Metis Strategy show

Metis Strategy

Summary: Weekly conversations with top executives and thought leaders at the intersection of business, technology, and innovation. Each episode of Technovation explores the technology trends that are transforming business, and the leaders driving digital change inside their organizations. Produced by Metis Strategy and hosted by firm President Peter High, Technovation (formerly the Forum on World Class IT) is the premier podcast for IT and technology professionals.

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Podcasts:

 Bill Miller, CIO of NetApp | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:33

Among other topics, Bill discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Bill’s role in NetApp’s transformation from a data storage to a data management company * NetApp’s internal product testing initiatives: Customer-1 and NetApp on NetApp * The development of NetApp’s Data Fabric for seamlessly managing data * The valuable feedback loop created when your CIO or IT peers are your customers * How a culture of fraternity and flexibility encourages innovation * The three topics on every CIO’s mind * The importance of civility and collaboration for successfully running an IT department in a tech organization * Pre-working the First 100 Days plan * Eye on the Trends: Companies utilizing a hybrid of cloud-based utilities; Pay-as-you-go cloud model Bill Miller’s Biography Bill Miller is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at NetApp. He joined the $5 billion organization late last year to support and advance the company’s ongoing transformation. Prior to joining NetApp, Bill was the CIO of Broadcom and of Harris Corporation. He also founded and led Sabal Systems, a high-tech consultancy firm. Bill is active on multiple executive boards. He provides CIO advisory input for the dean of engineering at the University of Central Florida, for Information Systems Associates at the University of California, Los Angeles, and for the University of California, Irvine’s Center for Digital Transformation. He also provides advisory input for the Information Management Forum, a consortium of IT leadership. Bill earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Loyola University and a Master of Science in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Virginia. He also holds an MBA from the University of Central Florida. I recently caught up with Bill in his office in Sunnyvale, CA. Our conversation covers World Class IT Principle Four, IT-Business Partnerships, as Bill discusses NetApp’s Customer-1 and NetApp on NetApp programs, and, as Bill describes both his role in driving business-wide strategy and the comprehensive role an IT team must play in a technology-centric enterprise. Bill also discusses his strategy for getting ready for his First 100 Days at NetApp, shares his insights on trends around cloud-computing, and throughout the interview highlights how a cooperative and supportive business culture enables innovation.

 Brad Stone,The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley are Changing the World | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 26:10

Among other topics, Brad discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The similarities and differences between the cultures of Airbnb and Uber * Challenges and concerns faced by Airbnb and Uber * The influence of Jeff Bezos and Amazon on Airbnb and Uber * The successful balance of idealism and aggression as an indicator of a startup’s success * Growing pains experienced by startups as they attempt to transition to public companies * The importance of startups having a strong executive team around a CEO * Travis Kalanick’s and Brian Chesney’s leadership styles * The role of tech companies in managing the cultural anxiety caused by technological advance Brad Stone’s Biography Brad is the author of the recent release The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley are Changing the World. Brad’s previous book, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon was both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller and won the 2013 Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award. Brad is the senior executive editor for technology at Bloomberg News, a $9 billion global news and information organization. He oversees a team of 50 reporters and editors that cover high-tech companies, startups, and internet trends around the world. Brad also co-hosts a weekly Bloomberg podcast, Decrypted, and contributes to a morning email newsletter on technology called Fully Charged. Previously, Brad was a senior writer for Bloomberg Businessweek and a technology correspondent for the New York Times. Brad holds a bachelor of arts in English from Columbia University.  

 Angela Yochem, CIO of Rent-A-Center | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 26:28

Among other topics, Angela discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Executing Rent-A-Center’s digital transformation * CIOs driving business innovation * The impact of a single decision across the enterprise * Keeping the end-customer at the front of the decision making process * Excelling in the First 100 Days * The two characteristics that board search committees are seeking in CIOs * Methods for staying abreast of and understanding cutting edge technology * Angela’s Entrepreneur as Residence experience * Eyes on the trends: Fast prototyping and feedback, Artificial intelligence, STEM education Angela is the Chief Information Officer of Rent-A-Center, a $3 billion rent-to-own industry leader based in Plano, TX. As CIO, Angela is executing a transformative digital strategy. Prior to joining Rent-A-Center, Angela was the Global CIO at BDP International, the Global CTO at AstraZeneca, Divisional CIO at Dell, and held senior leadership positions at several other publicly traded companies. Angela serves on the board of Rocana, a successful enterprise technology start-up backed by General Catalyst and Google Ventures. She is also an Entrepreneur in Residence with SKTA Innopartners, a tech startup accelerator. She is a past board member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. Angela holds US patents relating to dynamic authorization and identity within digital channels. Angela has a bachelor’s degree in music from DePauw University. She earned an MS in computer science from the University of Tennessee, where she serves on the advisory board of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. I recently caught up with Angela over the phone from her office in Plano, TX. Our conversation covered World Class IT Principle Four, IT & Business Partnerships, as Angela described the importance of CIOs understanding, supporting, and driving the interdependencies that exist in complex, modern enterprises. Angela also shared how CIOs need to adopt the mindset of CEOs, how she prepared for her First 100 Days at Rent-A-Center, her experience as a board-level CIO, and her views on a variety of other topics.

 Rick King, EVP and CIO of Thomson Reuters | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 31:37

Among other topics, Rick discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: • The role of the CIO in an information based company • Recruiting and retaining talent • Providing employees with opportunities for growth and advancement • Leading with the mindset of a teacher or coach • Veteran advice for technologists seeking a board position • Proven techniques for increasing the presence of women in all levels of an organization • The benefits of involving CIOS when developing strategic partnerships • Creating symbiotic relationships with partners to drive and support growth and innovation Rick King’s Biography Rick is the Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer of Thomson Reuters, an $11 billion provider of news and information for professional markets. Rick has been with Thomson Reuters since 2000, previously serving as the Chief Operating Officer of Technology and as the Chief Technology Officer of various units. Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, Rick held executive-level positions at Ceridian Employer Services and Jostens Learning, among other companies. He began his career as a teacher and coach. Rick is a member of the board of directors for TCF Financial Corporation, a publicly traded bank holding company, where he chairs the Technology Committee and sits on the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee. He is also heavily involved in his community, serving on the boards of trustees for Minnesota Public Radio and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Rick was appointed by the Governor of Minnesota to the Minnesota Metropolitan Airports Commission, where he chairs the Management and Operations Committee, as well as to the Technology Advisory Committee, which he also chairs. Recently, Rick was honored with a 2017 “Guys Who Get It Award” for his work on gender partnership. Rick holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont in Mathematics – Teacher Education as well as a master’s degree in Education Administration and Planning from the University of Vermont. I recently caught up with Rick over the phone from his office in Eagan, Minnesota. Our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as we discussed recruiting and retaining talent, specifically Thomson Reuter’s success with increasing the number of women across all levels of the organization. We also covered World Class Principle Five, External Partnerships, as Rick described the symbiotic partnerships that he has developed that both ease and enable growth and innovation. We also discussed CIOs as strategists, his experience as a board-level CIO with advice he has for those who wish to follow in his footsteps, as well as a variety of other topics

 Yvonne Wassneaar, CIO of New Relic | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 28:36

Among other topics, Yvonne discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Being a CIO in a cloud based company * The importance of CIOs having both a horizontal viewpoint and a technological mindset * Taking intelligent risks * IT departments as integrators and collaborators * The role of CIOs on corporate boards * Internal and external functions of a modern CIO * Critical sources of information for predicting trends and solving problems * Eye on the trends: cloud technology, fast innovation, cybersecurity, machine learning, block chain Yvonne Wassenaar Biography Yvonne is the Chief Information Officer of New Relic, a digital intelligence platform company. As CIO, Yvonne divides her focus between the company’s growth strategy and development of the supporting unified technology and data platform. Yvonne joined New Relic to prepare the company for its IPO and subsequently has led key growth initiatives contributing to an almost two billion dollar valuation within two years. Prior to New Relic, Yvonne held multiple leadership positions at VMware. Yvonne serves on the Board of Directors for Bitium, where she advises the cloud-based identity platform provider on technology trends and go-to-market expansion opportunities. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Harvey Mudd College and on the Board of Directors for the Athena Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of diversity in the boardroom. Yvonne holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from UCLA and an MBA in strategy and operations from UCLA’s Anderson School of Business. I recently caught up with Yvonne over the phone from San Francisco, and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle Two, Infrastructure, as we discussed the importance of updating and differentiating business services in a quickly changing environment and Principle Four, IT & Business Partnerships, as Yvonne weighed in on the role of the CIO of the future and the importance of collaboration across the enterprise. We also covered the need to take risks, diversity in IT, the benefits of CIO participation on corporate boards, and a variety of other topics.

 Tom Miller CIO of Anthem | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 31:30

Among other topics, Tom discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Transferring knowledge and leadership skills across departments and industries * Operating from a master plan to increase agility and support success * The importance of customer-centricity both internally and externally * Digital trends in healthcare * The creation, design, and staffing of Anthem’s Innovation Studio * Encouraging innovation and creating value by balancing freedom and a rigorous methodology * Women in IT and how she has helped improve opportunities for rising women in technology * Eye on the Trends: The empowered consumer, Cognitive computing, Genomics Tom Miller’s Biography Tom is the Chief Information Officer for Anthem, an $85 billion health benefits company, where he is responsible for all enterprise-wide information technology initiatives with the focus on delivering high quality, secure, compliant and cost effective technologies that enhance Anthem’s business capabilities. Tom is leading the technology innovation efforts around Anthem’s push for consumer centricity. Prior to joining Anthem, Tom served as the senior vice president and chief information officer of Coca-Cola Refreshments, a company formed by the merger of various North American businesses including Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Foodservice, Minute-Maid, Glaceau (Vitamin Water) and Odwalla. His primary focus, leading a team of 1,000 IT professionals, was the integration of all businesses into a single IT platform to drive operating efficiency and provide improved customer service. Tom has more than thirty years of information technology, management, global initiatives and operations experience. Tom has bachelor’s degrees from Northwood University in Computer Information Management and Business Management. He earned an Executive MBA from Emory University.

 Norm Fjeldheim CIO and Head of Global Facilities | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:53

Among other topics, Norm discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Illumina’s role in improving health * Multiple management and organizational roles for CIOs * Cyber security * Marriage of technology and facilities * Collaboration between employees and divisions Norm Fjeldheim’s Biography Serving in the dual roles of CIO and Head of Global Facilities, Norm is advancing Illumina’s workplace evolution by merging technology and facility innovation to enhance employee collaboration, productivity, and satisfaction. In addition to leading Illumina’s digital transformation, Fjeldheim is responsible for Cyber and Product Security as well as key growth and customer engagement initiatives. Prior to joining Illumina, Norm was the Chief Information Officer of Qualcomm. Norm currently serves as a Board Member of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Council and is on the advisory boards for several organizations including Amazon and SAP Software Solutions. Norm holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business information systems from San Diego State University and completed the Wharton Executive Development Program at the University of Pennsylvania. I recently caught up with Norm in his office in San Diego, and we covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as we discussed Illumina’s focus on employee enablement and engagement, Principle Two, Infrastructure, as we discussed Norm’s deep experience with cloud migration, Principle Four, IT & Business Partnerships, as Norm discussed his dual role as CIO and Head of Global Facilities, and how they work together, as well as a variety of other topics.

 Eric Yuan | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 29:05

Among other topics, Eric discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: • Evolution of collaboration through different eras • Differentiation in the web conferencing space • Rationale behind deliberately controlling growth of Zoom in early days • Importance of having a company philosophy to deliver happiness to customers • Possibilities of Augmented Reality in the business world • Impact of Silicon Valley on new and upcoming companies • The need to create a culture of self-motivation for employees • Trade-offs required to build a sustainable company • Hybrid approach to selling to Small Businesses and Large Enterprises • Focus on existing customers rather than only pursuing new customers • Sequoia Capital’s impact on Zoom’s growth Eric Yuan Biography: Eric is the Founder and CEO of Zoom, a people-centric, cloud service solution, currently valued at $1 billion, that offers video, audio, and screen-sharing experience across multiple platforms. As CEO, Eric influences and guides his team to be single-mindedly focused on excellent call quality and prioritizes delivering happiness to customers. Prior to founding Zoom in 2011, Eric was Corporate Vice President of Engineering at Cisco, where he was responsible for Cisco’s collaboration software development. As one of the founding engineers and Vice President of Engineering at WebEx, Eric grew the WebEx team from 10 engineers to more than 800 worldwide, and contributed to revenue growth from $0 to more than $800M. Eric is a named inventor with 11 issued and 20 pending patents in real time collaboration. Eric received an Executive MBA from Stanford University. I recently caught up with Eric in his office in San Jose, California and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as we discussed the importance of developing a company culture where employees are focused on end customer happiness; Principle Two, IT Infrastructure, as we discussed the importance of technology reliability to keep customers satisfied; Principle Four, IT and Business Partnerships, as we discussed the importance of innovation that stems from the partnership between the Business and IT around customer needs, Principle Five, External Partnerships, as we discussed the impact of Sequoia Capital’s funding of Zoom, along with a variety of other topics.

 Keith Collins | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 31:21

Among other topics, Keith discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: • Orienting IT towards value • Differentiating IT within a company whose business is technology • The transformation and evolution taking place in the data analytics space • Perspectives on the cloud first strategy • Being “Customer Zero” • Internal and external security concerns • Eye on the trends: sensor-enabled IoT; the continued use of data to provide a holistic view in order to improve companies’ forecasts and decision-making Keith Collins Biography: Keith is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of SAS Institute, a $3.2 billion revenue private software company which specializes in innovative analytics, business intelligence, and data management software and services. SAS software is installed at more than 83,000 business, university and government sites with customers in 148 countries and roughly 14,000 employees worldwide.  Keith directed R&D at SAS for most of his career, including 13 years as Chief Technology Officer. His latest charter is to redefine the role of IT from tactical to strategic, and to accelerate SAS in cloud computing, topics we cover in some depth herein. Keith has a bachelor’s of science in computer science from North Carolina State University, and he is a founding member of the computer science department’s strategic advisory board. I recently caught up with Keith by phone in his office in Cary, North Carolina, and our conversation covered World Class IT principles two, Infrastructure, as we discussed his cloud first strategy at SAS, principle four, IT & Business Partnerships, as we covered how he has developed a culture within IT to be customer zero in the company, working with colleagues outside of the function to fine tune the offering. We also covered how his previous roles in IT have informed his understanding of his current role as CIO; how to differentiate IT when technology is the business; the transformation currently underway in the data analytics space, among a variety of other topics.

 Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 33:09

Among other topics, Jay discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Local Motor’s micromanufacturing * The development of a bespoke community * The changes Local Motors provides in product development * Strategic partnerships with their clients * Jay’s history with entrepreneurship * The “waking hours” of artificial intelligence and what it means for traditional industries * Product education and its role in making the consumer ask, “Why do we care?” * The changes on the horizon for the automotive industry * Cars as upgradable hardware * Customers as the only force able to push back on the supply driven economy of the automotive industry Jay Rogers’ Biography Jay is the Chief Executive Officer of Local Motors, a cutting-edge automotive startup building the next generation automobile company and brand in the United States. As CEO and Co-founder, he is responsible for crafting the overall strategy for Local Motors and has been helping develop transformation within the automotive industry. Prior to founding Local Motors, Jay served for seven years in the United States Marine Corps, where he was an Infantry Company Commander. Prior to service, he worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Co. and as an investment analyst at Ewing & Partners. Jay earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. I recently caught up with Jay over the phone from Local Motors headquarters in Phoenix, AZ, and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle Four, IT & Business Partnership, as we discussed how the Local Motors forms strategic partnerships with clients; and Principle Five, External Partnerships, as we discussed how Local Motors as created a community that drives innovation and efficiency. We also discussed how Local Motors has relied on transparency to build teams, Jay’s history in entrepreneurship, transformations in the automotive industry, as well as a variety of other topics.

 Mike Giresi, CIO of Royal Caribbean | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:04

Among other topics, Mike discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Digital Transformation journey at Royal Caribbean * Importance of Executive sponsorship for IT * Role of CIO to as as interconnector between Enterprise strategy and IT implementation * Value of technology from a customer point of view * Benefits of personalized customer experience through Digital capabilities * The needs of Data management and analytics * Implications of shadow IT * Top technology trends for IT * Relevance of cross functional teams to help push innovation within IT forward Mike Giresi’s Biography Mike is the Chief Information Officer for Royal Caribbean Cruises, an $8.5 billion revenue, award-winning global cruise vacation provider that operates diverse itineraries around the world to destinations in all seven continents. As CIO, Mike collaborates with the Royal Caribbean business functions to proactively identify and understand business and operational issues, and to solve those issues through technology solutions. Prior to his time at Royal Caribbean, Mike served as CIO of Tory Burch, Direct Brands, Godiva Chocolatier, and served as the Director of IT at Campbell Soup Company. Mike received Bachelor’s degrees in English, Chemistry, Economics, Computers, and Accounting from Seton Hall University and an Executive MBA from Saint Joseph’s University. I recently caught up with Mike by phone in his office in Miami, Florida and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle Two, Infrastructure, as we discussed how data accumulation and management are keys to unlocking a personalized customer experience; Principle Four, IT and Business Partnerships, as we discussed the importance of alignment between the business and IT around customer needs and the importance of sponsorship by the executive management team to help drive IT innovations forward, along with a variety of other topics.

 Mark Settle, CIO of Okta | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 34:59

Among other topics, Mark discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * The nuances between the role of leadership and management * Importance of financial management to help drive innovation within IT * A need for IT to be involved with business partners beyond transactional relationships * Demand management from the business partners to meet IT’s capacity * Strategic techniques of attracting and retaining talent in Silicon Valley * The importance of innovation labs to gather feedback from the broader organization * Significance of how IT affects relationships with customers * Eye on the Trends: Agile Methodology, DevOps, Integrations Mark Settle’s Biography Mark is the Chief Information Officer of Okta, a leading provider of identity and device management solutions for various cloud and mobile enterprises. As CIO, Mark leads Okta’s global enterprise IT strategy and operations and collaborates closely with the executive leadership team to align strategic technology initiatives with broader business goals. Mark is also the author of Truth From the Trenches: A Practical Guide to the Art of IT Management, the insights from which we discuss in depth in this interview. It represents a synopsis of the practices he has used as a CIO many times over at companies like IHS, BMC Software, Oxy, Arrow Electronics, and Corporate Express. Mark received Bachelors and Masters degrees from MIT, and a PhD from Brown University in Geological Sciences. I recently caught up with Mark at Metis Strategy headquarters in Washington, DC, and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as we discussed the importance of setting up talented teams with strong leaders without creating single points of failure; Principle Three, Project and Portfolio Management, as we discussed how financial management within IT helps build credibility with various business functions; Principle Four, IT and Business Partnerships, as we discussed how IT should build towards non-transactional relationships with business partners to influence collaboration; Principle Five, External Partnerships, as we spoke about how he works with his peer CIOs who are the customers of Okta, along with a variety of other topics.

 Peter Diamandis Co-Founder, XPRIZE, Singularity University | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 22:45

Among other topics, Rob discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Peter’s interest in space and technology innovation, and how these common themes run through his various companies and initiatives * How Peter divides his time and delegates responsibilities across his organizations * The accelerating pace of technological change and the challenges and opportunities this presents for companies * Best practices for corporate innovation, including scaling at the edges, experimentation, and more * How companies can anticipate the disruptive forces in their industries and respond accordingly * Peter’s views on artificial intelligence, and why he believes the opportunities outweigh the risks of the technology * Where Peter sees the greatest innovation taking place over the next one to three years * Peter’s thoughts on radical health and life extension Peter Diamandis Biography Peter is a serial entrepreneur and an international pioneer in the fields of innovation, incentive competitions and commercial space. Some of the companies that Peter has founded or co-founded include XPRIZE, Singularity University, Human Longevity Inc and Planetary Resources. He is also a prolific speaker, author of two New York Times Best Selling books, investor, and advisor to business leaders and startups. Peter has been a lifelong entrepreneur, founding his first organization while he was still an undergraduate. He has founded well over a dozen companies, with many of his earlier ones focused on opening the space frontier for humanity. These earlier organizations include International Space University, Zero-G, Space Adventures LTD, BlastOff! Corporation, the Rocket Racing League, and several others. Diamandis sits on the boards of several companies, including Hyperloop One, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Economist’s Innovator of the Year, the Arthur C. Clark Award for Innovation, the Lindbergh Award, and many others. Peter hold an undergraduate degree in Molecular Genetics, as well as a graduate degree in AerospaceEngineering, both from MIT. He received an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. I recently caught up with Peter over the phone and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as we discussed how he chooses his business partners and the roles they play in his organization, and Principle Three, Project and Portfolio Management, as we discussed the importance of diversified product portfolios and the need to disrupt one’s own offering. We also covered Peter’s interest in space and technology innovation, and how these common themes run through his various companies and initiatives, how Peter divides his time and delegates responsibilities across his organizations, the accelerating pace of technological change and the challenges and opportunities this presents for companies, best practices for corporate innovation, including scaling at the edges, experimentation, and more.

 Bill Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 23:05

Among other topics, Bill discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Uber’s autonomous car fleet * Pittsburgh as an urban test lab * The City of Pittsburgh’s strategic partnerships with Carnegie Mellon and other institutions * The pace of cultural and digital changes * The sharing of data between government and private entities * MetroLab and the benefits of municipal collaboration * Pittsburgh’s innovation roadmap * Technology’s impact on the Pittsburgh renaissance Bill Peduto’s Biography Mayor Peduto is the 60th Mayor of Pittsburgh, a position he has held since 2014. While in office, he has been an advocate of ride sharing transportation throughout the city, most notably being Uber’s recent pilot autonomous car program. Through his time as an elected official and a resident, Mayor Peduto has been able to see Pittsburgh transform into a city driven by technology. Prior to being elected city executive, Mayor Peduto served as a member of the Pittsburgh City Council where he chaired the Committee on General Services, Technology and the Arts. He also oversaw the City Information Systems department, the Cable Bureau and the Art Commission on Council during his time on the City Council. Mayor Peduto earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Penn State University and a master’s degree in public policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh. I recently caught up with Mayor Peduto over the phone from City Hall in Pittsburgh, and our conversation covered World Class IT Principle Four, IT & Business Partnership, as we discussed how the City of Pittsburgh forms strategic partnerships with technology leaders; and Principle Five, External Partnerships, as we discussed how partnerships between municipal, educational, and private organizations facilitate innovation and growth moving forward. We also discussed how Pittsburgh has used technology to correct an economic downturn over the last few decades, as well as a variety of other topics.

 Rob Nail CEO, Singularity University | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 32:24

Among other topics, Rob discusses the following issues with Metis Strategy: * Rob’s path from entrepreneur to CEO, and the growth he has led at Singularity University * The accelerating pace of technology progress, and the importance of thoughtful and creative futures thinking * How the lack of long-term thinking has contributed to economic instability and political class and social unrest in the US and across the world * The natural tendency for people to be pessimistic, and why the world needs rational optimists and storytellers * Why current frameworks are insufficient for keeping pace with change, and how leaders can begin to change their mindset * Best practices for corporations to experiment with new technologies and leverage innovation ecosystems * Intrapreneurship, innovation and scaling at the edges * Best practices from Lowe’s innovation lab Biography Rob Nail’s Biography Rob is the Chief Executive Officer and Associate founder ofSingularity University. Since assuming that role in 2011, Rob has overseen the growth of theorganization’s individual and organization-focused programs, its conference series, and itsglobal community, as well as championed SU Labs, a creative space that is part startupaccelerator, part corporate innovation lab, and part think tank.Prior to leading at Singularity University, Rob co-founded Velocity11, a robotics company forcancer research and drug discovery, which he led until its acquisition by Agilent Technologies.After its acquisition, Rob worked as a General Manager at Agilent. He is a Director at Harmanand Light & Motion, and co-founder and Director at Alite Design. He is also an active angelinvestor and advisor. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical & Materials Sciences from the University of California, Davis and a master’s degree inManufacturing Systems from Stanford University. I recently caught up with Rob over the phone from his office in Silicon Valley, and ourconversation covered World Class IT Principle One, People, as we discussed the role of intrapreneurs and the importance of creative and forward thinkers in developing innovativecompanies and products, Principle Four, IT & Business Partnerships, as we discussedinnovation processes and strategy setting, Principle Five, External Partnerships, as wediscussed the challenges and rewards of partnering with startups and of developing innovationecosystems, as well as a variety of other topics.

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