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Welcome to the SIMCAC Weekly Newsletter....
....Where each week, we'll share SIMCAC announcements, member spotlights, local/national industry news, upcoming events, and recaps of past ones!
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Feb 20, 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM at Tower Club, Tysons Corner
We sometimes read about emerging technologies and wonder how, or if, these new approaches will benefit my organization. The SIM Advanced Practices Council (APC) consists of 30-35 CIOs nationwide who participate in directing research into emerging technologies and share the results of applying those technologies with each other. At our February event, we are fortunate to have a panel of SIM APC members who will share how they are using several new technologies in their organizations to either improve effectiveness, reduce costs or be more agile in the marketplace. This is a must attend event as these CIOs will be sharing real experiences with technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Automation.
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Event Speakers
Julia Anderson - Julia Anderson is the Global Chief Information Officer at Smithfield Foods, a $15 billion global food company. As a member of the executive leadership team, she supports the company’s strategic targets by executing enterprise wide strategies to allow the company to scale its operations. Julia is focused on innovation and her team is building out the foundation for Smithfield’s future including a Hybrid Cloud platform, Enterprise SAP S4/Hana ERP foundation, advanced analytics platform and digitization of business through IoT, Blockchain and AI.
Julia serves on the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish Virginia and the CGT Consumer Goods Technology, Executive Advisory Council. Julia has been active in SIM (Society of Information Management) since 1999. She served on the board of the Fairfield Westchester chapter for three years and is a member of the Advanced Practices Council since 2006.
Stephen C. Heilenman - Steve Heilenman offers three decades of extraordinary success in a series of high-level roles at top tier companies that include Computer Aid Inc., Vanguard Investment Group and Price Waterhouse LLC. Upon being named Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Computer Aid Inc., Steve has demonstrated a record of success and achievement at this $600M global provider of information technology services and products, marked by a promotion to a position of increased influence, authority, and accountability. With a forte for successfully building strong teams and holding a key role leading all facets of technology and strategy, Steve has successfully positioned Computer Aid Inc. as a leading expert in its field with respect to IT services and transforming the company from a traditional IT services company to a services and products company.
Prior to assuming the role of Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Computer Aid Inc., Steve gained over two decades of experience driving positive outcomes across Information Technology Leadership, Strategic Development, Team Leadership, Revenue Growth, Operations Management, and Continuous Innovation in multiple roles with Ashton Technology Group, Vanguard Investment Group, Price Waterhouse and Electronic Data Systems (EDS).
Steve is on the SIM National Board (Society for Information Management) as a member of the finance and the strategic board committees. He is a current member of SIM’s Advanced Practices Council, and a former Philadelphia SIM board member and past President. He has co-authored a book “Inside the Minds: Driving Business Value with Innovative Technology Strategies” 2014 – Thomson Reuters. Steve was Philadelphia SIM’s 2016 – Leadership of the Year award, Smart CEO’s – 2015 Executive Management Award winner, and 2013 CAI’s Associate’s Choice Leadership award winner. He is valued speaker on innovation and IT transformation regularly presenting at CIO forums and IT executive conferences.
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Member Spotlight Article
Kshemendra Paul - Deputy Director, Mission and Strategy, Department of Homeland Security
Briefly describe your current company and role
KP-> I am the Deputy Director, Mission and Strategy, in the Information Sharing and Services Organization within the Office of the DHS CIO. My primary responsibility is to lead and collaborate with others to support, organize, and optimize department-wide efforts to migrate to the Cloud and optimize our remaining data centers.
KP-> DHS is a federated Department, with large operating Components with national and international missions that are complex and demanding. My role is one of staff leadership and working through collaboration, governance, and influence with stakeholders within headquarters, other management and policy functions, and Components to align efforts. Key is striking the right balance between working bottom up and top down.
As part of your role with DHS, you are currently leading efforts to organize, accelerate, and optimize the enterprise-wide migration of DHS’ ~$6.8B IT Portfolio to the Cloud. Can you tell us a little bit more about this process? What has been the biggest challenge or lesson learned?
KP-> Moving to the Cloud, and realizing the potential enterprise business case, is much bigger than just an IT infrastructure evolution. Done smartly, it means improving mission support and cybersecurity, reducing unit costs and reducing fixed infrastructure and recapitalization costs; and workforce and organizational transformation with the as a Service model. Within DHS, several of the Components are well along, as are several programs elsewhere, in the journey to migrate to the Cloud and modernize. Our approach is to focus on identifying best practices and lessons learned from the early adopters; and positioning these early adopters as pathfinders.
KP-> The core idea is that we can learn from each other, so that as we scale up the learning curve towards realizing the enterprise business case, we can scale out repeatable processes, pathways, and shared capabilities.
KP-> The biggest challenge, and the biggest opportunity, is with cybersecurity. moving towards zero trust, streamlining ATOs, driving practical ways to ensure extreme inheritance of technical controls, and actively defending against threats. The challenge comes from mounting complexity, and opportunity comes with the opportunity to scale effective and secure instrumentation and automation.
As you look a few years out, what technology or trends particular excite you as they relate to your work with DHS?
KP-> Most of my federal career has been focused on information sharing and safeguarding, which builds on effective federated enterprise data management. The importance of data is front and center these days, as is the understanding that high quality and managed data is the "gasoline" that drives the artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) engine.
KP-> The "raison d'etre" or reason for being for DHS is information sharing - towards the end of being able to analyze the information and develop a risk-based, data-driven view towards homeland security and investment in policies, people, processes, and capabilities. We've made amazing progress within DHS and across the Homeland Security Enterprise, and I think we are in the early innings of understanding, managing, analyzing, safeguarding, sharing, and using our data and information (data with context) to protect the homeland.
Outside of work, what endeavors are you most excited about today?
KP-> Outside of work, the big news for my wife and I is that we are new empty-nesters since last fall. So making that transition is top of mind. My oldest is nearby at the University of Maryland, and the other is a little further in Williamsburg at the College of William and Mary. I also love the outdoors, and have made an effort with an old friend from high school to go on an annual mountain adventure. In the past we climb Mount Rainier and hiked the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. We have not yet figured out the next adventure, but I am in the thick of training and conditioning.
What is the most beneficial part about being a member of SIM?
KP-> I've been active with federally-centric professional associations, and with standards organization. I like SIM's focused on peer learning and its broader base of members. Before I joined the government 13 years ago, all of my work was in the technology innovation or private corporate IT sectors. I am looking to reconnect with, and learn from, that perspective.
Anything we missed that you’d like to add?
KP-> James Parks and Nanci Schmizzi are dear colleagues with whom I worked closely a number of years ago. Both of them are master collaborators. Joining SIM allows me to reconnect professionally with them and others, and build new friendships. I am eager to learn from the leaders within SIM, and share where it may be useful to others.
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Upcoming Chapter Events click on the event title to learn more!)
Smart communities are starting to transform where we live and work and will become a $2 trillion industry by 2020. Come learn more from a panel of experts on how ubiquitous broadband and WiFI, IoT, AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data will be part of these new and exciting communities.
As companies strive to better meet the needs and expectations of its customers, CIOs and technology executives play a critical role in identifying how advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, analytics, the Internet of Things, blockchain and cloud computing can be leveraged to enhance the customer experience, craft customer-focused business models and gain a competitive edge. The innovative mindset and courageous leadership required to partner with the C-suite and board of directors to transform the business will be the focal point of the 2019 Washington, D.C CIO Executive Leadership Summit.
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SIM Connect Live 2019 The clock is ticking... discounted early-bird registration ends on February 14! SIM National's flagship national event, provides a multi-day, immersive learning experience for top IT leaders. On May 15-17, more than 500 CIOs, senior IT executives, leading academicians, and prominent consultants will convene in Orlando to explore cutting-edge trends and identify strategies for business success. The 2019 program offers premier opportunities for expanding leadership competencies amidst today's disruptive and exciting business environment.
Early Bird registration ends today! Don't miss out! Reserve your spot with hundreds of other IT leaders from around the country!
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| Attention SIMCAC members! Since our members are the lifeblood of this great chapter, the success of this newsletter depends on our ability to share the happenings within it! So we're going to ask for your help in making this newsletter the best it can be. If you or fellow SIMCAC members have announcements, articles, pictures, videos, or any other content you'd like to share (and please do!), email to jamesparks@simcac.org |
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