Past Meetings

Val Sribar, Group Vice President
Gartner

"Application Strategy & Governance.”

Valentin Sribar is a group vice president and leader of the Agenda Management Program Office. Val is responsible for the process of developing and managing research agendas across Gartner's Research organization.

Val was most recently responsible for META Group's Executive Directions and Industry Services. Previously, he was an Executive Directions analyst working one-on-one with CIOs and other IT leaders. During his 12 years at META, he served as general manager of infrastructure, operations, security and customer relationship transformational offerings, called Infusions. He also ran META's Global Networking Strategies service. Prior to META, Val spent time in consulting at Ernst & Young and also at Micro Devices Corporation, where he served as assistant to the President.

He has co-authored two books in the IT Best Practices Series: “The Adaptive Enterprise - IT Infrastructure Strategies to Manage Change and Enable Growth” and “Enriching the Value Chain - Infrastructure Strategies Beyond the Enterprise.”  In addition, Val holds a B.S. (with distinction) in Materials Science & Engineering from Cornell University School of Engineering.

Insourcing, Co-Sourcing, and Rural Sourcing.

Our Panelists

Mark Griesbaum, CIO
Career Education Corporation

Dennis Conley, Managing Director
Transition Partners

Kathy Brittain White, President
Rural Sourcing, Inc.

MODERATOR
Mike Glynn, SIM Chicago Chapter Board

Mr. Mark Griesbaum is the current CIO of Career Education Corporation (CEC) in Hoffman Estates, IL.  Mr. Griesbaum has a distinguished, 27-year career in technology, primarily in the financial services industry.  His award winning leadership was recently recognized by Computerworld Magazine as on of their “Premier 100 IT Leaders 2006”. Mr. Griesbaum joined CEC from Acxiom Corporation, where he managed their two largest outsourcing account relationships. Prior to Acxiom, he held key positions in IT at two major financial institutions.  Mr. Griesbaum was recently featured as a recent guest on CIO Talk Radio speaking on the topic of Co-Sourcing. He received his Masters of Business Administration in Finance from DePaul University, Chicago, IL and his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Management from the University of Dayton, Dayton Ohio.

Richard Brennan, Global Leader for the CIO Practice at
Spencer Stuart

"CIO Perspective"

Richard J. Brennen leads Spencer Stuart's Information Officer Practice. Rich specializes in recruiting senior leaders within the information systems function and for information technology consulting firms. He also is a member of Spencer Stuart's board of directors, chairman of the firm's personnel committee and is past chairman of the firm's partner information technology committee.

With more than 20 years of experience in IT, Rich has recruited senior executive management, CIOs and board directors in virtually all industries. He has recruited over 200 CIOs, and his recent experience includes recruiting CIOs for multiple consumer products companies, a major financial services company, a major healthcare provider, a leading apparel manufacturer, a leading university, a major retailer and a large software company. Rich also has recruited several senior partners for major information technology consulting firms, as well as marketing and sales executives for various technology-based companies. Representative clients include Microsoft Corporation, H.J. Heinz Company, Pfizer, Wachovia Corporation and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

John A. Edwardson, CEO
CDW

"CEO Perspective"

John A. Edwardson serves as chairman of the board of directors, chief executive officer and executive committee member of CDW, a Fortune 500 company and a leading provider of technology products and services for businesses, government agencies and educational institutions.

In his role as chairman and chief executive officer, Edwardson is responsible for the strategic direction of the company and leading the senior management team.  Edwardson joined the company in 2001 and brought a wealth of business experience to the management team at CDW.  Prior to joining the company, Edwardson served as chairman and chief executive officer of Burns International Services Corporation from 1999 until 2000.  Edwardson also previously served as a director (1994-1998), president (1994-1998) and chief operating officer (1995-1998) of UAL Corporation and United Airlines.  Prior to UAL Corporation and United Airlines, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Ameritech Corporation from 1991 until 1994.

Edwardson is a 1971 graduate of Purdue University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a 1972 graduate of the University of Chicago where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree.  He currently serves on the board of directors of FedEx Corporation and the Board of Trustees for The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Ravinia Festival.  Edwardson is Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Executives' Club of Chicago, and in addition, serves on the Advisory Council of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Andrew Lippman, Senior Research Scientist at
MIT

 "Viral Innovation and Communications.“

Andrew Lippman is a Senior Research Scientist at MIT and director of the Digital Life Research Program (http://dl.media.mit.edu/).  His research group is the Media and Networks group at the MIT Media Laboratory, and he began the Viral Communications Program.  The current focus of the work addresses re-thinking radio, from making the spectrum scalable and readily accessible, to building infrastructure-free communications systems for broadcasting and telecommunications.  Both of these are feasible as the intelligence migrates into individual radios.  In the past, his research has focused on the enabling technologies of human communications, beginning with early research on video displays, human interaction systems, and ultimately visual communications.  He was one of the first members of the MPEG group, and he developed scalable video techniques for low-rate and high-definition television.  He has taught at MIT for 25 years in positions ranging from professor to his current position, and his courses included digital video and the technology and policy of media.  He received his BS and MS degrees from MIT and a PhD from EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland.)

Graham Waller, Vice President & Program Director of
Gartner Executive Programs

"The 2006 CIO Agenda."

Panelists include: Sheleen Quish, in transition from CIO and VP at US Can Corporation; Gail Holmberg, CIO of Bally Total Fitness; Ellen Barry, CIO of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority; Tamara Goetzke, VP of Information Technology of New York Times Regional Newspapers, and Sue Leboza, Group Vice President for IT, Pharmaceutical Products Group at Abbott Laboratories.

The program will be moderated by Gerry Hoffman, past president of SIM International and a long-time member of our chapter. He currently is the President of The Gerald Hoffman Company and is a consultant, an educator, and an author. His most recent industrial job was as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Amoco Computer Services Company. His field of expertise is the management of information technology. He has done pioneering work in helping organizations get value from their information technology investments, in identifying and mapping technology trends and their effects on organizations, and in developing business strategies to exploit these trends. Most recently, he has investigated the causes of IT project failures and developed a methodology called Meta Planning to help insure IT project success. Finally, he is an Adjunct Professor of Health Management at Illinois Institute of Technology, and has lectured in executive education programs in both corporate and academic settings.

Kate M. Kaiser, Associate Professor
Marquette University

"IT Workforce Pipeline: Trends and Implications."

Dr. Kate M. Kaiser has been involved in information technology as a practitioner, researcher, faculty member, and consultant. She is researching the future IT skill needs and the impact of offshore outsourcing. Kate has served on the faculty of McGill University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University College Dublin, and Marquette University and worked for Giga Information group on the Y2K team. She has also published in MIS Quarterly Executive, MIS Quarterly, Communications of the ACM, Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of High Technology Research, Information and Management, and Datamation, among others. She has been a SIM member since 1977, a founding member of the Wisconsin chapter, served on various board positions, and presented at SIMposiums. Her BA and MBA are from Kent State and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. has been involved in information technology as a practitioner, researcher, faculty member, and consultant. She is researching the future IT skill needs and the impact of offshore outsourcing. Kate has served on the faculty of McGill University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University College Dublin, and Marquette University and worked for Giga Information group on the Y2K team. She has also published in , the , and , among others. She has been a SIM member since 1977, a founding member of the Wisconsin chapter, served on various board positions, and presented at SIMposiums. Her BA and MBA are from Kent State and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh.

Christopher O'Brien, CIO
City of Chicago

Mr. Christopher C. O'Brien was appointed the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Chicago by Mayor Richard M. Daley in April of 2000. As Chief Information Officer and Commissioner of the Department of Business and Information Services (BIS), Mr. O'Brien's role is to ensure that technology is used as a tool to make the services of the City of Chicago more efficient and more accessible to citizens. As the CIO, Mr. O'Brien is also the Commissioner of the Department of Business and Information Services, the City's primary technology planning and implementation and maintenance organization.

Marvin Zonas, Professor of Business Administration
University of Chicago

"Globalization and Technology: Can the United States Continue to Prosper?"

With the massive US current account deficit and fiscal deficit, the weakening of the dollar, and the coming revaluation of the Chinese Yuan, the US appears to be in an ever more precarious financial position. As US companies globalize, that precariousness will increase. Professor Zonis will examine these issues and describe alternative futures for the US.

Marvin Zonis is a Professor at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago. He also heads Marvin Zonis + Associates, a political risk consulting firm in Chicago, and is a co-founder and Chairman of DSD, a software development company based in Moscow and Chicago.

Dr. Dawn Harris, Associate Dean
School of Business Administration, Loyola University Chicago

Linda Salchenberger, Associate Dean
Northwestern University’s School of Continuing Studies

"The Business Value of IT: Myths vs. Realities."

Dawn A. Harris is an Associate Dean at the School of Business Administration, Loyola University Chicago. She was Chair of the Management Department from 2001 until 2004. She earned her B.A. from Grinnell College, her MLIR from Michigan State University, and her Ph.D. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She has experience in the areas of strategic management, leadership development, international management, and the alignment of technology with corporate strategy. Her research on leadership development and human capital focuses on CEO selection, succession, and compensation and has been published in the Strategic Management Journal. She has been an active member of the Business Policy and Strategy Division of the International Academy of Management, serving as a member of the Teaching Committee, a New Faculty Consortium Faculty, a member of the Executive Committee, and a Mid-Career Workshop Chair.

Dr. Jerry Luftman, Distinguished Professor
Wesley J. Howe School of Technology Management, Stevens Institute of Technology.

"Competing in the Information Age: Align in the Sand."

Jerry Luftman's career includes strategic positions in management (information technology and consulting), management consulting, Information Systems, and education. Dr. Luftman's experience combines the strengths of practitioner, consultant, and academic. His proficiency in business-IT alignment, books, published research, consulting and teaching/speaking engagements further exemplify Dr. Luftman's expertise and leadership in his field. He is frequently called upon as an executive mentor and coach.

Ellen S. Kitzis, Group Vice President
Gartner EXP Americas

"The New CIO Leader: Setting the Agenda and Delivering Results".

Chief information officers today stand at a crossroad. The role of each CIO is inevitably changing. Standing still is not an option - every CIO will follow one of two paths. The path influenced by the view that IT is irrelevant to competitive advantage leads to a role that might be called chief technology mechanic, a role ultimately no more prestigious than that of factory floor manager. The other path, influenced by the view that IT is at the heart of every significant business process and is crucial to innovation and enterprise success, leads to a role we call the new CIO leader. Do you understand this role and what it requires of you? The New CIO Leader reveals exactly what CIOs must do to solidify their credibility, take their place at the executive table and bridge the current chasm between business and IT strategy.

Ron Huberman, Executive Director
Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC).

"CIO Magazine Grand Award Winner"

You may have seen Ron on the news as the OEMC took control of the city’s response to the LaSalle Bank fire. You may have also seen him on the cover of the February 15, 2004 of CIO magazine as the Chicago Police Department was recognized as the 12^th Annual Grand CIO Enterprise Value Award Winner (http://www.cio.com/archive/021504/grand.html). The city has been on the forefront of the rollout of information technology, so join us on the 19^th as we hear from one of the leaders of this effort.

Arts & Business Council of Chicago.
FLATFILEgalleries

FLATFILEgalleries, (www.flatfilegalleries.com) which was founded in the spring of 2000 as FLATFILEphotographyGALLERY, has since expanded to include Contemporary Art, showing all artistic disciplines in one of the largest gallery spaces in Chicago. The work of the galleries' emerging and established artists hang side by side in 7 shows in each of two spaces throughout the year, with over 1,000 photographs and works on paper stored in 80 flat file drawers at all times. FLATFILEgalleries is the sole provider of art and photography to RALPH LAUREN HOME in Chicago's Merchandise Mart, and counts Exelon/ComEd, Labelmaster, and Burrell Advertising among its corporate clients.

Bob Blackwell, CEO
Blackwell Consulting

"Aligning Your Strategic Sourcing Model to Your Enterprise Goals."

Robert (Bob) D. Blackwell, Sr. is chairman and CEO of Blackwell. A well-known leader in management and information technology, Bob's computer industry expertise spans more than 35 years. He is known in the industry for being a visionary and dynamic leader.

In 1992, after working for more than 25 years with International Business Machines (IBM), Bob founded Blackwell. Today, the company is a national full service, full life-cycle management and information technology consulting firm, serving the Global 1000 and middle market enterprises. With nearly 300 consultants, and an estimated revenue of $36 million in 2004, Blackwell has grown to become one of the largest minority-owned management and IT firms in the U.S.

Mark Jeffery, Professor
Center for Research on Technology and Innovation at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management,

"Risk Management and the Value of Flexibility for IT".

Mark Jeffery is the Associate Professor of Technology, Technology Management Group, Kellogg School of Management and Director of the Kellogg Executive Program, Driving Strategic Results through IT Portfolio Management. Jeffery has extensive experience in design and test of ultra-high speed digital circuits, Internet system design, and software development. His research is in quantifying the business value of information technology initiatives, technology portfolio management, and real options applied to technology projects. He has more than 30 publications in scientific and technology journals, including a chapter on ROI analysis for e-Business Projects in the Wiley Encyclopedia of the Internet. Jeffery has also developed 14 original case studies that are used in the Kellogg MBA course and executive program he directs on Technology Portfolio and Program Management.