Canadian IT Manager's Blog

Alex Lin Yong Qing, shares his insights into the World Economic Forum, NYC global leaders summit, building the largest Intel channel, founding the largest online professional business media and service company

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview London School of Economics (LSE) Alumni Alex Lin Yong Qing. Alex is a leading CEO in China who provides a unique perspective on this growing region.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Alex Lin Yong Qing is the leading international business and information technology authority, founder and CEO of ChinaValue.net, the largest top-ranked online business media, professional social networking service, and business marketplace intelligence service. In late 2009, the London School of Economics (LSE) profiled Alex in "Blazing Trails", due to his unique success as an entrepreneur and visionary innovator transforming the world.

• Alex brings an extensive history of accomplishment and successes to his many ventures. Previously in China, over a period of seven years as Intel's senior executive, he built and then managed the world's largest IT sales channel. Moreover, as Deputy General Manager and VP of Marketing, he supported the growth of the "TOP 3" PC maker in China, TsingHua TongFang Computer Ltd.
• Alex was the first MBA (XiaMen University) with Intel (China), and the first global EMBA in China from the prestigious TRIUM program jointly sponsored by the London School of Economics and Political Science, New York University Stern School of Business, and the HEC School of Management Paris (www.triumemba.org, Ranked No.2 amongst Global EMBA programs by the Financial Times).
• Alex is a special advisor to the MII (Ministry of Information Industry), which controls the IT industry in China. He also advises CIW, and CCID, the two major official outlets. CCID manages the only official IT research group in China. One of the Alex's key executives is the father of the Internet in China - Hu Yong. Hu contributed as a visiting scholar at Berkeley due to his recognized standing.
• In late 2009, Alex was a special nominee and CEO delegate to the World Economic Forum (WEF) and then to the Global Leaders Summit in New York held concurrently with the G20 Summit attended by President Obama and President Hu of China.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:39:
Alex, you bring an incredible background of innovation, business, and technology success to our audience. Considering your very busy schedule, we thank you for doing this interview with us. Tell us a little about ChinaValue?
"....ChinaValue is the first "Real name verification website in China in which the members are required to prove their identity in order to build a creditable and trusted business environment online. We are also the first professional social media community providing information for different levels of business executives in China. Professionalism is one of our core competences which differentiates our value from others...."

:02:31:
You were recently invited to participate at the World Economic Forum (WEF). Share your insights and experiences?
"...In the past 3-5 years, there were many Chinese companies "going out" to increase the growth rate and explore more business opportunities for business expansion and development in North America and European countries; however, you can see today China has been one of the biggest foreign capital destinations and it became the major topic during the World Economy Forum...."

:04:24:
In September, you participated in the global leaders forum in New York City which was held concurrently to the G20 summit. Share your sights and experiences from this work.
"...The conference was jointly organized by the UN Assembly and Foreign Policy Association of US. The conference invited some top global leaders in politics, industries and finances. They were discussing critical global issues like financial crisis, climate changes and new energy development during the conference...."

:08:00:
Due to your standing as a noted innovator, you are invited to provide your views on the world's largest television network, CCTV. What insights can you share from this work?
"....From a long term perspective, I think governments should open the market of the TV industry in order to enhance competence and knowledge through competition...."

:09:28:
Can you share your key lessons from building the world's largest sales channel for Intel?
"....I learned two key lessons from Intel. First, you have to believe everything is possible. You also have to set a higher goal and vision than normal standard and try your best to achieve it. Second, an opportunity was given by Intel for me to broaden my horizons...."

:11:49:
Alex, can you talk about the TRIUM program, your fellow alumni, and share your best practices that you gained from the experience?
"....TRIUM program is jointly organized by the London School of Economics (LSE), HEC Paris and NYU Stern. Financial Time ranks it as the world's number two, three and two in 2007, 2008 and 2009 EMBA program respectively....The program is very helpful and valuable and it really helped in my career path. It also opened my mind and broadened my horizons and I gained much knowledge and expanded my inter-personal relationships. It gave me the confidence and belief that Chinese entrepreneurships are also capable of changing the world and becoming the business leaders...."

:15:06:
You regularly talk to global leaders. Can you choose 3 of them and insights that you want to share from them?
"...When I talked to global leaders, such as John Naisbitt, Jim Rogers and Don Tapscott, they gave me so much enlightenment....Now is the time for globalization and to learn from others from all over the world, and it is very helpful to talk with them and to learn from their insights or their observations...."

:20:12:
What were the initial drivers behind your founding of ChinaValue in 2004?
"....Our position is to be the professional business media and social community which can provide knowledge and a business networking platform for Chinese online...."

:21:57:
What are the major accomplishments of ChinaValue now?
"....There are over five hundred thousand members registered in ChinaValue. They are not only reading the information and articles; they also contribute content for the platform. ChinaValue has fifty million to sixty million professional readers ranging from undergraduates to the managing directors of listed companies....We have proposed the draft for legislation to Chinese Congress and even though the proposal has been rejected, it showed our determination to the real name system on the Internet and drew attention from the general public...."

:25:14:
When comparing with other web2.0 sites worldwide, what are the key innovations of ChinaValue?
"....We have built a new model of a web2.0 ecosystem in China. From the standpoint of ChinaValue, it means every member can fully utilize the functions and environment that are created by ChinaValue to build relationships and more importantly, to contribute to the community by making use of their expertise and knowledge. In addition, ChinaValue provides a series of functions that members can get most of the information they may need in one single website. In my view, web2.0 is not a product or technology innovation, but a system innovation....."

:30:28:
Please share your views about the entrepreneurship of Chinese people?
"....Most of Chinese entrepreneurships are at the grass-roots level...On one hand most Chinese entrepreneurs are very diligent and hardworking, but on the other had I think the entrepreneurs here need to be more critical thinking and need to be more innovative....."

:34:49:
What do you think is the role of ChinaValue in China and in the world?
"....China will be the center of world economy in the 21st century. If knowledge is the most powerful asset, ChinaValue is trying to become the engine of China economy....The power of professional knowledge and collective wisdom will help ChinaValue and China's economy...."

:38:13:
What do you see as the key trends shaping the planet?
"....Buddha states that today's thoughts are tomorrow's world. We can see that the world is built based on humans' thoughts. In addition, the world is flattening by the speed of the development of networks across the world. People have more exchange due to the ease of communication. It also creates a favorable environment for globalization and cultural exchange...."

:42:06:
Can you describe some of your other activities that shape China and the world?
"...I actively participate in youth education because the youth generation will be the pillars of our future. I think Chinese youth should learn more from the traditions both in the West and in China. Many local universities have invited me to be the speaker to share my experience and thoughts on how to become a successful entrepreneurship. In addition, ChinaValue has helped many foreign publishers and authors, translating their books into Chinese version as we think it may help Chinese youth to better understand the key factors for their success. I am also the general advisor of the biggest student organization - AIESEC in China....."

:45:39:
You are a distinguished mentor-advisor or professor for the top business schools in China including Beijing University, Beijing Normal University, and Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. You are also a lecturer on Chinese Entrepreneurship to the Peter Drucker Academy. What 3 tips can you provide on entrepreneurship?
"....The mission and vision of a company is more important than just making a profit....Everything is possible, you need to believe in yourself and insist your belief....The best way to predict or estimate the future is to create it instead of just following it....It is better and more efficient to learn from others' success than from your own failure....If we all know the fundamental concept of entrepreneurship means building something from zero, you'll realize that knowledge is the most critical and only asset in a knowledge-based economy....."

:49:31:
What questions would you ask and what would be your answers if you were doing this interview?
"....'What is your philosophy in your life?'....'What should China continuously learn from this world?'....'What will be the role of China in this world?'...."

Collaboration without Compromise

Social networking, emerging economies, the consumerization of IT…there’s little doubt that these trends are changing how, when and where business is conducted. And regardless of a certain recent product announcement, the mobile phone is becoming the new PC, doing much more than just voice, email and texting.

These changes are affecting how IT responds to and supports the business. Building a strategic business productivity infrastructure which can allow for better collaboration, faster access to relevant information and drives key business insights is what sets apart the IT organization that is merely reacting and putting out fires, from one that is implementing technology to drive productivity and business value. However, how do you do that without compromising on security and manageability?

Join Damir and I as we travel to 8 cities across Canada to talk about how you can enable collaboration, unified communication, content management, enterprise search and business intelligence in your organization while keeping your corporate digital assets secure and managed using Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010. You’ll also have the opportunity to talk to local partners who have already been building solutions on top of this new platform.

This free morning event is filling up fast, so register now!

Nick Corcodilos--Shares his insights into the work landscape, job trends, working with headhunters

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Nick Corcodilos--Top Management Authority, Author, Writer, Speaker, and Headhunter.

Nick Corcodilos is the host of Ask The Headhunter® and author of How to Work with Headhunters (2009).

Nick is also the author of Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing The Interview to Win The Job (Plume, 1997), the #1-selling interview guide on Amazon for 26 consecutive months. (Also published in several foreign editions.)

Nick started headhunting in 1979 in one of America's most competitive job markets: California's Silicon Valley. Using the methods described in his book and on the ATH blog, he has helped people win management and staff jobs in companies including IBM, GE, Hewlett-Packard and Merrill Lynch.

Featured in The Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, USA Today, The New York Times, Fast Company, Working Woman, on CNN, CNBC and MSNBC, Nick's iconoclastic techniques for job search, hiring and career development are used by job hunters and employers alike. Publishers including IDG, CNet and CMP Media have licensed Nick's work for use by their millions of members in the fields of information technology and electronics engineering. Since 2008, Ask The Headhunter features have been distributed worldwide by Universal Press Syndicate.

The Ask The Headhunter approach to job hunting and hiring has been recognized by management gurus including Peter Drucker and Tom Peters.

President of North Bridge Group, Inc., Nick Corcodilos has been retained by companies including AT&T, Merrill Lynch, Becton Dickinson, and Procter & Gamble to teach managers to recruit and hire more effectively, and to help groom employees for promotions and career transition. Companies using his books as a hiring tool include Disney, Marriott, Microsoft, Merrill Lynch and the U.S. Government.

Nick holds a Bachelors Degree (Phi Beta Kappa) from Rutgers College where he was a Henry Rutgers Scholar, and a Masters in Cognitive Psychology from Stanford University (where his academic bent was quickly corrupted by the Biz School and Silicon Valley). He plays music (keyboard and guitar), and enjoys Chi Gung and T'ai Chi, backpacking and kayaking. He loves his work, but would rather be in Alberta climbing big rocks.

To learn more, go to: www.asktheheadhunter.com/whoisnick.htm.

You can listen to Nick in his latest Microsoft TechNet Webinar (select the Selling Yourself tab): http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/cc837417.aspx

WEB: www.asktheheadhunter.com
BOOK: "How to Work with Headhunters"
LATEST BOOK: "How Can I Change Careers?"

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:35:
Looking back, what were your biggest career challenges and why?
"....My biggest challenge was figuring out how to get out of academia and into the business world...."

:01:58:
What were your biggest career wins and why?
"....Shedding the fear of getting into the business world and trying something completely different....Turning my headhunting business into a publishing business...."

:03:18:
What are your key messages in the Microsoft Webinar delivered in September 2009?
"It's less a question of looking at yourself and selling who you are and it's more about identifying what the problem is and reaching into your skill set and figuring out how to sell that...."

:04:56:
How has your work evolved since we last chatted and can you profile the services you currently offer?
"....I've written my second book in twelve years....I wrote a new book called 'How to Work with Headhunters and How to get Headhunters to Work for You'...."

:08:06:
How do you view the current job landscape?
"....The job landscape for those who are very good at what they do never really changes....The best companies out there, even if they are laying people off out of one door (for whatever reason) continue to hire top quality people in through the other door because they are not expecting to go out of business...."

:09:45:
Provide your predictions of the job market in 2009, 2010, and 2011?
"....I think rather than being afraid of what's happening...ask yourself, what are you really best at and what motivates you the most, then pursue opportunities in that direction. I think it's almost irrelevant where the so-called job market is going...."

:10:40:
What are some longer term work trends?
"....I think more people will be working from their homes. More people will be working as contractors. More people will be working for multiple companies at a time, providing specific kinds of expertise....Jobs are not going to be as traditional as they have been...."

:11:49:
Tell us more about your latest book and why it is a must read today.
"....When a company retains a headhunter what they are really paying for is not the résumés of the candidates, they are paying for that headhunter's personal contact. What I try to teach in the book is how to use and exploit (in a positive way) the personal contacts that you can develop out in the professional world. Headhunters tend to be hubs of great contacts...."

:14:33:
What role do headhunters play in the current economy in filling jobs?
"....They act as the first level filter, the personal contact who brings the credible candidate into a company...."

:15:37:
How should the audience incorporate headhunters in their career development strategy?
"....A headhunter can be a valuable tool but you don't call headhunters, they call you. You need to be someone who is visible enough that headhunters will recognize you out in the market....."

:17:28:
What are some "gotchas" about working with headhunters that can cause problems?
"....Knowing whether you are working with a good headhunter or an unsavory individual who is out to make a quick buck. What I talk about in the book is there is a list of qualifiers that help people to figure out whether you are dealing with someone credible - and some of tips are so fundamental that people just don't think about it...."

:19:00:
Can you give us some good tips about how to making working with a headhunter most profitable for a job hunter?
"....Check the headhunter's references....Establish some ground rules....Know how to negotiate with a headhunter...."

:21:06:
Headhunters are paid by their employer clients. How can I ensure that a headhunter is acting in my interest, too?
"....The best headhunters out there really earn their living and develop their business not so much by having great client companies but by having good credible access to the pool of professionals in the community that they recruit from...."

:22:16:
Nick shares some stories and experiences from his work.

:25:35:
Provide your predictions of future trends and their implications/opportunities?
"....If you are really good at what you do there are some fantastic opportunities out there..."

:26:14:
Which are your top recommended resources and why?
"....Ask the Headhunter....LinkedIn....Richard Bolles' 'What Color is your Parachute' is a good tool....Mentoring....Go hang out with people who do the kind of work you want to do. That's the best way to network and to get in the door and find the opportunities...."

:27:43:
If you were doing this interview, what added question would you ask and then what would be your answer?
"....'What's the single best way to find the job you really want to do?'...."

Driving Business Value from the Client to the Cloud

Hi I’m Christian Beauclair, Senior Developer Advisor at Microsoft Canada.  Talking with managers across Canada, we heard clearly that in today’s ever-changing IT environment and current business climate, you are tasked with finding new ways to increase productivity and reduce costs. We’ve also heard loud and clear it is a challenge keeping up with technology, what was good enough in the past just isn’t meeting the needs of the current workforce. Flexibility is the key with user and customers demanding more from IT. Yet, it is up to you to deliver solutions and enable collaboration without comprise. The bottom line is you are looking for a secure solution, not just technology to meet your needs.  We know that it is you that leads your teams to drive positive impact for your organizations and we want to ensure that we are supporting you. 

That’s why we created two programs, Align IT and Energize IT.  Align IT is focused on solution awareness and IT strategy while Energize IT is about showing you what’s possible and spark ideas from a solution perspective. Both programs support connecting you with your peers and our partners while highlighting what others are doing in an effort to support you and your organization.

This year’s focus across the two programs is on how you can leverage the Microsoft platform to help satisfy business requirements while increasing IT, developer and end-user productivity. We will be showing you from a solution perspective the value and potential of the new Microsoft Office 2010 platform, including SharePoint 2010, to take the way you work to the next level. What you can build now with Visual Studio 2010 both on premise and for the Cloud. Overall, our goal is to show you how the Microsoft platform can help you and your organization.

Sign up now for the Align IT Tour scheduled in 8 cities this March as part of the Align IT program. Registration is also coming soon for the Energize IT: From the Client to the Cloud portion of the Energize IT program. I’d encourage you to have your team subscribe to the MSDN Flash newsletter for developers and or the TechNet Flash newsletter for IT Professionals today so that in the future, you regularly hear about these programs and free offerings.

I look forward to connecting with you in the near future,

Christian Beauclair

Senior Developer Advisor, Microsoft Canada Inc.

Blaine Bey, Senior Consultant Sierra Systems, President CIPS BC--Talks about IT Best Practices and Tips for Life Success

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Blaine Bey, Industry Leading Analyst & Senior Consultant Sierra Systems, President CIPS BC. Blaine talks about IT Best Practices and Tips for Life Success.

Blaine Bey is a senior consultant with Sierra Systems in Victoria. (www.SierraSystems.com) He has 29 years of experience in the analysis, design, development and implementation of financial systems including most major ERP applications.

He has experience at the senior level in:

• Gathering of business requirements
• JAD facilitation
• Software estimation
• Leadership of development teams
• Global application development
• Quality assurance/testing management
• IT Service Management (ITSM)
• Data centre operations management

Blaine is an active proponent of IT professionalism in Canada:

• President, Canadian Information Processing Society of BC. (www.bc.cips.ca)
• Recognized as CIPS (www.cips.ca) 2007 Volunteer of the Year

Blaine holds the following:

• Data Processing Certificate (University of Regina, 1979)
• Information Systems Professional of Canada (I.S.P., 1995) and Information Technology Certified Professional (ITCP, 2009)

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:45:
Blaine, can you talk about your early influences in setting your life's direction?
"....The years working around the family farm in Saskatchewan instilled in me a good work ethic. As I take a step back and look at the different methodologies and best practices which we follow in IT, I find they are not unlike what a farmer would do....Another aspect I was influenced by were the NASA Apollo missions. I was always amazed by the applied technology and what they were able to do...."

:01:53:
Blaine, can you discuss how you got into computing, your prior roles and some key lessons that you wish to pass on?
"....Learn from the best....Have outside interests....Have internal values....Strive to be of service to others...."

:04:05:
Over your long history of notable success, what were the most difficult challenges that you were not able to overcome at that time? What would you do differently now?
"....Back in the early 1980's we had another downturn and I had some large investments which resulted in large losses....Another difficult challenge has been family health....A key message is to deal with it when it happens and don't ignore any early symptoms...."

:05:54:
What were the key disruptive forces driving change in your life and how can we learn from your experiences?
"....The key ones are those which are direct barriers to success - they become the landmines that you never quite recognize initially....Watch out for the hidden agenda...."

:07:09:
Can you profile your current roles and the value delivered to your diverse audiences?
"....My specialty has always been financial systems....I found that has really been to my benefit over the decades...."

:08:28:
What are your tips for project delivery?
"....The key one is to engage. Senior team members have to be able to jump in and actively participate in project delivery, especially early on in the project....A willing attitude is very important....A company needs to assemble "A" Teams for critical service delivery..."

:09:30:
Who would comprise the "A" Team in project delivery?
"....The individual who would be a Versatilist - with a broad range of experience both in IT and in business in general....These people have the ability to take on a variety of tasks...."

:10:45:
Can you share your IT Best Practices in areas such as: Gathering of business requirements, JAD facilitation, Software Estimation, Leadership of development teams, Global application development, Quality assurance/testing management, IT Service Management (ITSM), Data centre operations management?
"....Gathering business requirements - think in terms of the business....JAD facilitation - figure out who the key people are....Software estimation - do more than one type of estimate....Global application development - the concept of the software factory....Quality assurance - test often and early....IT Service management - IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices....Data center operation - hosted solutions...."

:16:09:
How does public service help an IT Professional's career?
"....One becomes a much more valued resource if it is shown that you aren't just in it for the bucks and that you are there for the promotion of the industry...."

:17:04:
What are some of the organizations that you are associated with?
"....Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS).....IP3 program...."

:19:25:
What are the key values for IT professionals?
"....Some of the core values can be summarized down as honesty and integrity....Adherence to a code of ethics...."

:21:11:
Where do people go if they want to join CIPS?
"....http://www.cips.ca...."

:21:53:
From your perspective, what do you see are the most important broader business challenges and their possible solutions?
"....Sometimes we have to apply the good enough principle and let perfection go for the moment....Look ahead, don't be too short-sighted....Look at the risk-rewards end of investing....The desperation to figure out how to survive....Focus on a capital project that needs to occur and stay the course...."

:26:07:
Provide your predictions of future Business and IT trends and their implications/opportunities?
"....There are a number of senior key IT resources that are out there and available. We have to recognize that this is a one-time opportunity right now....The role of succession planning....More companies are going to be looking externally for industry best practices....Technology is guaranteed to change...."

:29:54:
Which are your top recommended resources and why?
"....CIPS Certified Professionals. They are Versatilists - able to handle a broad range of tasks, have a depth of knowledge, are well experienced in what they do and know when to call in another resource...."

:31:00:
Blaine shares some stories from his work and experiences.

:34:37:
If you were doing this interview, what questions would you ask and then what would be your answers?
"....These questions I would ask an IT professional: 'What can you do to help promote the IT profession?'....'Is there any way you can help a fellow colleague either retain his/her job or find a job?'....And a question directed at employers: 'What would you do to ensure that you have your recruiting and your retention practices in place?'...."

Out Of Band Critical Security Release

This alert is to provide you with an overview of the new security bulletin being released (out-of-band) on January 21, 2010.

New Security Bulletin

Microsoft is releasing one new security bulletin (out-of-band) for newly discovered vulnerabilities:

Microsoft will host a webcast to address customer questions on this bulletin:

Title: Information About Microsoft's January 2010 Out-of-Band Security Bulletin Release

Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010, at 1:00 P.M. Pacific Time (U.S. & Canada).

URL: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032440627

·         Security Bulletin MS10-002 – Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (978207):
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS10-002.mspx

·         Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/

·         Microsoft Security Research & Defense (SRD) Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/srd/

·         Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC) Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/

·         Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/sdl/

In the following tables of affected and non-affected software, software editions that are not listed are past their support lifecycle. To determine the support lifecycle for your product and edition, visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site at http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/.

Microsoft’s security content posted to the Web is occasionally updated to reflect late-breaking information. If this results in an inconsistency between the information here and the information in Microsoft’s Web-based security content, the information in Microsoft’s Web-based security content is authoritative.

Align IT: IT Manager Podcast #33 – The Business Case for Team Diversity

It’s no secret that less women than ever are choosing information technology as a career. But few IT managers know why it matters and those that do may be at a loss to know how to recruit and retain a gender diverse team.

In this edition, we listen to a condensed version of a webcast talk given by Dr. Wendy Cukier, the Associate Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University and one of Canada’s leading authorities on emerging technologies. Dr. Cukier has been conducting research for CATA-WIT, part of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance and she recently released her study results on the status of Canadian women in technology.

Additional resources:

• Full webcast talk by Dr. Cukier
• Dr Cukier’s PowerPoint deck
• CATA WIT Forum
• Women Matter – 2007 study by McKinsey & Company on gender diversity being a corporate performance driver

On Demand Player:

Direct Download:

Subscribe to the podcast: (so you don't miss an episode)

The Align IT program is dedicated to keeping IT leaders informed about what really matters in business and technology. We do that through in-person events, web casts, our blog and of course, this podcast series. You can find more information about the Align IT program at www.microsoft.ca/alignit.

Comments, suggestions and ideas for future topics can be left below as a comment or emailed directly to the Align IT program feedback alias at alignit@microsoft.com. You can also reach us on our toll free comment line at 1-800-693-3827.

Dr. Mathai Joseph: Renowned Executive, Researcher, Distinguished Scientist shares his deep insights into computing, research, careers, trends

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Dr. Mathai Joseph: Past Executive VP for Tata Consultancy Services, Internationally Renowned Executive, Researcher, Technology Advisor, Distinguished Computer Scientist. Mathai shares his deep insights into computing, research, careers, trends, roles, life lessons and experiences, and much more.

CAREER:
Education: B.Sc. (Physics, 1962), M.Sc. (Physics, 1964) at the University of Bombay; Post-Graduate Diploma in Electronics at Welsh College of Advanced Technology (1965), Cardiff; Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, U.K. (1968).

Academic: Fellow, Senior Research Scientist at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (1968-1985); Professor of Computer Science at University of Warwick, U.K. (1985-1997).

Visiting Appointments: Visiting Professor, Carnegie-Mellon University (1980-81); Visiting Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands (1990-92); Visiting Professor, University of Warwick (1997-98); Visiting Professor, University of York, U.K. (2001-2004).

Industry: Executive Director at Tata Research Development and Design Centre, Pune and Executive Vice-President at Tata Consultancy Services (1997-2007).

BYWAYS & SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

"The first computer I saw was in 1963. It was the TIFRAC, built at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. I was studying for an M.Sc. in Physics with Electronics at the University of Bombay (now Mumbai) and a fellow student who worked at the TIFR invited two of us to see 'The Computer'. Getting into TIFR was easy: he had told us to nonchalantly get onto the TIFR bus at its first stop. The bus took us to the back of the building and we asked our way up to his office. He looked pleased, self-important and slightly embarrassed to have us in tow as we walked towards 'The Computer Hall'. I had expected to see something vastly complex but self-explicating, that announced its capabilities to those like us who enquired. And there would be scientists waiting to tell young postgraduates all we wanted to know about the computer. What we saw instead was a room full of open racks packed with circuit modules, wires hanging out here and there and a few people too busy to answer questions. 'You want to see computer? There it is', said one as he walked away urgently. I wanted to know more but there was not even a hint I could take away to think about. If he wasn't going to tell us about the computer, I needed to find out for myself...." For more see http://www.stephenibaraki.com/cips/v109/mathai_joseph_profile.html for a list of Publications and a full BYWAYS profile.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:01:28:
It would be fascinating to get an insider's look at one of the most significant computing contributors today. Please profile a month in your very busy life.
"....The activity that occupies most of my time now is planning for a big new campus for Tata Consultancy Services - for whom I used to work and for whom I am still an advisor.....Our aim is to create a workplace for over 20,000 employees that will provide an exciting environment that is also energy efficient and low cost...."

:04:25:
Mathai outlines his prior roles and provides key lessons from each of those roles.
"....I learned that very little of the effort of building software systems is actually worth talking to anyone else about. It is the little 10% that is experimental that may be new that could be of interest to a few people and then only if it succeeds in doing something really new....I learned that the adolescent of the first year became the questioning student of the second year and the mature, well-rounded adult of the third year....I learned to navigate through university committees. I discovered that the people who were most successful in these committees were those who first made simple things sound extremely complicated, and then allowed the others to congratulate them on finding a solution, so it was very important to mimic them to get anything done....I learned the need for speed. If something could be done in two weeks, the challenge was to see if you could do it in one....I think the most important lesson I learned in my last role was dealing with hundreds, perhaps thousands of people over whom one had some kind of responsibility...."

:15:12:
You've had the opportunity to mentor graduate students when you were teaching and then through your research work at the university, through your consultancy work and through your research work at Tata as well. Can you comment on this?
"....I think it is such an important part of learning to be able to talk about things and to have other people talk about what you are doing, and to accept the odd nudge here and there saying 'perhaps there is a slightly different way of doing things that might help you and might get you to the end a little faster'...."

:16:27:
Do you think that there is tension between the academic world and the world of industry? What would be ways to resolve that and build bridges?
"....I'm not sure one would call it tension, but there are differences and points of view. Real academics and computer scientists see the world in terms of problems that they have to solve to get the science to move ahead. These problems have to be made as clean and simple as possible so they can be solved as effectively as possible. People in industry don't work that way. They need to build systems that need to be shipped out to people, people will use these systems in all sorts of unexpected ways and these systems have to keep working. Industry is filled with dealing with complexity and when they think they are done, there are a fresh lot of complexities that they have to deal with that has to be incorporated in - it's a never-ending process....I think these are very different points of view that people on either side find very hard to understand...."

:18:19:
There is the other aspect in industry of aligning the technology side with the business objective and goals, etc. Coming from both worlds (the academic side and merging that with industry research), did you find that disruptive in terms of your thinking or inline with your thinking?
"....What I found most difficult to understand initially was the fact that industry runs, not by what it decides to do, but what its customer's want - the initiative for defining what one wanted to do came from somewhere else....In an academic world you look at a subject you get interested in, you find the set of problems and you solve them - the initiative is all yours....Big difference and very important I think...."

:20:13:
With such a long history of international successes and accomplishments, which ones stand out for you as you reflect back?
"....Things that mattered most are the ones that gave me the most personal satisfaction. Simple things like building a good system that people thought could not be constructed, writing a good paper, making a good friend..."

:23:01:
What were the major change agents in your career and what can we learn from your experiences?
"....It was often the things around me that caused me to make changes in my career and not really carefully thought out decisions based on careful evaluations. I don't know that people really do work things out precisely before they take a step forward or sideways. I certainly haven't....Perhaps most of my career changes came by accident and luck. Perhaps that is true for a lot of people...."

:26:08:
Can you highlight decisions you made that based upon hindsight, you would do differently today?
"....These are not frivolous examples but they are non-computing examples....I never learned to play the piano or any musical instrument....I would like to speak a few more languages that I do....But I tend not to look back too much...."

:29:12:
What do you see as the top challenges facing us today and how do you propose they be solved?
"....We need to learn how to push computers back out of sight. In some ways the cell phone has done that....To be able to provide through computing, levels of security and dependability to make our services as reliable as possible....Use computers and interconnectivity to be able to provide a very true picture of public opinion and public choice...."

:35:48:
What do you see as the top research areas today and what outcomes do you see in the next three to five years?
"....I think the major new research areas in computer science will come from the extension of computing into new applications where the demands are very severe....I think the challenges will come from totally new problems that will emerge as we press on with applications that will be giving people the kind of services that they need...."

:37:00:
Do you see any issues associated with cloud computing from an industry standpoint, in terms of security, storage and other areas? What are your views on cloud computing?
"....What is the extent to which my privacy can be guaranteed and what is the extent to which I must sacrifice it for the greater public good - these are difficult questions...."

:43:36:
Tell us more about your vision and objectives behind your current roles? What do you hope to accomplish and how will you bring this about?
"....I would like to see computer education spread widely among young people of all abilities and economic backgrounds....A proper understanding of computing education, not one that is restricted to use of one set of tools or another set of techniques, but one that teaches them about the important basics of computing...."

:48:51:
What are your insights and predications for the Asia region?
"....We are at the beginning of what's becoming a big upswing. It won't happen all at once and it won't happen all at the same time across the continent, but I think it will happen in a way that spreads across the whole region....I think I see the time that Asia gets the importance it deserves among the regions of the world. No more than other regions but no less either. I really hope the century sees the same thing happening in Africa...."

:54:19:
The Job Migration Task Force of the ACM conducted a two-year study which clearly indicates that to "stay competitive in a global IT environment and industry, countries must adopt policies that foster innovation and improve their ability to attract, educate, and retain the best IT talent." What solutions do you propose to address the issues raised here?
"....I don't see that it is so much a question of job migration but a redefinition of the industry which is happening. There will be different ways in which we can produce software and different ways in which we can combine capabilities that exist in different parts of the world to build new software systems very effectively and quickly; and this will keep happening...."

:57:31:
Please make predictions for the future, their implications and how we can best prepare?
"....I would like to see a basic cell phone that costs twenty dollars because that would really spread computers across a very large part of the population of the world....Biometric technologies developing a great deal in the future....If we could build a world without locks and keys...it would change the ways that we look at our lives....."

:01:01:51:
Mathai, you are one of the top researchers, senior academics and groundbreaking visionary innovators. How do you wish to continue to shape the world and contribute to the fabric of history?
"....I really don't have that kind of vision, I see what I have in front of me and I try and work with it and ask myself how we can do this better than it has been done before. That's always a challenge and that keeps being the challenge even today...."

:01:03:15:
I have a unique opportunity to drill into the accumulated wisdom from an accomplished executive and thought leader. If you could sum up your life experiences with career tips, what would be your tips and the reasons behind them?
"....I don't think I could do any better than to quote Steve Jobs when he said in his address to the students of Stanford that the most important lesson he learned was that if you really want to do something, you really must go ahead and do it....If we could all keep that in mind. I wish somebody had told me that when I was young and as clearly as that...."

:01:04:39:
If you were conducting this interview, what questions would you ask, and then what would be your answers?
"....'Why would anyone consider your life to be interesting?'....'Why should anyone read what you've written or listen to your podcast in which you are featured?'...."

Diving Deep into Windows 7 Deployment

On the last AlignIT IT Manager cross-Canada tour, we talked about desktop and server infrastructure, specifically around Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7 and Azure. The presentations focused on the strategy of an optimized infrastructure and how IT managers can go about planning for new services and capabilities that drive business value.

From talking to people, I know there are a lot of organizations that are looking to deploy Windows 7 as well as some of the other technologies we talked about. But like any new technology roll out, planning is key to ensure things go smoothly. The more information and knowledge you have up front the better off you’ll be and the sooner you can start taking advantage of the enhanced productivity post-deployment.

With that in mind, my colleague Rodney Buike will be embarking on an 11 city deep dive tour to help you and your IT team learn from early adopters of Windows 7 and develop the skills needed for your own seamless deployment.

Register now for the following dates and locations:

Vancouver – January 26, Victoria –January 27, Winnipeg-January 28, Calgary-February 2, Edmonton-February 4, Mississauga-February 8, Waterloo-February 11, Montreal-March 2, Ottawa-March 3, Regina-March 16, Saskatoon-March 18.

A New Year with New Possibilities

I’m finding it a little hard to get my head back into my work today…perhaps you can relate. That’s what the holidays tend to do to me. But a little distance and distraction can also be a good thing. I find myself mulling over different aspects of what I do and seeing things from a different perspective. Ideas have popped into my head when I’ve least expected it. Some of the ideas are good, others not so much. But the process is good.

The new year brings with it many new possibilities. There’s just something about a fresh start that is motivating. Even though I don’t like to make New Year’s resolutions, this is the time of year when I can’t help but think about what I’m going to change/improve/do different in the coming months. My list includes making physical fitness a priority, giving my kidlets lots of good childhood memories (they’re only 16 months old – will they remember any of this yet?), while cultivating the things that fuel my passions in my professional life and guarding against my work becoming just a job.

What’s on your list?

Listen Carefully! Dr. Maria Klawe: new Board Director Microsoft, World-Renowned Computer Scientist, President of HMC shares her unique insights and experiences

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Dr. Maria Klawe: Distinguished, Celebrated, World-Renowned Computer Scientist, President of HMC, Board Director Microsoft Corp, past Dean of Engineering/Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University, former VP and Dean of Science at UBC in Canada.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Harvey Mudd College is led by Maria Klawe, HMC's fifth president who began her tenure in 2006. A renowned computer scientist and scholar, President Klawe is the first woman to lead the college since its founding in 1955. Prior to joining HMC, she served as Dean of Engineering and Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University. During her time at Princeton, Maria led the School of Engineering and Applied Science through a strategic planning exercise that created an exciting and widely embraced vision for the school.

At Harvey Mudd College she led a similarly ambitious strategic planning initiative, "HMC 2020: Envisioning the Future." Maria joined Princeton from the University of British Columbia where she served as Dean of Science from 1998 to 2002, vice president of student and academic services from 1995 to 1998 and head of the Department of Computer Science from 1988 to 1995. Prior to UBC, Maria spent eight years with IBM Research in California, and two years at the University of Toronto. She received her Ph.D. (1977) and B.Sc. (1973) in Mathematics from the University of Alberta. Maria has made significant research contributions in several areas of mathematics and computer science including functional analysis, discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, human-computer interaction, gender issues in information technology, and interactive-multimedia for mathematics education.

Her current research focuses on the development and use of multi-modal applications to assist people with aphasia and other cognitive impairments. Maria is a past president of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) in New York, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology in Palo Alto, and a trustee of the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics in Los Angeles and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley. In the past Maria has held leadership positions with the American Mathematical Society, the Computing Research Association, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the Canadian Mathematical Society.

Maria is one of the 10 members of the board of Microsoft Corporation, a board member of the nonprofit Math for America, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and past chair of the board for the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology in Palo Alto, Calif. She was elected as a fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery in 1996 and as a founding fellow of the Canadian Information Processing Society in 2006. Other awards include Vancouver YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Science and Technology (1997), Wired Woman Pioneer (2001), Canadian New Media Educator of the Year (2001), BC Science Council Champion of the Year (2001), University of Alberta Distinguished Alumna (2003), Nico Habermann Award (2004), and honorary doctorates from Acadia University (2006), Dalhousie University (2005), Queen's University (2004), the University of Waterloo (2003) and Ryerson University (2001).

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:51:
The last time we chatted, you were in your first year as President of HMC. Since that time, what were the most urgent issues you dealt with?
"....We launched a pretty high level strategic vision in February 2007....Since then we have been working on a more detailed implementation strategic plan and preparing a fundraising campaign that will provide the resources that we need to achieve the strategic mission...."

:04:42:
How are you making further inroads with HMC and can you spotlight some success stories?
"....Our percentage of female students has increased significantly....We've got the largest gift in the history of the college....It's that gift that's enabling a lot of the planning going forward...."

:05:52:
Can you talk further about your initiatives for Woman in Science, Engineering, and Technology?
"....Women are still seriously under-represented in some areas of science and engineering....To change this you really have to recruit more women to these fields, adapting the culture in these fields so that they are supportive of non-traditional members as well as the core traditional members...."

:15:26:
What are the outcomes from your international projects and initiatives and where is this work/program heading?
"....This year we have four international collaborations going on. We've had two in Singapore (both of them around environmental issues)....We have a collaboration with Iceland (around alternative energy sources)....We also have an on-going project in Kenya (developing better techniques for purifying water in a village)....We've also had collaborations working with an AIDS support organization in Uganda (developing databases to store medical information but also doing mathematical modeling on how the epidemic is spreading)...."

:18:49:
How are you working on improving diversity on all fronts?
"....We are working hard (in addition to recruiting people) on working on our culture to make sure it really is supportive of minority students and female students once they get here....We are doing a lot of assessment of outcomes of different approaches to doing things and trying to find out what is most successful...."

:23:16:
Where do you see the education sector heading?
"....I think where the education sector is going is that it's starting to realize that even for non-science and non-engineering majors, they need to understand computer science, mathematics - all of the things that are influencing the direction of the world....I think that it is starting to realize that we need to graduate different kinds of people from what we have graduated in the past...."

:29:35:
In April you were elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. What did this mean to you and how will it impact your roles?
"...It's a great opportunity for networking. If there is something I've learned over the last several years it is the importance of networking and particularly as president of a college that is not nearly as well known as it ought to be...."

:34:12:
Harvey Mudd College (HMC) is one of the top engineering colleges in North America. Dr. Klawe shares some of the top rankings that HMC has attained.

:36:22:
Dr. Klawe talks about her work with the National IT Taskforce.

:37:27:
You became a US Citizen. Can you share a few stories from this journey and from the ceremony?
"....I have dual citizenship, I'm a Canadian and a US citizen....I am really glad to become a US citizen. As the leader of a college that is in the United States and as somebody who really cares about science and engineering education and research, it's important to actually step up and say I take responsibility for being a citizen of the country that I'm living in and working in at this point...."

:40:37:
A significant number in our audience come from community organizations of IT professionals. You also are a role model to so many communities. Of particular interest is your prestigious appointment to the Microsoft Board of Directors: first college president, and second woman. Can you describe the process of becoming a board member?
"....I have to say that this is one of the most fascinating things I have ever done in my life....There is so much to learn and it is so interesting...."

:51:51:
What do you hope to accomplish as a Board Director and how will you drive these initiatives forward?
"....Most of the people on the board come from large corporate backgrounds....I think they were looking for somebody who was really a technologist....somebody who would bridge the business culture of the board and the technology culture of the company...."

:55:30:
How will your board position impact your many roles? Can you provide specific examples?
"....There is no question that it has increased my credibility even at Harvey Mudd....I think serving on the board will leverage pretty much everything I do....and is very synchronous with everything that I do...."

:58:22:
How do you manage change?
"....One of the things is the ability to change in response to changing circumstances ....The key is paying attention to what the cultures are and being able to work effectively across the different kinds of cultures...."

:01:02:40:
Do you continue your work as a catalyst for new startup ventures? In which areas and how will you do this?
"....A lot of it is networking...."

:01:07:03:
Where do you see volunteerism in the future - what are your recommendations for the audience?
"....Being a volunteer is one of the best ways to network....If there is something that you really care about, find a way to get involved as a volunteer to support that. You'll meet people with like-minded interests and you'll make a difference...."

:01:09:37:
Please make predictions for the future, their implications, and how we can best prepare?
"....We need to start focusing on the major challenges facing the world and we need to do it in all parts of our society from local groups, to large institutions, to major corporations...."

:01:12:09:
Maria, you are continually selected as one of the top researchers and senior academics. How do you wish to continue to shape the world and contribute to the fabric of history?
"....Change the culture of science and engineering so that it is supportive of everyone - whether it is women, minorities, poets, artists....or whatever...."

:01:12:46:
If you were conducting this interview, what questions would you ask, and then what would be your answers?
"....'What am I most proud of in my life?'....'To what do I attribute my success?'....'What is my favorite job, ever?'...."

Elisabeth Vanderveldt & Genevieve L'Esperance: share their vision for collaboration, driving passion in IT for all ages, enabling young women into IT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Elisabeth Vanderveldt & Genevieve L'Esperance: who share their vision for collaboration, driving passion in IT for all ages, enabling young women into IT.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Elisabeth Vanderveldt is co-founder of multi-award winning Conamex International, a Microsoft Gold Certified Excellence and SBSC partner in Montreal, Canada. Her firm specializes in collaboration, mobility, data management, asset management (SAM), infrastructure and security technologies.

Elisabeth, a 24 year veteran of the IT industry, is a Microsoft SBSC PAL 2007-2009, an MVP 2007-2009 and is founder of WIL&T (Women in Leadership and Technology) as well as founder of Community and Corporate Citizenship on the international board of the IAMCP. Elisabeth is an MCTS for WSS, MOSS, Groove and SAM. Elisabeth has always been passionate about helping women and girls discover their untapped potential. She is a presenter and guest speaker at many events including Tech Ed's WIT luncheon, SMB Nation and Microsoft's WPC. She hopes to continue to act as a role model and mentor. In doing so, she has earned the respect of her male counterparts worldwide especially in the MVP community, many of whom joke about not getting in her way, especially with her martial arts skills. Elisabeth has served in the community on school boards, sport coaching and running fundraising events.

Elisabeth brings her creative thinking and knowledge of the IT sector and its most engaging personalities and experts to a new portal, GenINC.TV currently in pre-production. She will also act as technical advisor.

Genevieve L'Esperance (ACTRA and UDA apprentice) is a 16 year old, born in Montreal, Quebec. Not your typical girl, Gen is an articulate, sensible, accomplished teen with an energizing personality who has explored many different areas, from being a martial arts champion at the age of 5, to competitive running, basketball, guitar, piano and drums to writing, acting and community service. Gen graduated with honours from high school even after suffering a debilitating virus in February this year. Her passion for Gen INC. stemmed from a discussion about technology among her peers which showed her that girls are just not aware of the power and breadth of technology and the impact it can make on exciting career choices - as well as helping girls (and boys) in underprivileged communities to change their lives and that of future generations. This led to her certification at age 15 as a Microsoft Certified Professional and a MCTS (Certified Technical Specialist) at 16. Gen will host her own series and web portal to bring the discussion to the larger community and garner support for awareness and changes both locally and internationally. Empowering her peers to think about and make informed choices will dominate her early series episodes.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:40:
Elizabeth and Gen tell us a little about themselves and their prior and current roles and share lessons from these roles.
:00:48: Elizabeth: "....What I'm trying to do (because everybody's time is so limited), is to pick the one thing that really drives me to get up in the morning besides my business, and that seems to be everything around youth, young girls and technology. In doing so I see my role having changed from somebody who has been a learner to somebody who is trying to be a mentor...."
:03:39: Genevieve: "...With high school completed, I recommend that you give it your all and that working within your community is a very important and satisfying part of that experience. Starting college, I can also say that time and dedication is truly required for all matters - but never to forget the time you should spend with your friends because they put a smile on your face when midterms don't...."

:04:30:
What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome in the past and what mistakes did you make? What would you do differently today?
:04:37: Elizabeth: "....I think it's really important that women be valued for what they bring to a job, a team or project and not to expect or accept gender as a detrimental factor....Another big challenge has been time management...."
:08:32: Genevieve: "....I'm lucky that my parents put me in a position early in life to compete in martial arts, which meant taking part in competitions, passing belt exams and especially being part of a team. We all played several other sports, took part in theatre, modeling and acting and learned about handling ourselves, handling rejection and to work well with others and it happened before we understood what stress was because they made it fun. It helped us deal with whatever issues we did face...."

:09:39:
Can you comment on unconscious bias based on your perspectives? Do you think it has changed over the years?
:10:00: Elizabeth: "....We've seen, probably within the past five years, amazing advances in the ways that not just the industry but government as well have realized the value that has come from having women in the sector and the value that they bring to the industry...."
:12:51: Genevieve: "....I believe that even though the male opinion of women in technology might have changed, (from the men who are already in that career), I don't believe the fear that girls have about technology has changed....The problem is that young girls still do not see themselves in technology as a career even though they are surrounded by it all the time...."

:15:42:
Gen, do you come into situations where young people make assumptions because you are a young woman rather than a young man?
"....Guys are not biased against it.....They love seeing a girl's perspective on technology. They don't even care that you are a girl; they just want to hear what you have to say because they just like talking about technology with people. It's that simple...."

:17:57:
What triggered your interest in computing?
:18:00: Elizabeth: "....We co-founded Conamex International when the technology industry in the non-mainframe world was starting to take off. It was a huge challenge to try to break into this market but it was probably the best time to get into it because it was at its birth....It's been a very weird ride, but the more I was challenged, it kept driving me more and more to get into technology....I think the most exciting part of the ride is yet to come...."
:32:27: Genevieve: "....My interest is almost inevitable considering almost my entire family is in love with it...."

:39:10:
Can you talk about your experiences with Cybercap and working with youth that are "lost" or on the "career decision fence"?
:39:18: Genevieve: "....Cybercap was built around the knowledge that there is a group of adolescents or young adults who don't attend (or dropped out of) college and don't believe that they have any choices left to them. In the founder's mind he decided to build a company centered around this group and to give them an opportunity to jump right into technology, find a passion for any part of it and to continue on that path until they found themselves in a career that pleases them....There are so many young adults who have lost their way and Cybercap does not close their door to any of them...."

:41:00:
Can you talk about the interviews for GenINC.TV?
Elizabeth: "....We have initially done a set of about six interviews that we tried to make completely different...."

:45:10:
What more can you share about IT as a career path?
:45:32: Genevieve: "....I believe that young girls may see themselves in that path if they have a spokesperson or some other young girl they see as successful and even more importantly, excited about working with technology as a career...."
:48:48: Elizabeth: "....This whole social aspect is not only fascinating for what good it's teaching the girls, it's the thinking behind it, it's the molding of the mind that is already happening. As Gen quite rightly pointed out, at sixteen we're almost hopefully already at the tail end of where girls are thinking about geeks as a dirty word and girls that are nine right now, with the right encouragement and with the continued growth in that industry and the focus on it the right way and with the right role models, they won't think twice about getting into technology as a career because they are actually helping to shape and mold what's coming next...."

:50:34:
Do you have any comments on the impact that IT has on just about any career?
Elizabeth: "....I think what is interesting are the different character types [in the media]. On both shows (NCIS, Criminal Minds) it is not the guy who is behind the technology, it's always the girl and a young woman at that; I think it's fantastic because it is starting to change the perceptions..."

:56:20:
Please share your views on IT for the underprivileged.
:56:22: Genevieve: "....Communication is so vital in this day and age that we almost find it hard to imagine how others survive without it. It's especially difficult to picture by my generation since it has been our norm for as long as we can remember....It should be a thought in our minds that there are many out there who don't have the same access as others and that some don't have it at all and it is very important that we change that and that we use technology to change that...."
:58:34: Elizabeth: "....When Genevieve heard about the project in Bangladesh, she wanted to be part of it....In that culture women would never be encouraged to get into technology careers and would never dream of being entrepreneurial in that aspect. Unless somebody gets out there they will never see technology centers being built that would allow them to not only learn about technology but to completely change their lives and that of their children...."

:01:00:32:
Can your share your experiences and lessons from mentoring women professionals and young women?
Elizabeth: "....We've been in discussions and in social networking groups and having developed this Women in Leadership and Technology program through the MCT we keep trying to drive these mentoring opportunities....Mentoring is a tricky thing because you are trying to balance out your job and your family and other responsibilities but I think it is critical that everybody take a little piece of themselves and to give it back to the community....I think as far as the mentoring goes there's still a lot to be done about building a really good framework for it...."

:01:07:03:
When is GenINC.TV going to be launched?
Elizabeth: "...Right now we are looking to get the official launch about mid-November and at that point there should be some initial interviews with Cybercap and some of the people with Infusion....."

:01:10:17:
Underlying all is this whole aspect of education - K-12, post secondary, etc. Can you share your views on education?
Elizabeth: "....I still think we are not necessarily framing the training kids should be getting if they are going to keep up with their peers on a worldwide basis....We have to start looking at what kids really like to do, what inspires them - and start restructuring our education system around that because those are also, in some cases, really lucrative careers. Look at the gaming industry...."

:01:13:56:
What is GenINC.TV? What are its goals?
Elizabeth: "....In a nutshell, Gen INC. is Generation Incorporated - it just so happens that Genevieve's name is the first three letters. What we want to do in the long run is to create a portal - initially it is an open space, a social space for girls to become aware of, learn and to find out how to get into this industry....In the long run what do we want to do, we want to change the statistics in the industry...."

:01:19:11:
Elizabeth describes their top innovative achievements in terms of the problems they were trying to solve, their solutions, and the impact it has today and into the future.

:01:21:19:
We already talked a little about connecting women and youth in technology and why it is a passion for you. Do you have anything more to add?
Elizabeth: "....I would encourage women to take part in different communities. There are a lot of women organizations around information technology. There's CATAWIT, WITL, Geek Girls Dinners....I would like a greater focus on people who think they have the time and energy to band together and start looking at how we can put a better social aspect on the IT world. How can we start taking the riches that we have helped develop over the last 20 years and start putting it back where it belongs - in the youth sector and in underprivileged communities. That applies to both women and men but I think women need to step forward and be heard...."

:01:22:48:
What do you see as the top challenges facing us today and how do you propose they be solved?
:01:22:52: Elizabeth: "....I think we are not at all engaging the generation that could be the one that makes the biggest social changes and gets us out of some of the crises we've been in....If we engage them and we give them the right support, the right tools, the right mentoring, they have the opportunity to correct a lot of the mistakes that we've made over the last couple of decades...."
:01:23:50: Genevieve: "....We need to make girls realize that there is a comfortable aspect to technology and that's what we need to show them...."

:01:26:05:
Elizabeth, are there any questions which I have not asked that you would have asked and what would be your response?
"....'How do we see men in this industry helping to reverse the tide (this mind-changing of the next generation)?'...."

Moira de Roche: Global Innovator and Top Executive shares her deep success and performance insights

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Moira de Roche: Global Innovator, Visionary Thought Leader, and Top-performing Executive; GM Laragh Skills, Chairman Career Planet, IP3 Marketing Director, Past President Computer Society South Africa.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Moira de Roche matriculated from Jeppe High School for Girls. She has completed most of a B.Comm through Unisa, majoring in Industrial Psychology.

She started her career in ICT as a Computer Operator and later became an analyst/programmer at The Star.

Feeling a pull towards training and education, she joined ICL Education and Training as a lecturer. After three years of training on COBOL programming and other subjects, she moved to Barlow Rand Computer Services as Training Officer and was later promoted to Training Manager. Subsequent to that, she moved to Cape Town and spent several years with a supplier of video and computer based training products.

Laragh Skills are her current employers, and she has been with the company for over 15 years, first in the role of Regional Manager, and now General Manager and Director. Laragh Skills are distributors for SkillSoft, the world's largest e-Learning company.

In her position at Laragh Skills (formerly known as SmartForce Africa), she has worked with several clients as a strategic account manager to assist with e-learning implementations. Laragh Skills works to the same business model as SkillSoft; providing not only training software, but the resources to help ensure return on investment. Moira firmly believes that a blended learning programme is the only way to encourage and ensure lifelong learning.

Moira is a Professional Member of Computer Society South Africa. She is immediate Past President, having been President for 4 years. Prior to this she served as Chairman of Western Cape Chapter for 3 of the 6 years she was on the Chapter Committee. In this capacity, she served on the Executive Council, and more recently as Vice President: Professional Development, before being elected President. Since stepping down as President, she once again holds the Professional Development portfolio. She received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Information & Communications Technology in November 2009, and was made a Fellow of the Society.

Moira is a Trustee of the South African Computer Olympiad Trust, a CSSA project which runs the Olympiad in South Africa. She is also a Trustee of the Siyakhula ABET Trust, whose purpose is to drive computer literacy in South Africa.

Moira was a Director of the ICDL in South Africa for a 3 year period.

She is currently Chairman of the Board of Career Planet, a not-for-profit dedicated to bringing career information to learners from disadvantaged communities.

Moira has also served on the IP3 (International Professional Practice Partnership) Task Force, which was founded at the beginning of 2007 by the International Federation for Information Professionals to further the aims of professionalism in the industry on an international scale. Her primary role on IP3 has been marketing and she was elected to the new IP3 Board in December 2009. Given the opportunity, she would also like to spearhead IP3 related activities in Developing Countries.

Moira's was elected onto the Council of the Cape Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in November 2009.

Learning and people development are her passion as well as her profession.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:50:
Moira, can you describe how you got into computing?
"....It was an accidental thing; it wasn't something I envisioned when I was still at school...."

:01:40:
Moira, can you discuss your prior roles and projects and five key lessons that you wish to pass on?
"....I truly believe that one has to be the change one wants to see....Nothing can replace the personal touch....The importance of time management....To trust one's intuition because it is the marriage of all your experiences combined with a gut-feel....Everything is a learning experience and everything that ever happens to you (good and bad) gives you an opportunity to learn and grow...."

:03:53:
In your prior roles, what were the most difficult challenges that you were not able to overcome at that time? What would you do differently now?
"....One shouldn't put up with abuse of power....and one must never abuse power....Taking over a business where all the key players had left and having to figure it all out for myself...."

:06:37:
What were the key disruptive forces driving change in your life and how can we learn from your experiences?
"....It's not what happens to you but how you respond to what happens to you that molds who you are...."

:07:55:
Moira profiles her current roles and work at Laragh Skills, Computer Society of South Africa as past president, Chairman of the Board at Career Planet, IP3 (International Professional Practice Partnership Task Force), and the value delivered to her diverse audiences.

:11:41:
In your current roles, what are the biggest challenges and their solutions? How does this relate to business value?
"....The challenge of being in the e-learning business is always to try and change the mindset of people....From the Computer Society's point of view the challenge is getting things done with a largely volunteer organization....For Career Planet the real challenge has been getting donor funds....As for IP3 and the task force, it has been very challenging dealing with people from around the world. Often we have different world views...."

:14:30:
Professionalism in IT - what does this mean and why should we care?
"....It's very much a 2-way street, we want the people in IT to be more professional and at the same time we want them to be recognized as a professional...."

:16:15:
How are you contributing to Professionalism in IT and how can others do the same?
"....I have donated a lot of time to the IP3 program on a strictly volunteer basis to a process I totally believe in and I think that speaks to my commitment as a professional. I'm also working with the Computer Society in South Africa and helping them to become ready for professional accreditation....Really it starts from home; you have to first fix your own Society and then try to duplicate that in other areas...."

:17:10:
You have a long history in education and training. What role does e-learning play in continuing professional development?
"....The reality is that you can't provide lifelong learning using only classroom training because nobody has the time or the money to accomplish this. I believe that e-learning has a vital role to play in continuous professional development because it allows people to access training as and when it suits them to do it, and also allows them to access training on a lifelong basis...."

:18:32:
Moira details her work in supporting career planning and development for disadvantaged groups and explains why this matters.
"....Children need to have access to quality career information so that they can get an idea of what is available....That information should easily be accessible to them...."

:20:32:
You have a passion for Women in IT. What does this mean and how can others get involved?
"....In an industry where there is a worldwide skill shortage, it's really unfortunate that so few women enter the profession...."

:21:52:
Can you talk about the enabling aspect of IT in developing countries and what this means to the world economy?
"....IT development can be done from anywhere so it can be a valuable export for any country...."

:24:19:
With the economic challenges, how can we improve the ability of companies to survive?
"....We've got to learn how to encourage creativity, intuition, leadership and quite often those are the things that we don't do. We have to make sure that we get good people whose contributions are acknowledged so that we encourage creativity, innovation etc....."

:25:05:
What are the five most important broader business challenges and solutions?
"....Lack of corporate governance....Social networking....Business and workforce agility....A change from ownership to access....Green issues...."

:27:17:
Provide your predictions of future business trends and their implications/opportunities?
"....More and more social networking will be used as a business and more importantly as a learning tool....Truly mobile workforces....Trends will be around agility and really using technology to make our businesses better...."

:28:12:
Which are your top recommended resources and why?
"....E-learning resources....On-line books....On-line resources in terms of learning, in terms of reference materials....Virtual meeting tools....Social networking tools..."

:29:49:
You are a member of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), a leader within the Computer Society of South Africa, a leader within the IFIP IP3 program and many other programs. Would you recommend joining these organizations?
"....Definitely, they give you a great opportunity to network with other people....It also allows one to understand that one is part of a global community...."

:31:22:
Moira shares some surprising and interesting stories from her work.

:33:28:
Can you summarize what the United Nations founded International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) is trying to do with the Professional Practice Partnership Program?
"....To create a professional status for IT and the opportunity was there to do it on a global basis so they created IP3 as a means of creating and accrediting a global profession....IP3 will manage and measure the global standard...."

:37:24:
If you were doing this interview, what questions would you ask and then what would be your answers?
"....'How would you like to be remembered when you die?'....'What would you do differently if you had your life to do over?'....'Who are your heroes?'...."

Wishing all a Happy Holiday and Rewarding New Year!

Starting in January, after 60 blogs in total including 52 interviews by year-end, I'm writing my last standard blog for this decade, for 2009 :-). This also marks the beginning of my third decade in doing interviews - to share insights, best practices from working professionals and experts; the time and resources donated to support the industry and IT professionals. A very rich and rewarding experience. It only takes an extra minute in my work and travels to ask, this simple question, "How about being interviewed to share your experiences with a broad audience?"

This journey started in 2005 for IT Manager Connection and I still enjoy every minute. It's a real privilege sharing with you every week.

Thank you for your patience, meaningful comments, many e-mails and connecting at conferences too. Always drop me a line or come up and chat. If you have a story you wish to share through an interview, let me know; or why not be a guest blogger in IT Manager Connection and let others benefit from your know-how.

Please take care over the holidays and I wish you all a very rewarding holiday season and new year!

Best regards,

Stephen
sibaraki@cips.ca

Eileen Brown: Leading International Technology Authority and Executive; shares her expertise on social media, online branding, Web 2.0, top trends, valuable resources, best practices to engage with customers

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Eileen Brown: Leading International Technology Authority and Executive; Eileen shares her top career tips and expertise on social media, online branding, Web 2.0, top trends, valuable resources, technology tips, best practices to engage with customers.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Eileen Brown now spends her time on projects to inspire people, working as Director at Amastra. Amastra is a company which helps you achieve your aspirations, become a better speaker, deliver powerful presentations, and create energised teams in a dynamic workplace. She helps companies extend their social media reach and engage better with their customers using new technologies.

Eileen has worked in the technology industry for over 17 years in technical support, consultancy and management roles, most recently managing the team of technology evangelists at Microsoft. Her company is called Amastra because when Eileen was seventeen, she joined the merchant navy as a deck cadet on a Shell tanker - she was Shell's first female apprentice at sea - and the guidance and motivation Eileen received on her journey gave her the strength and self-belief to inspire her to get qualified and become an Officer. After leaving the Merchant Navy Eileen worked in a container shipping company, moving into IT support, then training, pre-sales consultancy and technical specialist at Microsoft before leaving to start her own company.

Eileen is an accomplished and well-known international speaker and expert on Social Media, Online Branding, Web 2.0, Unified Communications, Systems Architecture. She explores the art of the possible, looking at how technology is changing the world we live in and seeing ways to simplify work and make you more productive.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:01:09:
Eileen tells us a little about herself and shares some career lessons from her interesting prior roles.
"....Anything is possible if you believe in yourself enough....If you look at all the successes in life you find quite often people have achieved great things simply because nobody told them it was not possible....It's all about trying to do what you aspire to do and not taking no for an answer...."

:10:55:
What were the three biggest challenges you had to overcome and what mistakes did you make? What would you do differently today?
"....One of the limitations I had was when I didn't know something, I was too stubborn to ask anybody....One of the greatest lessons I've learned is you cannot know everything....There's a lot of value in getting your peers to help...."

:14:30:
What triggered your interest in computing?
"....I think my main indication of an interest in computing was when I worked out what computers could do...."

:18:52:
After working for large companies - why move to a small company?
"....I find that the dynamics and flexibility of smaller companies really appeal to me...."

:20:25:
Why is Amastra a company focusing on aspirations-what does this mean and what is the value to each community that you serve?
"....Everybody has an aspiration (whether corporate or an individual)....There are three levels of aspirations - corporate aspirations....workgroup level aspirations....individual aspirations....It's all about aspirations on many different levels and there's a team of people working with me at Amastra who will help you realize your goals..."

:23:43:
Why are you looking at social media to help companies with their online branding?
"....I think there is a great opportunity for smaller companies, especially those who may not have the traditional marketing budgets which are available to large corporate companies....The community will broadcast that information for you and you'll find that the message of your product is amplified across the social media network. I think that's really key for smaller companies to give themselves a presence on the global stage..."

:27:50:
What are best practices for becoming a better speaker and delivering powerful presentations?
"....One of the key things is body language....Smile....Start your presentation with a 'hello'....Do not look at the slide deck too much...."

:31:30:
What kinds of specific technologies do you recommend for businesses and why?
"....One of the key things for small businesses is to make sure your business is efficient....For a connected infrastructure I would run Active Directory, Exchange, and would also make sure I had unified communication...."

:34:00:
As noted earlier in our discussion, quite a varied career - from oil tankers to container shipping through to IT - did it all help?
"....I realized that the only limitations I had were all in my head...Being a woman in IT now is nowhere near as difficult as being a woman on a dirty old oil tanker. Being at sea was a great grounding for any challenge that can be thrown at me now...."

:35:34:
What are your current and immediate future projects and what outcomes do you wish to deliver? What can the audience learn from these projects?
"....One of the key things to learn is whatever your challenges are they can be overcome with the right application, dedication and work.... "

:36:42:
You work closely with customers and communities, what do you hear as the biggest obstacles IT organizations are challenged with?
"....The inability to be flexible and move and change direction....You've got to be flexible in the current times...."

:38:28:
How would you describe your top innovative achievements in terms of the problems you were trying to solve, your solutions, and the impact it has today and into the future?
"....I don't think it's innovative now, but at the time when I transferred paper information for scheduling onto a spreadsheet that was probably the most innovative thing that the company had ever seen. Looking back now with 17 years IT experience it was a logical thing to do, so it depends in your definition of innovation...."

:41:17:
How do you connect Women in Technology and why is it a passion for you?
"....I created an initiative called Connecting Women in Technology. I managed to get some amazing companies on board - there are Cisco, Dell, HP, Google, IBM, Intel, Nortel and Microsoft....I feel very proud that this transcends the business challenges that each of these companies have but it actually helps each woman in each technology company to get the best opportunities they can from within their own company...."

:45:21:
Why is it so important for the women working in the technology industry to have a good connection in their network and move beyond the boy's club?
"....One of the things about women in technology is that women quite often have a multi-functional role. They've got their careers and often they are the homemakers and looking after family and they don't often have the time to do the networking in the same way that men manage to do networking. I think that it is absolutely critical for women in technology to create and maintain that network whether that is a virtual, electronic or an in-person network...."

:51:27:
Why is driving alignment between business and IT more important than ever?
"....Simply because of the connectiveness between business and IT....For the business to succeed in this internet age you have to have a very good IT infrastructure, a fantastic disaster recovery plan, and great process in place just in case the worst happens and you have an interruption in your service....IT is becoming a core part of business...."

:53:24:
How does the recession deliver unparalleled opportunities for innovation?
"....One of the key things that we are noticing here in the UK is that innovation is occurring at a much smaller company level than big companies. Big companies, because of their investments and their overhead and their enormous fixed costs, are probably slower to move out of the recession than smaller more agile companies...."

:55:13:
What can be done to find new opportunities to grow the business?
"....You need to look at the new technology improvements out there and try to think outside of the box...."

:56:56:
How do you manage change?
"....Once in a while something appears that significantly enhances your life and that's the one that you've got to use. The trouble is how do you know if it's going to enhance your life unless you try more of them and that's the challenge. Quite often if I haven't got time, I listen to what the community is saying and just go with their recommendation...."

:01:00:24:
Please make predictions for the future, their implications, and how business executives and IT professionals can best prepare?
"....More flexible workforces - the ability to work anywhere and on any device....Ease of collaboration....The ability to transfer information seamlessly...."

:01:02:46:
What do you see as the three top challenges facing us today and how do you propose they be solved?
"....Security....Geological boundaries....Politics...."

:01:05:29:
What are the best job resources for IT professionals?
"....Microsoft TechNet website...."

:01:06:25:
Please provide your views on the IFIP IP3 program on professionalizing the profession. [http://www.IPThree.org]
"....For the IT profession, this is such a critical path. I think there is a need for an internationally recognized standards body that recognizes the IT profession...."