CIO Executive Leadership Summit Spotlights Key Role of Transformational CIO in Driving Innovation and Generating Business Growth in a Reset World

WESTPORT, Conn., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Transformational CIOs drive change across the enterprise, create tangible business value and leverage innovative technologies for growth. That was the message delivered by an A-list of expert speakers and panelists at the CIO Executive Leadership Summit held Tuesday February 22 at the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in East Palo Alto, CA.

More than 120 top level executives attended the invitation-only summit presented by HMG Strategy, the leading producer of CIO Executive Leadership Events in North America.

Randall Spratt, EVP, CIO & CTO, McKesson Corporation, delivered the first keynote, "The Transformational CIO as a Competitive Weapon." Mr. Spratt examined the challenge of fostering rapid and effective innovation while driving economies of scale and standardization, examining a model for successfully managing these divergent needs in large and complex organizations. He offered real-world examples in cloud computing, mobility, security, and information explosion, to highlight compelling competitive advantages found in each of these technologies, and proposed approaches for leveraging those advantages.  "Top line growth, or bottom line leverage – an effective CIO must do both (drive efficiencies to yield bottom line growth and apply technology to drive top line growth)," he said.

Tod Nielsen, Co-President, Application Platform, VMware, Inc., delivered the second keynote, "Straight-Talk on the Cloud: IT Agility and Improved Business Performance." Mr. Nielsen offered critical insights into real-world CIO experiences and provided pragmatic strategies for achieving unambiguous results from cloud solutions.  "A more agile business is a more successful business," he told the audience.  "Game-changing CIOs think business transformation first, then how technology enables it.  They are the ones strategizing with senior leadership to look beyond simple cost calculations to the business agility that cloud computing can provide."  

The summit also included executive panels on Delivering World Class Customer Service through Technology and Innovation, The Voice of the CIO – Tech Trends and Innovations, The Cloud – Enterprise Strategy and The Role of the 2014 CIO.

Additional presenters and panelists included Ashlee Aldridge, SVP Direct Sales & CIO, West Marine; Tim Crawford, CIO, All Covered; Tom Fisher, CIO & VP, Cloud Computing, SuccessFactors; Ken Harris, SVP & CIO, Shaklee Corporation; Tarun Inuganti, Partner, Spencer Stuart; Sheila Jordan, VP Communication and Collaboration IT, Cisco Systems Inc.; M. Steven Kendrick, President, KER Partners, LLC; Ginny Lee, SVP & CIO, Intuit; Tony Leng, Managing Partner, Hodge Partners; Brian Lillie, CIO, Equinix; Ross Piper, SVP, Enterprise Strategy, Salesforce.com; Mark Polansky, Sr. Client Partner & Managing Director, Korn/Ferry International; Mark Settle, CIO, BMC Software, Inc.; Tim Smith, VP & Service Line Executive, Avanade; David Smoley, SVP & CIO, Flextronics International; John Strain, Senior VP & CIO, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.; and Stan Swete, CTO, Workday.

Partners for the CIO Executive Leadership Summit included VMware, Avanade, Salesforce.com, SuccessFactors, Workday, Comcast, IAS (Integrated Archive Systems), Fulcrum Associates, Wiley, Egon Zender International, Heidrick & Struggles, Korn/Ferry International, Russell Reynolds Associates and SpencerStuart.

"This was an extremely high-value, executive-level event designed expressly for CIOs and IT leaders responsible for delivering successful strategies in a reset world," said Hunter Muller, President and CEO, HMG Strategy. "We are fortunate to have a world-class roster of speakers and presenters, and a truly engaged audience."

About HMG Strategy

HMG Strategy, LLC is the leading provider of innovative IT leadership, management and technology support to CIO/Senior IT executives by focusing on the 360-degree needs of the CIO/IT Leader. Our events and services raise thought leadership, knowledge sharing and networking to the highest level. HMG Strategy provides access to an international network of more than 8,000 global CIO/Senior IT executives, industry experts and world-class thought leaders.

Our CIO Executive Leadership Series offers unique event experiences to build relationships with peers and gain the latest insights and best practices for driving increased business value through the use of information technology. Additionally, our partnerships with the world's leading search firms provide you with invaluable insights into the changing role of the CIO. For more information please visit our website at www.hmgstrategy.com.

General Inquiries: Please contact Melissa Marr at 203-460-1924 or via e-mail at [email protected]

Sponsorship Opportunities: Please contact Hunter Muller at 203-221-2702 or via e-mail at [email protected]

SOURCE HMG Strategy, LLC