IT Professionals Talk Seizing Opportunity in a Rapidly Changing World

More than 800 technology professionals met at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi on May 29 for the seventh annual Executive Connection Summit hosted by the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation and sponsored by General Motors, FCA US LLC and Ford Motor Company. GM Executive Vice President and CFO Dhivya Suryadevara and other business leaders discussed topics around the theme of “seizing opportunity in a rapidly changing world.”

During one of four breakout sessions, General Motors leaders Randy Mott, senior vice president and CIO, and Monica Greenhalgh, CIO, First Mile, a team responsible for incubating and delivering on the next generation of ideas, discussed how a solid technology foundation and nimble IT team drives new ways of doing business.

“The industry is rapidly evolving with autonomous technology, electrification and connectivity,” Mott said. “Through our IT transformation we have a solid foundation for GM to take advantage of new opportunities that come with it.  Our First Mile and other IT teams are moving quickly to help drive new business models within the company, while continuing to innovate across all of our business units and vehicles.”                                                            

MCWT’s network brings together a diverse group of stakeholders who understand that creating opportunities for girls and women in the field of technology, as well as increasing the number of women in IT, strengthens competitiveness in Michigan’s growing IT sector and contributes to the state’s success.

“The time is now for us to come together and ensure that Michigan has a steady stream of diverse talent entering the technology field,” said Jane Sydlowski, president, MCWT Foundation. “MCWT is proud to lead this initiative through its dynamic programs that provide girls the opportunity to engage with technology and encourage women to pursue advancement in their IT career while empowering them to mentor other women.”

Ford shared its successes and experiences gained through its Culture Transformation journey and explored both the why and how of driving change in organizational culture in an interactive manner.

“Ford IT has undergone such a tremendous culture transformation in a short amount of time, and we wanted to share our learnings and insights with the broader MCWT community,” said Rekha Wunnava, director, Global Manufacturing IT (and IT Culture Transformation Lead), Ford Motor Company. “Culture change happens when each individual is able to ignite, inspire and influence change within themselves and their teams and organizations.”

Leaders from FCA US shared their experiences managing risks and their personal leadership styles.

“As a leader, I need to help my team and other leaders adopt a broader definition of success,” said John Bingham, chief information security officer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. “And build a coalition around what winning looks like, which includes achieving all of the critical business objectives. Sometimes risk management is not as clearly stated up front, but it must be included in that definition of winning.”  

The summit was moderated by Lila Lazarus, award-winning journalist, speaker, media trainer and host of the Discover Remarkable series on WXYZ Detroit. Speakers included Marcia Black-Watson, division administrator for Industry Engagement, State of Michigan, who gave an update on the Marshall Plan, and Dr. Jen Welter, the first female coach in the NFL and first woman to play a contact position on a men’s professional team delivered a morning keynote address.

Additional event sponsors included Ahead, Altimetrik, AMI Strategies, App Dynamics, AT&T, CBI, ExtraHop, Fast Switch, Intel, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Tanium, TDAmeritrade, Technosoft Corporation and V2Soft.

The Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation’s mission is to inspire and grow girls and women in technology. The organization supports Michigan’s female IT workforce, students, corporate partners, schools and the overall community with programming, scholarships, networking, learning, mentoring, and technology experiences. Find more information at www.mcwt.org and connect via LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.