIO in a tech company * Agility in a fast-growing, evolving organization verses agility in a mature organization * The partnership between Akamai’s IT and product teams in developing and testing new solutions * Adding higher value as a CIO: developing internal solutions that can be adopted by the end- customer * Driving enterprise strategy by leveraging a culture of expansive thinking * Eye on the trends: disrupting infrastructure paradigms   Kumud Kalia is a Senior Vice President and the Chief Information Officer of Akamai Technologies, a $2.3 billion global content delivery network services firm. Kumud is responsible for leading the strategy, development, and operation of the applications and infrastructure that support the company’s business operations. Prior to joining Akamai, Kumud served as CIO at Direct Energy, Qwest Communications, and the investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. Kumud holds a Bachelor of Science in electronic engineering from Bangor University.

Among other topics, Chris discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The importance and evolution of the role of information for CIOs * The CIO as strategist * The significance of a technologist being able to understand and respond to the culture of an organization * The state of technology in the U.K. compared to the U.S. * Mitigating risk * Implications of Brexit for financial information companies * Eye on the trends: augmented intelligence   Chris Corrado is the Chief Information Officer and the Chief Operating Officer of the London Stock Exchange Group, a $1.7 billion international markets infrastructure business. The firm focuses on capital formation, intellectual property, and risk and balance sheet management Prior to joining the London Stock Exchange Group, Chris held senior technology and executive roles at MSCI, UBS, and Asurion. Chris has also worked at high technology growth firms including eBay and AT&T Wireless. His current position marks his second time working in the UK. Chris previously worked for Morgan Stanley International and Deutsche Bank. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems & Business Administration from the University of New York at Albany.

Among other topics, Bill & Dave discuss the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Explanation of Design thinking, or Human-centered design * The evolution of the Designing Your Life concept * Idea generation * How “dysfunctional beliefs” constrain our choices * Design thinking tools: reframing, empathetic thinking, Odyssey Plans * Designing Your Life for Women   Bill Burnett is the Executive Director of the Design Program at Stanford. He directs the undergraduate and graduate programs in innovative design and is a Consulting Assistant Professor. In addition to his academic responsibilities, Bill advises several internet startup companies. He has worked professionally on a variety of projects and holds both mechanical and design patents. Bill has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Product Design from Stanford University. Dave Evans is a Lecturer in the Product Design Program at Stanford and has served as an Executive Leadership and Management Consultant for high technology companies for over 25 years. He has also worked in alternative energy, led product marketing teams at Apple, and is a co-founder of Electronic Arts. Dave holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a graduate diploma in Contemplative Spirituality from San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Among other topics, Ann discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The interplay of Ann’s dual role as Chief Information Officer and Chief Risk Office * Data as the primary driver of success * Using technology to separate the signal from the noise in data * Balancing innovation and risk with a two-bucket approach * Creating a collaborative culture to increase innovation * Learning from people outside of your industry * The talent challenge * Eye on the trends: unified communications, robotics and natural language processing, and data management   Ann Kono is Partner, Chief Information Officer, and Risk Officer at Ares Management, a $2 billion global alternative asset management firm. Ann is responsible for Technology, Investment Operations, and Enterprise Risk Management for the firm. Prior to joining Ares Management, Ann served as Head of Global Application Delivery at Western Asset Management, and as Head of Software Development for a startup that specialized in building high traffic commerce sites. Ann has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Boston University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

Among other topics, Brian discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * His career path from Air Force Officer to Chief Customer Officer * Back office verses front office CIOs * Equinix on Equinix * The distribution of responsibilities between the VP of Technology Services and the CIO positions * The Four Pillars of CIO Excellence * Shadow IT as a signifier of service gaps * Eye on the Trends: artificial intelligence, big data, software defined networking Brian Lillie is the Chief Customer Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology Services at Equinix, a $3.7 billion global business exchange data center provider. Brian leads Equinix’s Global Customer Success Organization as well as their Global Technology Services, which includes IT and Interconnection Product Engineering. Prior to his current position at Equinix, Brian served as CIO of the organization for eight years. Before joining Equinix, he held senior-level executive roles at VeriSign and Silicon Graphics (SGI). Brian began his career in the Air Force where he worked in communications and IT. Brian earned a Master of Science in Management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and a master’s degree in Telecommunications Management from Golden Gate University. He also has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Montana State University.

Among other topics, Cathy discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The necessity of combining technology and operations * Responsible automated intelligence * Bank of America is not a fintech company * Guidelines for maximizing external partnerships * Advantages businesses of scale have over startups * Balancing innovation and risk * The war for talent * Talent planning and analysis * Cloud security * The importance of breadth and depth of experience * The impact of board involvement on the individual and the organization Catherine Bessant’s Biography Catherine Bessant is Chief Operations and Technology Officer at Bank of America, a $94 billion global banking and financial services corporation. Since 2010, Cathy has led the team responsible for delivering end-to-end technology and operating services across the company. Cathy has held a number of senior leadership roles for Bank of America. A partial list includes: President of Global Corporate Banking, President of Global Product Solutions and Global Treasury Services, and Chief Marketing Officer. Cathy serves on the board of directors of Zurich Insurance Group and Florida Blue. She also sits on the board of trustees for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and on the advisory board for the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Cathy holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Among other topics, David discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Total Wine & More’s bricks and clicks growth strategy * The evloution of the customer expereince in the adult beverage industry * The three Cs of Total Wine and More’s operating philoslphy * Doing business in a heavily regulated industry * Total Wine and More’s community involvment intitiatives * David’s campaign for the Democratic nominaiton in Maryland’s 8th Congressional Distrcit * The imporance of risk taking and failure * David’s favorite wine varietals David Trone’s Biography David is the Co-Founder and Co-Owner, with his brother Robert Trone, of Total Wine and More, a $3 billion alcohol retail company. In 2016, David campaigned for the Democratic nominaiton in Maryland’s 8th Congressional Distrcit. His unsuccessful bid for the House seat was notable, in part, because David ran an entirely self-financed campaign. David and his wife run the David and June Trone Family Foundation whose beneficiaries include education, health care, and civil liberties organizations. David serves on the boards of American University and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. David earned a bachelor’s degree from Furman University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Among other topics, Andrew discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Andrew’s unique, evolving, and passion-driven career path * The impact of AI on existing industries * Recommendations for CIOs and CEOs starting their AI journey * Advantages of implementing a centralized AI org structure * Opportunities for smaller organizations to leverage AI * How lifelong learning can minimize jobs displaced through AI * The importance of building strong teams and cultures * Key cultural components for success: work ethic and lifelong leaning * Chinese verses US business culture Most recently, Andrew served as Corporate VP and Chief Scientist of Baidu. During his tenure at Baidu, Andrew spearheaded AI projects and developed new lines of business. Prior to joining Baidu, Andrew co-founded Coursera, a Massive Open Online Course platform. Andrew also founded and led the “Google Brain” deep learning project. Through his work with Chinese and American companies, he has made significant contributions to the growth of machine and deep learning in both countries. Andrew has written or co-authored over 100 research papers and is an adjunct professor at Stanford University. Andrew continues to guide Coursera as Co-Chair of the board Andrew holds a bachelor of science degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Science in Electrical and Chemical Engineering from MIT. He also earned a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California Berkeley

Among other topics, Nick discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Xylem’s transformative journey into a digital business * The advantages of evolving from individual systems to platforms * Xylem’s Integrated System IT platform that enables customer engagement, operating efficiency, and growth * Utilizing technology platforms to serve overall business priorities * Xylem’s Five Star Model * Methods for gaining insights from within and outside of the organization * Xylem’s five strategic priorities * The evolving organizational structure of IT * Eyes on the trends: IoT for the front office, Iot for the back office, managed services Nick is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Xylem Inc., a $4 billion global water technology company. He is responsible for the company’s integrated systems management and the implementation of its technological strategy. Prior to joining Xylem, Nick was the Chief Information Officer of K. Hovnanian Enterprises. Nick is the author of “The CIO Playbook: Strategies and Best Practices for IT Leaders to Deliver Value,” and serves on the academic advisory board at Rutgers University. Nick earned a Bachelor of Business in Management Information Systems and a Master of Science in Information Systems from Pace University. I recently caught up with Nick at Xylem Global Headquarters in Rye Brook, NY. Our conversation covered World Class IT Principle Four, IT & Business Partnerships, as Nick discussed how he aligns IT’s strategy with the organization’s priorities and standardizes technology and processes across the enterprise. We also covered Principle Five, External Partnerships, as Nick described the growing importance of reliable partnerships for an agile IT department. We also discussed Xylem’s five star model for selecting technology, the value of internal and external touch points, and a variety of other topics.

Among other topics, Terry discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Terry’s role as AARP’s chief enterprise strategy and innovation officer * AARP’s innovation lab * Driving an IT team to “be” the business, not only support the business * AARP’s Formula for innovation: Innovation= Culture + Process * Why CIOs make great strategy leaders * AARP’s mission to close the digital literacy gap * AARP’s broad ecosystem of external partners Terry Bradwell’s Biography Terry Bradwell is the Chief Enterprise Strategy and Innovation Officer of AARP, a non-profit advocacy organization with an annual revenue of $1.5 billion. Terry is responsible for strategic planning, corporate relations, and an innovation lab. Terry previously served as AARP’s Chief Information Officer where he transformed the IT organization from a “cost center” to a “value center.” Prior to joining AARP, Terry was a principal for IBM’s Media and Entertainment practice and a solution delivery executive for Gaming-Technologies Corporation. Terry holds a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems from Florida A&M University that he earned while on a full athletic scholarship.

Among other topics, George discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Marriott’s place among the highest revenue earners by a digital channel * The maturity curve and the challenge of disruption for incumbent companies * Advantages that incumbents have over startups in evolving industries * Disrupting your own organization * The millennial mindset that spans across multiple age demographics * Leading and managing a transforming organization * The impact of Airbnb on the hospitality industry * Adapting across an organization to fundamental shifts in customers’ needs and expectations * The influence of culture and existing operating models on a company’s management of digital disruption * Marriott’s embracement of the localization of the travel experience * Characteristics of a successful Chief Digital Officer * Building alliances and coalitions to drive and support change * Using pilot programs to de-risk change for internal and external partners * Messaging as a service, not marketing   George Corbin’s Biography George is the Senior Vice President of Digital for Marriott International, a $17 billion hospitality company. George is responsible for Marriott.com and Marriott Mobile, which last year accounted for over $13 billion in gross combined digital sales. He is also leading the effort to digitally transform the on-property guest experience across Marriott’s almost 6,000 properties in over 100 countries. Prior to his current position, George was Vice President of Global E Commerce at Marriott. Before joining the Marriott organization, George was the Managing Director and VP of iXL/Scient, a global internet consulting agency. George earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.

Among other topics, Kyle discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Lowe’s Innovation Labs * Lowe’s uncommon partnerships * Maximizing efficiency and success by integrating internal and external talent * Lowe’s Innovation Labs’ Collider * The value of external partnerships * Incremental verses meaningful innovation * Lowe’s Narrative-driven innovation model * Using behavioral science to drive transformation * Metrics for measuring the success of innovation labs * Lowe’s Innovation Labs’ projects: Lowe’s Holoroom, self-roaming robots, additive manufacturing Kyle Nel’s Biography Kyle Nel is the Executive Director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, part of Lowe’s Companies, Inc., a $60 billion home improvement company. Kyle leads a team that is responsible for driving the company’s innovation vision, strategy, and growth. Prior to founding the Innovation Labs, Kyle held positions in market research with Lowe’s and the Walmart Global Insights Group. Kyle is a member of the XPRIZE Foundation Innovation Board and was recognized on the 2015 Advertising Age “40 under 40” list. Kyle earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University-Idaho and an MBA from the AC Nielsen Center for Marketing Research at the University of Wisconsin. I recently caught up with Kyle in his office in Seattle, WA. Our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as Kyle discussed how he recruits for innovation; and Principle Five, External Partnerships, as Kyle described the importance of Lowe’s uncommon partnerships with organizations like Google and Made In Space. We also discussed Lowe’s Innovation Labs’ narrative-driven innovation model, transformative products that are used in Lowe’s stores that began in the Innovation Labs, and a variety of other topics.

Among other topics, Mike discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Nationwide’s One-Brand alignment * IT’s role in Nationwide’s initiatives to simplify, modernize, and reinvent their core businesses * Optimizing for both business intimacy and economies of scale * Vendor goverance * Workforce planning for developing and transitioning team members for evolving organizations * The opportunities provided by a long tenure as CIO * Leadership strategies for creating an environment of learning, collaboration, and innovation * Executive development and internal rotational development * Columbus 2020: a private/public partnership to encourage economic development * Eye on the trends: autonomous vehicles, the sharing economy, smart mobility Mike Keller’s Biography Mike Keller is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Nationwide, a $43 billion insurance and financial services company. He is responsible for the prioritization and delivery of Nationwide’s strategic business transformation program, technology strategy, and IT capabilities. Prior to joining Nationwide in 2001, Mike was Chief Technology Officer for Corporate Infrastructure at Bank One and held leadership roles at IBM in a number of areas including global services and industry solutions. Mike is on the Board of Directors for Columbus 2020, a public-private partnership designed to position Central Ohio as one of the nation’s leaders in economic development. He is Chairman of the Board for the Columbus Collaboratory, whose initiatives focus on delivering business value through advanced analytics and cyber security solutions. Mike also serves on the IBM Board of Advisors and McKinsey’s Global Insurance COO Roundtable. Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan. I recently caught up with Mike in his office in Columbus, OH. Our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as Mike discussed how he recruits, develops, and transitions talent in an evolving organization; Principle Four, IT &-Business Partnerships, as Mike discussed his team’s role in Nationwide’s ongoing transformation; and Principle Five, External Partnerships, as Mike described Nationwide’s relationship with its three global service providers. We also covered Mike’s long tenure as CIO of Nationwide and a variety of other topics.