Check out highlights from the 2024 Metis Strategy Summit | Read more

Highlights from our recent Metis Strategy Summit are below. Check out our Youtube channel and Technovation podcast in the coming weeks for recordings of the conversations. 

Organizations across industries are moving beyond initial AI experimentation, focusing on driving implementation, proving and measuring ROI, and developing the next generation of talent as they apply AI to a broader number of business challenges. 

As multiple executives emphasized, strong data foundations are essential to any successful AI implementation. Marina Bellini, President of Global Business Services at Mars, noted that the hype around AI has led to more focus on ensuring those foundations are in place. “This is the dream of the CIO: that people will actually start working on data quality.” 

This year has also seen increased focus on AI’s ability to deliver value. Augment CEO Scott Dietzen said 2024 “is the year where tech teams are looking for proof and return on investment,” something not always clear or easy to measure for software such as Copilot productivity tools.  

Turning Business Challenges into Data Problems

Organizations are finding new and innovative ways to apply data and AI to business challenges. Royal Caribbean Group CIO Martha Poulter described how the company transformed traditional food service operations into data-driven processes. Initially, “you would order what you thought, cook what you thought, and serve what you thought. It was gut based,” she explained. By measuring proteins before and after cooking and analyzing everything from ordering to de-thawing to waste, Royal Caribbean was able to generate tens of millions in savings while improving sustainability. “You’d never think food can be an AI problem, but it is,” Poulter said. 

Similarly, Avis Budget Group is using an AI-based modeling and prediction system to address asset utilization challenges and ensure cars are on the road for the greatest amount of time. Chief Digital & Innovation Officer Ravi Simhambhatla explained how the company is aiming to break through the 70% utilization ceiling for its vehicle fleet. “If you have physical assets that aren’t being utilized, it’s costing the company money,” he said. “We hit this glass ceiling and asked ourselves why can’t we go to 80% or 90%? It turns out it’s data.” 

Bridging Business and Tech to Deliver Value at Scale 

Technology leaders discussed various approaches to managing and organizing AI initiatives across their organizations. A common thread across nearly all of them was the importance of bringing together technology and business leaders to identify valuable use cases and deliver on them faster. NRG’s Chief Data and Technology Officer, Dak Liyanearachchi, talked about establishing a transformation office that bridges data, business, and technology teams. At Berkadia, an AI Council that includes both business partners and technology leaders drives deeper engagement and keeps discussions focused on value, Chief Information and Innovation Officer Damu Bashyam said. 

As mentioned throughout the event, these new organizational structures place particular emphasis on modern technology stacks and data practices. Nicholas Parrotta, Chief Digital and Information Officer at HARMAN International, outlined the company’s evolution from infrastructure-as-a-service to data-as-a-service, and using that data to create more personalized experiences on wheels as the world moves toward autonomous vehicles. “We start with how we do the big stuff with architecture, then product, and now data and being able to drive those as revenue and capabilities,” he said.

Capital One CIO Rob Alexander detailed the company’s platform strategy, explaining how the organization built dedicated infrastructure for machine learning, feature engineering, and now generative AI applications. When it comes to AI, he noted that while it’s “easy to get 70% accuracy out of the box, all the work is getting from 70-75% accuracy, which involves training and fine tuning.” Being in a position to leverage AI today has been a 12-year journey for Capital One, Alexander said, one that has included transforming “everything about who we are” to become a successful technology company and a winner in the banking industry.  

Navigating AI’s Implementation Hurdles 

Leaders emphasized the need for pragmatic approaches to AI implementation. Mastercard CTO Ed McLaughlin noted three questions a review panel considers when evaluating the feasibility of a new AI initiative: “Does it work, is it worth doing, and does it align to our ethics?” If ChatGPT-style search responses are 10 times more expensive than traditional methods, for example, the question then is whether they can deliver 12 times more value or be that much more useful. McLaughlin underscored the need to assess both the right way to solve a particular problem and whether there are returns on the work being done. 

Dietzen added that NPS and engineer satisfaction can also be indicative of value. “If you make engineers delighted, you’ll tend to do well in your organization,” he said.

Chris Davis, Partner and West Coast Office Lead at Metis Strategy, advises technology leaders to ensure that there is product management in every layer of the AI stack, including the application of AI to business processes, the marketplace of horizontal and reusable capabilities across use cases, and underlying foundational models and model development. Business value should be measured relative to components of the stack, especially with generative AI, Davis said.

Effective product management requires teams across the organization to sharpen their product mindset. Cigna’s Chief Digital & Analytics Officer Katya Andresen outlined three elements of that product mindset: identifying real problems for real users, validating through testing and learning, and unlocking value. She cautioned against common pitfalls like “death by a thousand pilots,” in which proofs of concept pile up and eventually become unmanageable. Organizational silos can present a challenge. “We find a lot of opportunities to streamline operations, but there has to be a really deep partnership across tech and ops,” she said. Otherwise, “tech gets upset that ops don’t use their products and ops says well what you gave us didn’t solve our problem.”

Developing Future-Ready Talent

Organizations are rethinking their talent development strategies as the landscape evolves. That involves both upskilling internal talent and expanding talent pools across geographies. Land O’Lakes CTO Teddy Bekele described moving from a roughly 50-50 mix of in-house and external talent to a model in which contractors and third parties make up a more significant portion of the talent pool, taking on much of the development work while in-house employees lead the teams. The approach  allows for increased flexibility in team sizes depending on shifting enterprise needs. The change was driven by three key factors: accessing expertise, maintaining flexibility to scale teams up or down, and increasing nimbleness. 

Upskilling also remains a key focus. At FINRA, Chief Technology Engineering Officer Tigran Khrimian’s team is teaching developers generative AI skills and has seen demonstrable success with using natural language prompting to create “good code” for the company. “Developers with code assistant tools will replace developers who don’t use them,” he said.

Corning’s Chief Digital and Information Officer Soumya Seetharam detailed the company’s three-pronged approach to talent development: creating strategic digital and IT hubs around the world to ensure global talent access; launching a digital literacy program with dedicated “revitalization days” for learning rather than meetings; and expanding the talent pipeline through technology internship and rotational development programs globally. “In the future every person for every function will have some technology in their background,” she predicted.

The Technology Leader’s Expanding Purview

Technology leadership roles are undergoing significant transformation, reflecting the strategic importance of technology in business operations. According to Katie Graham Shannon, global head of the Digital and Technology Officers Practice at Heidrick & Struggles, the traditional CIO title is becoming less common. Of 23 recent technology leader placements at Fortune 200 companies,18 did not have the CIO title, and 52% were newly created positions with expanded roles. She noted that there is also a shift in reporting structures, with more CIOs reporting to the CEO, and a greater focus on technology leaders’ ability to create and protect value and attract talent, among other responsibilities.

“If we could use the title ‘orchestrator’ it would make more sense,” Shannon added, explaining that today’s technology leaders create value and orchestrate initiatives across the entire C-suite. This expanded scope includes both customer-facing initiatives and internal operational efficiencies with “equal pressure and emphasis” in both areas.

The role is also becoming more business-oriented, particularly in relation to managing technologies like AI. “A properly formatted conversation about AI is not a tech conversation, it’s a business conversation,” observed Henry Man, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Candela Search. This presents an opportunity for technology leaders to “have a seat at the table” when business colleagues might lean out of technical discussions. 

That expanded purview extends to technology leaders on boards or seeking director positions. “There’s no market for a one-issue board member,” said Art Hopkins, who leads the Technology Officers Practice at Russell Reynolds. “You need to show business acumen and a P&L. Go to the CEO and say I’d like to be the executive sponsor of this new incubator. This is a solid step in that direction.”

This article was written by Manvi Seth, Senior Associate, Ben Calder, Senior Associate, and Zander Lopez, Media Producer at Metis Strategy.

In a milestone moment for Metis Strategy, our entire firm recently gathered in Washington, DC—the city where our story began—for our first all-hands offsite since 2019. The energy was electric as team members from across our offices came together, many meeting face-to-face for the first time. “We’ve grown so much in recent years, and meeting in person made that growth feel real,” reflected Mike, highlighting our firm’s remarkable journey of doubling in size since our last gathering. “Spending time together outside of our day-to-day consulting work has been a game changer for strengthening relationships, especially between our different offices.”

The offsite’s professional development agenda struck an ideal balance between forward-looking innovation and practical skill-building. Our teams dove deep into an AI workshop, exploring cutting-edge technologies shaping our industry’s future. We also collaborated on refining our management playbook, sharing best practices and insights across experience levels. A particular highlight was the “PowerPoint Karaoke” session, which proved to be both challenging and entertaining. As Amy, one of our newer team members, shared: “Although I was initially daunted by the idea of PowerPoint Karaoke and speaking in front of the entire firm, the encouragement I received eased my nerves and allowed me to just focus on laughing at myself (and everyone else).”

Team bonding took center stage through carefully crafted activities that showcased DC’s historic charm while fostering collaboration. Teams competed in an exciting scavenger hunt around the National Mall, followed by a spirited field day that brought out everyone’s competitive spirit. “Meeting everyone across the firm in DC for the first time was incredible!” exclaimed Hamza. “I loved getting to connect, socialize, and team up with so many amazing people… And let’s not forget the scenic boat ride on the Potomac or the dance moves during our post-dinner adventures—it was the perfect mix of work and play!”

The impact of in-person connection was undeniable. Allyson captured this sentiment perfectly: “You can’t beat the energy of in-person collaboration. The offsite proved that the benefits of being present with the team, building essential connections and learning as a group is both powerful and energizing.” This energy translated into tangible benefits, with teams gaining deeper appreciation for their colleagues’ work across different offices and practice areas. As Tony noted, “Nothing quite beats the personal connection. People and relationships are foundational to work that we do and getting an opportunity to create, and recreate, those human connections with our growing team was not only a great pleasure, but a great investment in our team and our business.”

As we continue to grow and evolve, we’re more excited than ever about the future of Metis Strategy. The offsite reinforced what makes our firm special: our people and our commitment to collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Mike summed it up perfectly: “The boost in collaboration after the offsite is undeniable, and it’s one more reason to be excited about what’s ahead.” If you’re passionate about making an impact and working with an exceptional team, we’d love to hear from you. Join us as we continue to write the next chapter of our story.

October 29, 2024
Virgin Hotels, New York City, NY

We are thrilled to announce that our Metis Strategy Summit will take place live in New York City. On Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., we’ll hear from technology leaders, investors and entrepreneurs about the trends shaping the business and technology landscape today, from the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence to the macroeconomic and geopolitical shifts impacting global organizations. Other topics include:

Please note, this is an invite-only event for C-level technology leaders. If you are interested in attending, click here to request an invitation. Stay tuned for a venue announcement and agenda updates coming soon. We look forward to seeing you in New York!

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Click here for highlights from our most recent Digital Symposium, and stay tuned to our YouTube channel for videos of our panel discussions.)


8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Registrant Check-in

Arrive early to check in and collect your event materials. This time allows you to settle in, familiarize yourself with the venue, and start connecting with other attendees before the day’s sessions kick off.

Additional arrival information will be distributed to ensure a smooth start to your day.


9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks

Peter High, President of Metis Strategy, kicks off the event with a brief introduction of the day’s sessions and the Metis Strategy team.


9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
AI-Driven Customer Experience

This discussion will explore how organizations are using AI to deliver more personalized and dynamic experiences for customers and employees, and how the digital customer experience is evolving in the era of generative AI agents and more powerful models


9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Project-to-Product’s Next Frontier

The ongoing shift to product-oriented operating models has begun to erode the traditional silos between business and IT and presented technology leaders with new opportunities and challenges. This panel will examine the future of the product model as companies become increasingly experience-centric and AI becomes a bigger part of the equation.  


10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Augment CEO Scott Dietzen

The rise of generative AI sparked a wave of coding assistants promising new paradigms for software development and greater productivity. In this panel, Augment CEO Scott Dietzen will share insights on the current state of the industry and where coding assistants are headed next. 


10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Coffee and Networking Break

Take a moment to grab a coffee and meet fellow attendees. This break offers a great chance to start conversations, share perspectives, and establish connections that will enrich the discussions throughout the day. Use this time to engage with industry leaders and peers before diving into the sessions.


10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
To Innovate at Scale, You Have to Modernize. How Companies Balance Both. 

To take advantage of the latest technologies, organizations need a modern tech stack. At the same time, they need to ensure necessary legacy systems don’t become a drag on progress. In this session, panelists will share how they are driving ambitious modernization roadmaps and creating the mindset for change.


11:20 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Advancing Data Strategy and Measuring AI’s Value

As AI experiments have flourished, technology leaders are now focused on another acronym: ROI. Panelists will share how they are measuring AI’s business value, identifying initiatives that will drive the greatest impact inside their organizations, and ensuring a strong data strategy to guide it all.


11:50 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.
Fireside Chat: The Path from CIO to CEO

Mike Clifton joined Alorica as CIO in 2021. This spring, he was named Co-CEO. The former technology and operations leader at Cognizant, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and the Hanover Insurance Group, among others, will share lessons learned throughout his journey and offer tips for CIOs seeking to expand their purviews. He is joined by fellow Co-CEO Max Schwendner.


12:05 p.m. – 1:05 p.m.
Lunch and Networking Break 

Recharge and refuel while continuing the conversation with colleagues and new connections. Whether deepening discussions from the morning sessions or exploring fresh ideas, this lunch break offers the perfect setting for meaningful exchanges in a more relaxed environment.


1:05 p.m. – 1:35 p.m.
Next-Gen Talent Operating Models

In today’s talent landscape, a mindset of continuous learning is key to success. This session will explore how companies are upskilling their teams for the future while navigating a world of work in which tech and business teams are more intertwined than ever.


1:35 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. 
Responsible AI: Value Proposition and Opportunities 

Operationalizing AI is widely believed to be a compelling and potentially game-changing value proposition but one that comes with a myriad of unique and dynamic risks. Organizations are therefore aiming to practice “responsible AI”, the development, deployment, and use of AI capabilities in a transparent, accountable, legal, and ethical manner. Panelists share their insights and approaches for developing and deploying AI responsibly for the benefit of their respective organizations and their many stakeholders.


2:05 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Unlocking ROI: Cloud Strategies for the Next AI Wave

This session will explore the symbiotic relationship between cloud and AI, the modernization decisions CIOs can make now to prepare their companies for the next AI wave, and the workload considerations needed to ensure newfound AI efforts deliver ROI. 


2:20 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.
The Expanding Innovation Ecosystem 

Technology leaders today understand that new ways of thinking don’t come only from inside an organization’s four walls. These leaders will share how they are leveraging external partners, peer networks, and new innovation frameworks access to new technologies becomes ever more democratized,  


2:50 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.
Fireside Chat: Tanium CEO Dan Streetman

As hackers get more sophisticated and new tools proliferate, today’s cybersecurity landscape is more complex than ever. In this discussion, Tanium CEO Dan Streetman shares how technology leaders can manage through that complexity and protect their organizations from the next wave of threats.


3:05 p.m. – 3:35 p.m.
The Changing Role of the Technology Leader: Executive Recruiter Perspectives

The role of today’s digital and technology leaders seems to be changing as quickly as the technology they oversee. In this panel, executive recruiters share perspectives on how the title and purview of the modern technology executive is evolving as advances in AI and other innovations reshape organizations around the world.


3:35 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Fireside Chat: Remaining Nimble and Resilient in a Constantly Changing World 

With the US Presidential election just days away and the global economic outlook in flux, companies across the globe are preparing for a variety of scenarios that could impact their strategies going forward. In this fireside chat, the Co-Head of the Goldman Sachs Institute will discuss how technology leaders can put their organizations in a position of readiness and resilience as they prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead. 


3:50 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks

Peter High, President of Metis Strategy, will reflect on the day’s key takeaways and the insights shared both onstage and off. As the event draws to a close, Peter will set the stage for future discussions on innovation, technology leadership, and transformation.


4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Reception

Enjoy light refreshments and continue the conversation in a more casual setting. The reception provides a final chance to network, solidify new relationships, and unwind with peers after a full day of learning.


(Click here for highlights from our most recent Digital Symposium, and check out our YouTube channel for videos of the panel discussions.)

Company culture forever changed when remote work became the norm. In a remote-first work environment, maintaining a sense of community and shared purpose can be challenging. However, at Metis Strategy, we believe in the importance of making time for in-person collaboration, even when we are miles apart. Our Day of Service exemplifies this commitment, as associates, managers, and partners from across the country gather regionally to make a positive impact in their local communities.

This year, teams in D.C., Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, and more participated in service activities centered around the theme of sustainability. As we head back to our respective offices, we’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with colleagues, uniting behind the common goal of helping others. 

Chris D, Jasmeet, Rana, Becca, Salil, Akash, Grace, Matt C
From left to right: (Back Row) Salil Dokey, Akash Baskaran, Matt Chegus, Becca Salisbury, Rana Abbaszadeh, Chris Davis (Front Row) Jasmeet Singh, Guillermo Vasquez, Grace Cozier 

The Bay Area Squad worked with Indigenous Permaculture, an urban farming group that uses regenerative farming practices to feed those in need across the San Francisco and East Bay Area. The team mulched, weeded, planted, and fixed irrigation lines on their Treasure Island plot. The day was both productive and educational, as the team learned about the importance of sustainable agriculture and community partnerships in empowering communities to develop self-sustainable ways of living.

“It was interesting learning about how pairing certain plants next to each other can act as a natural pesticide,” said Becca Salisbury, an associate on the West Coast team. “We also enjoyed learning how this group teams up with local farms and restaurants to distribute food about to go bad to those in need.” 

Surrounded by nature, coworkers, and a spirit of collaboration, the team not only gave back to the community but also gained a deeper understanding of the crucial role local wildlife ecosystems play in supporting sustainable farming practices. It was a powerful reminder of the impact that collaboration, and just a little bit of mulch, can have in nurturing both the environment and the community.

From left to right: (Back Row) Alex Kraus, Ben Calder, Max Meyer, Peter High (Front Row) Leila Shaban, Brandon Metzger, Jillian Fielder, Manvi Seth

Across the country, the D.C.-based Titans gathered in support of the Rock Creek Conservatory, a watershed organization aimed at restoring, protecting, and supporting the natural oasis of Rock Creek Park. This group, which included our President Peter High, took on the task of picking up trash around the parklands.

“D.C. is such a beautiful city, and it felt good to contribute to that maintenance effort for a few hours,” said Jillian Fielder, an associate from the East Coast team who organized the event. “At the end of the day, we had a few decently full bags of trash which included everything from Styrofoam packing materials to beer bottles to candy bar wrappers. I’m really proud that Metis Strategy continues to make community engagement and service a firm-wide focus.” 

The day was marked by teamwork and a shared sense of purpose, showcasing these Titans’ commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement. Following the event, the team gathered in the park to celebrate with a Capo Deli lunch.

From left to right: Eva Maxcy, Kelley Dougherty, Katherine Kennedy

Our Titans in Texas made a strong impact, representing Metis Strategy across Dallas, Houston, and Austin. Kelley Dougherty, Eva Maxcy, and Katherine Kennedy spent the day sorting food donations with Meals for Kids Houston, an organization whose mission is to end childhood hunger by delivering healthy meals directly to the homes of children in the Houston area facing extreme hunger. 

In recent weeks, the Houston area experienced unprecedented severe weather, which caused the Meals for Kids warehouse to lose power and forced the organization to discard a significant amount of perishable goods that had gone bad without refrigeration. “You could tell the organization was very worried that the weather issues would impact their ability to provide food for these kids,” said Kelley. “It felt great to be part of the community that stepped up to make sure that wouldn’t happen.”

The Houston-based trio couldn’t have stepped in at a better time, joining a community-wide effort to support an organization in a time of need. While everyone was united in the common purpose of community service, a friendly sorting competition also served as an exercise in teamwork.

The Day of Service was a major success across Metis Strategy. In addition to the stories shared above, Titans in other parts of the country also found ways to meet up, volunteer, and spend valuable time together without a screen in between. 

At Metis Strategy, the Day of Service is more than just another company event; it serves as a reminder for us all to give back to our communities and strengthen our interpersonal relationships at work and beyond. We are proud of the dedication and hard work displayed by all of our teams and look forward to continuing this tradition of service and collaboration for years to come.

This article was written by Leila Shaban, Research Associate at Metis Strategy

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the 17th Metis Strategy Digital Symposium. Highlights from the event are below. Check out Metis Strategy’s Youtube channel and Technovation podcast in the coming weeks for recordings of each conversation. 

Companies continue to make progress in their AI journeys, deploying the technology to drive efficiency, productivity and innovation. Technology leaders are focused now on driving adoption, generating buy-in for new initiatives, and rolling out new training programs to ensure teams across the enterprise are able to take advantage of what AI has to offer. Below are a few highlights from the event: 

Building a foundation for AI at scale

Nearly all CIOs on stage said scalable infrastructure and high-quality, accessible data are key to driving value from AI initiatives. Over the past few years, many organizations have focused on building data platforms, shifting to cloud and rethinking ways of working in order to deliver AI at scale. “Having a really good data infrastructure is foundational to taking advantage of any of these generative AI capabilities,” Priceline CTO Marty Brodbeck said. Many speakers noted their current efforts to get reliable data into the hands of more teams across their organizations.

Nearly half of MSDS attendees said that the rapid evolution of AI, among other macro issues, will have the biggest impact on their organizations in the year ahead

Exploring new use cases

Many organizations continue to train generative AI on internal knowledge bases to streamline processes and enable more self service. CIOs also see potential around developer productivity.

Bristol Myers Squibb receives thousands of calls from physicians and nurse practitioners each day requesting information about specific, often technical, topics, Chief Digital and Technology Officer Greg Meyers said. MDs on the other side of the call often find those answers in internal documents. Now, an AI chatbot trained on the company’s knowledge base can search through the documents to retrieve answers to these questions much faster. With enough fine tuning, Meyers noted the chatbot could constrain search results to trusted documents and help agents provide near-immediate answers to customer queries.

At UPS, Chief Digital and Technology Officer Bala Subramanian recently launched an internal AI tool for email which can process the tens of thousands of customer emails UPS receives on a daily basis, connect relevant information across internal policies and procedures, and generate responses for contact center employees. This ultimately improves worker productivity and reduces response time. UPS also launched an AI chatbot to help employees answer HR questions. Subramanian noted that the company is proceeding slowly due to the sensitive information and personal data in HR systems, and emphasized the critical role of risk management and governance.

At AstraZeneca, AI is significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to conduct research. Cindy Hoots, Chief Digital and Information Officer, described a generative AI-enabled research assistant that quickly searches both internal and external data to answer complex scientific questions. The assistant has helped reduce the time it takes to conduct a literature review from months to minutes, she said. Hoots is now focused on scaling AI adoption. About 15,000 employees use the research assistant, she said, while roughly 5,000 use Copilot solutions and almost 80,000 have access to AstraZeneca’s internal ChatGPT. 

At KB Home, employees evaluate a number land deals across 35 markets every week. Aggregating property data from different sources to determine whether to make an acquisition used to take 30-90 days, CIO Greg Moore said. With AI, KB Home can now complete the process in less than two weeks. The faster turnaround now enables the company to make more evaluations and manage more potential deals in the pipeline. 

Developer productivity is another area of rapid experimentation. Many of the tools offered by major vendors are in their early days and have room to grow, said Brodbeck of Priceline. The team is exploring solutions that can learn from Priceline’s codebase and provide a richer and more contextual experience. Whether for code generation or another use case, Brodbeck said companies will likely need to deploy retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to deliver more productivity. 

At Augment, CEO Scott Dietzen is thinking about how to retrieve knowledge from internal codebases in a way that protects intellectual property and reduces the risk of leaking sensitive information. The team started with basic engineering tasks that can make developers more productive rather than trying to replace them altogether. Demand for these kinds of tools will last for at least a decade as organizations produce more software, Dietzen said.

The top use cases for digital assistants/copilots that are driving the most value for MSDS attendees are code generation, self-service chatbots, and enterprise search/knowledge management

Bringing the organization along on the AI journey

To drive a common understanding and widespread adoption of AI, CIOs have increased their focus on storytelling and talent development.

At Wilson Sonsini, Chief Information Officer Michael Lucas is focused on cascading AI communications across the firm. His team started with a general awareness campaign. That included employee town halls to communicate the broader strategy as well as AI-centric briefings to partners. Given the sea of media coverage about AI, Lucas encouraged leaders to develop their own elevator pitch to help their organizations clearly understand the company’s AI strategy. Driving a common understanding across the firm is key to driving adoption. “We feel like we need to learn, understand, enrich, and then apply and operationalize,” Lucas said. 

At Liberty Mutual, Global Chief Information Officer Monica Caldas is delivering customized employee training and connecting it to the company’s capacity demands across 27 countries. It’s part of a workforce strategy plan called “skills to fuel our future.” First, the company surveyed more than 5,000 employees to determine their skill level around topics like data, data engineering and software engineering. Next, the company mapped over 150 skills, connected them to 18 domains, and assessed how and where to invest in training. 

Now, Caldas and her team are helping employees apply that training to a variety of career paths. Instead of a traditional career development ladder, Liberty Mutual is evaluating how to map skills to different jobs and create a “jungle gym” or “lattice of opportunities.” The focus on specific skills, Caldas said, “will help you position your capabilities as a tech organization not just for today, but also plan out where it’s going.”

Education at the executive level is also critical. To bring executives along on the journey, Caldas introduced a program called Executech that helps improve organizational data literacy and elevates the digital IQ of decision makers. Enhancing teams’ tech acumen gives leaders the confidence to start conversations early about important technology topics like API integration. 

AI adoption may not be uniform, and there is still lots to learn about how it will impact specific roles. At Eli Lilly, employees who have incorporated AI tools into their workflow are reluctant to give them up, said Diogo Rau, Chief Information and Digital Officer. However, widespread adoption is a continuous and sometimes challenging process, “a lot harder than anyone would guess,” Rau said. 

Rau often gets more questions about the risks of AI than how it can be used to improve products and services. Another challenge is that teams excited about creating AI bots aren’t always excited about maintaining or training them. “There are lots of good firefighters, but not every firefighter wants to be a fire inspector,” he said. 

62% of technology executives who attended the Metis Strategy Digital Symposium anticipate that the most significant impact that AI will have on talent is increased productivity 

Leveraging ecosystem partners

Achieving the transformative potential of generative AI will require collaborating with networks of vendors, startups, peers, and academics. In addition to providing technology solutions, these ecosystem partners can help upskill employees, explore emerging challenges, and prototype new use cases. 

Amir Kazmi, Chief Information and Digital Officer at WestRock, draws learnings from both established technology partners and startups. He also brings in academics and peers from other companies to share wins and lessons learned about generative AI.  

Regal Rexnord’s Tim Dickson, Chief Digital and Information Officer, uses hackathons and internal events with vendor partners to increase the company’s digital IQ. The company also offers self-paced training from about 10 partners that includes pathways to certification. In the past seven months, more than 100 employees have received training on GenAI fundamentals from Databricks and robotic process automation from UiPath, as well as certifications from Microsoft Copilot. Even if employees don’t use these tools every day, increasing the number of people with technical skills means more individuals “can at least help, or even lead, these initiatives across the organization,” Dickson said.

CommScope CIO Praveen Jonnala, like many other technology executives, is thinking about how to drive a cultural shift around AI. He spends about 80% of his time on organizational change management and culture. He is also leaning into existing partnerships to take advantage of new AI solutions and educate teams. For example, he took business teams to Microsoft for a full day to learn more about the technology and its ability to unlock new business opportunities. 

CHEVY CHASE, MD., April 4, 2024 – Metis Strategy, a strategy and management consulting firm purpose-built for digital and technology leaders, has been recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Fastest-Growing Companies in the Americas for the second consecutive year.

The prestigious award recognizes Metis Strategy among 500 companies that achieved the highest compound annual growth (CAGR) between 2019 and 2022. Metis Strategy’s organic growth speaks to the firm’s ability to truly partner with executives in advancing their organizations and personal ambitions through pragmatic solutions, powerful insights, and networking opportunities. Teams primarily based in the Washington, D.C. area, Dallas, TX and the San Francisco Bay Area enable the firm to serve clients throughout the United States and internationally. 

“We are proud to be recognized as one of The Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies by the Financial Times for the second year in a row,” said Metis Strategy President Peter High. “This is a testament to our team’s impactful work in shaping digital transformation strategies across industries while remaining agile in a fast-changing environment. We are grateful to our clients and members of our broader ecosystem for their partnership.”

From premier C-level counsel to strategy-setting and execution, clients partner with Metis Strategy at critical points in their business journeys. With a focus on enriching business leadership through in-depth content and active relationships, Metis has earned a reputation as the trusted advisor to senior executives at the nexus of business, technology, and innovation. Metis Strategy has also been recognized as one of the Top 50 Boutique Consulting Firms to Work for in North America by Vault and is certified as a Great Place To Work™

About Metis Strategy: With more than two decades of experience, Metis Strategy is a boutique strategy and management consulting firm focused on the intersection of business, technology, and innovation. Serving mainly Fortune 500 and Forbes Global 2000 companies, areas of specialty include business strategy, digital transformation, technology strategy and operations, growth and scale strategy, and organizational change. We help define new products or services for clients, design improved customer and employee experiences through digital capabilities, and advise organizations on how they can achieve favorable business outcomes more efficiently and effectively. 

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This article was written by Marjorie Freeman.

A data strategy is a plan of action to manage an organization’s data assets across its technology, processes, and people. In practice, that entails understanding how data is generated, where and why it is consumed, and how its use helps organizations achieve strategic objectives.  

On Metis Strategy’s Technovation podcast, Peter High has interviewed many global, digital-forward CIOs about their data strategies. Below are insights from those leaders about how companies can use enterprise data assets to their fullest potential. 

Tie data to business outcomes 

Artificial intelligence has been top of mind for many organizations, even more so in 2023 with the rise of ChatGPT and increased discussion around generative AI. This has prompted a multitude of conversations around AI’s core facet: data, and how it can drive the business forward.

During the February 2023 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Krzystof Soltan, the Chief Information Officer of Vulcan Materials Company, and Anupam Khare, the Chief Information Officer of Oshkosh Corporation, shared their experiences building data strategy into complex, scaled organizations

At Oshkosh, Khare leads with the question: “How do we extract financial value from data by bringing people and data together?” The company is working to become what Khare calls a predictable enterprise, using four fundamental principles to guide the journey:

For Vulcan Materials, data strategy is linked to the organization’s technology strategy. “It always comes back to business value, the time to value, how fast we are able to provide the insights” Soltan said. Vulcan Materials’ looks to the following principles to guide its data and analytics work:  

Both Khare and Soltan’s stories underscore the need to tie data strategy to business value, work toward a common tech stack, and engage people at every level of the organization in the data journey.  

Develop a strong data governance plan

OneDigital, which provides customizable and cost-effective HR solutions to organizations and their workforces, acquires around 30 organizations per year. This is no easy feat, but CIO Marcia Calleja-Matsko strives to create a seamless experience for every organization that is onboarded.

When acquiring a new organization, especially one in a different vertical or industry, it is important to ensure there is a consistent record across multiple platforms, Calleja-Matsko says. Cue the single source of truth, or what she calls the “golden record.” Once that record has been created, it must be maintained.

Over the years, Calleja-Matsko has been working to build OneDigital’s data strategy in three key ways:

If data is the new oil and speed is the currency of business, then data governance is the link that fuses the two. For more, see Michael Bertha’s commentary: Data Strategy at the Speed of Business.

Drive data literacy across the enterprise 

CIOs play an instrumental role in creating a common language around data and making sure teams across the enterprise have the tools and concepts they need to harness data effectively. To develop this data literacy, many organizations have built enterprise-wide curriculums and training resources.

Monica Caldas, the CIO of Liberty Mutual, which has its own professional development training programs, including one specifically geared toward executives, said it well: 

“Technology is everybody’s responsibility these days in terms of understanding what it can do. Everyone that sits around the table needs to be beyond, ‘How do I click this?’ and [be] somewhat well versed [in topics like] what can an API do, and why does that matter.” 

Many organizations have launched digital academies to train employees on digital skills, including technology and data literacy. In 2019, for example, Toyota launched an academy to knock down the invisible wall often found between IT and the business and give end users greater knowledge of the software they use every day. “The idea was to not just train IT, but everyone across the organization.” said then Chief Innovation, Strategy and Digital Officer, Vipin Gupta. The approach has empowered associates across the business to truly understand how to capitalize on the tools, data, and processes at their disposal. 

Data literacy is also key to enabling citizen development, an approach that encourages those outside IT to contribute to software development, often via low-code/no-code tools. Paired with increased data literacy, this can make it easier for teams across organizations to apply data and analytics to their work and accelerate time to insight.  

Chief Information and Digitization Officer of Reckitt Benckiser Group, Filippo Catalano encourages executives to create opportunities for properly governed self-service data access:

You want to also make sure that, as much as possible, everybody in the company becomes a data scientist. … Get out of the way so you can unleash creativity, empower people everywhere in the organization to do what they need to do on data and analytics, but also to do it on the right platforms so that things are done in a fair way, but also in a safe way. 

CIOs, CDIOs, and CDOs are in incredible positions to influence the change they’d like to see within their organizations. Directly engaging individuals in the company’s data journey through hands-on learning opportunities can not only build knowledge and morale, but also can catalyze new competitive advantages.

Tell a compelling story

Any successful data strategy needs a compelling, ambitious vision and a clear path to success that resonates across an organization. CIOs, then, need skillful storytelling to get buy-in from multiple stakeholders and create forward momentum.

Telling the story effectively means, once again, putting business outcomes front and center. “I can talk all day about ‘hey, you should have data governance and you should think about a data lake or a single view of the customer,’” said Dak Liyanearachchi, Head of Data and Technology at NRG Energy. “All of those are really interesting, but what does it really mean to the organization?”  

One useful move includes thinking about data as an enterprise asset that requires strong partnership across every part of the business. While companies can notch small wins leveraging data within silos, the real benefit comes when that great work logically connects across the organization. 

“If you think about connecting the dots across the value chain, that’s where you start to see some significant business opportunities,” Liyanearachchi said. When that happens, “the value you bring multiplies at a faster rate.”  

CHEVY CHASE, MD., May 17, 2023 – Metis Strategy, a boutique management and strategy consulting firm focused on the intersection of business, technology, and innovation, is proud to receive the 2023 Great Place To Work Certification™. Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention, and increased innovation. 

The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Metis Strategy. This year, the vast majority of employees consider Metis Strategy a great place to work, well above the U.S. average. About 97% said the company provides a significant amount of responsibility, is honest and ethical in its business practices, and gives everyone an opportunity for special recognition.

“We are honored to have earned the 2023 Great Place To Work Certification,” said Peter High, President of Metis Strategy. “I am grateful to my colleagues who make Metis Strategy an amazing place to work, and I am proud they continue to be recognized for the collaborative, team-based culture they drive at the firm.”

“Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,” says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasized that Certification is the only official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Metis Strategy stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.”

This certification follows Metis Strategy’s recent recognition as one of the Top 50 Boutique Consulting Firms to Work for in North America in 2023 by Vault and one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies 2023 by the Financial Times. As a relationship-oriented firm, Metis Strategy tailors its work to clients’ unique needs. Metis Strategy has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and partner to some of the world’s most innovative and successful companies through its people-first culture built on collaboration, diversity, and inclusion.  

About Metis Strategy: With more than two decades of experience, Metis Strategy is a boutique strategy and management consulting firm focused on the intersection of business, technology, and innovation. Serving mainly Fortune 500 and Forbes Global 2000 companies, areas of specialty include business strategy, digital transformation, technology strategy and operations, growth and scale strategy, and organizational change. We help define new products or services for clients, design improved customer and employee experiences through digital capabilities, and advise organizations on how they can achieve favorable business outcomes more efficiently and effectively. 

Learn more about Metis Strategy

Read about our work

Listen to the Technovation podcast, featuring interviews with top technology leaders

Explore career opportunities

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the 13th Metis Strategy Digital Symposium. As 2023 approaches the halfway point, leaders convened to discuss the rapidly changing economic, technological and geopolitical landscape and its impact on strategy in the months ahead.

Highlights from the event are below. Stay tuned to the Metis Strategy Youtube channel and Technovation podcast in the coming weeks for recordings of individual panel discussions. 

A changing geopolitical landscape and the rise of generative AI  

As tensions continue to escalate around the world, technology leaders must understand and prepare for new geopolitical dynamics. Jared Cohen, Co-Head of the Office of Applied Innovation and President of Global Affairs at Goldman Sachs, argued that the notion of hyperglobalization ended before the COVID pandemic and that the world now faces a reorientation of supply chains and capital flows. 

Technology executives are playing close attention to changing value chains and alliances. “Technology is changing geopolitics, and geopolitics is changing technology,” said Cohen. One of the biggest areas where technology is currently influencing geopolitics is in the area of generative AI, which Cohen dubbed as the “most disruptive experiment in anarchy” since the internet. He warned about the risk of people deploying large language models for “bad use cases” to cause real problems in international systems. While there is significant discussion around which companies have superior large language models, he noted a desire for the conversation to focus more on the implications of generative AI for the world. 

George Lee, another Co-Head of the Applied Innovation Office at Goldman Sachs, said generative AI is dominating discussions with boards and management teams around the world. While its rapid growth offers many fascinating possibilities, it has also disturbed the human desire for order and linearity. Lee noted how creators are being constantly surprised as the emerging technology develops. “Anyone who tells you they know where this is going, how fast it’s going, and what our destination is, is just wrong.”

MSDS attendees say customer service is a top AI use case in 2023.

Preparing organizations for generative AI at scale 

While conversations around generative AI have taken the world by storm, technology leaders today play a key role in translating the hype into reality. That means not only vetting new use cases for the technology, but also educating their teams about the benefits and risks of generative AI and creating policies that encourage innovation while ensuring responsible use.  

The three areas that leaders expect innovation to deliver the most value in this year are customer experience, internal process transformation, and product/service development.

“It takes courage to take a step back and say, maybe let’s not fall into the hype, let’s go about this in a methodical way,” said Digi-Key Electronics CIO Ramesh Babu. Babu created a community of practice around AI that includes stakeholders from across the organization and a list of key terms with consistent definitions to keep everyone on the same page. He also created a network of influencers within the company that serve as “education ambassadors” for the organization.  

Allen Smith, CIO at Baker Tilly, recommended leaders approach generative AI like they would any other technology. “There is a difference between home runs and singles. Singles in this case are your front. Go do something, show it, have a tangible example,” he said. “Now, it can be used to fuel the really good ideas.” He also expressed concerns about the security and privacy risks that generative AI poses, noting the dangers that may arise from inputting sensitive data into services like ChatGPT and the need to identify and mitigate potential bias.

Utilizing design thinking, and customer focus, to drive innovation

As companies continue to navigate an increasingly complex and competitive landscape alongside shifting customer demands, innovation will be a key source of differentiation for industry leaders. Many organizations find that design thinking frameworks help to formulate the strategy and direction that will help ensure they can harness that innovation effectively. 

Michael Newcity, Chief Innovation Officer at ArcBest and President of ArcBest Technologies, highlighted the importance of empathy and deep listening to uncover unsaid user needs. To advance design thinking, Newcity has sponsors responsible for thinking through ROI, teams, timing, and other tactical factors that will help gain executive sponsorship and drive innovation initiatives forward. 

Rob Krugman, Chief Digital Officer at Broadridge Financial Solutions, discussed the importance of understanding the value proposition for their customers’ customers, then working backwards to deliver value for Broadridge clients. “If we can solve the needs of that end customer, our client’s customer, the likelihood of us being correct is more likely than not,” he said. Across the ecosystem, “we’re all generating value, and we have a much better understanding of how to actually present and tell that story around value.” His team also works with the VC community to stay on top of emerging technologies and asks hypothetical questions to try and understand their impact on Broadridge. 

Krugman laid out two different types of innovation: sustainable innovation, led by the product organization, and disruptive innovation. The key to both: “iteration, iteration, iteration, all based on validation.”

Modeling change from the top down 

No matter the scope of a change initiative, whether adopting an emerging technology or implementing agile ways of working, leaders must act as role models for change within their companies and drive cultural transformation from the top down. 

Over half of respondents indicated that employee engagement is the strongest signal of organizational culture.

Hyatt Hotel Corporation’s CIO Eben Hewitt, who is working to nurture a product mindset and drive enterprise-wide behavior change, said engagement starts with the CEO and executive board. “When you see a boss acting that way, then you act that way,” he said. “You have to model it.” Hyatt also uses a “people playbook” to easily guide teams to resources they need for specific use cases, and Hewitt has encouraged the development of high-level cultural principles that inform behaviors throughout the organization.  

Ultimately, culture is the most important driver of any organizational change. While many are familiar with Peter Drucker’s quote,“culture eats strategy for breakfast,” Ascension Chief Digital Officer Rajan Mohan added that “culture eats transformation for lunch.” At Ascension, Mohan has helped lead a transformation that includes a digital product orientation, end-to-end accountability and a focus on Ascension’s mission to reach underserved communities. With that shift has come a new mindset, as well as metrics that are more closely tied to business outcomes. “We’re not just measuring for measurement’s sake,” he said. “It is to demonstrate and deliver continuous value.”

Kathy Kay, CIO at Principal Financial Group, said driving cultural change requires leaders first and foremost to be their authentic selves. That includes a willingness to be vulnerable. “If you can’t show vulnerability…I think it sets a tone for people feeling less open,” she said. In addition to bringing that openness to her role, she works with peers at Principal to ensure leaders are giving teams necessary support, removing blockers, and helping them understand how their contributions matter. Kay also discussed the importance of adapting communications to local norms, particularly when working with teams across the globe.

Building a high-performance culture is of course linked to finding and developing the best talent. World Fuel Services CIO Josh McLean said some of the best people typically look for three things in their work: aspirational goals that give a sense of purpose; challenging work that helps them learn and grow; and being surrounded by other highly talented people. “I try to make sure those things are all present and in harmony, or a work in progress to get there.”

CHEVY CHASE, MD., March 28, 2023 – Metis Strategy, a boutique management and strategy consulting firm focused on the intersection of business, technology, and innovation, has been recognized on the Financial Times list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies 2023. Presented by the Financial Times and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, the awards list can currently be viewed on the Financial Times website

The award recognizes Metis Strategy among 500 companies in the Americas that achieved the highest compound annual growth in revenues between 2018 and 2021. Metis Strategy’s growth is driven by its strong client relationships and extensive experience helping organizations drive their digital operating model transformations and improve organizational agility. Teams primarily based in the Washington, D.C. area, Dallas, TX and the San Francisco Bay Area enable the firm to serve clients throughout the United States and internationally.

“We are honored to be recognized as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times,” said Metis Strategy President Peter High. “Since Metis Strategy’s founding 22 years ago, technology and digitally-enabled business capabilities have become an increasingly critical part of every organization’s growth. We owe our growth to our great team, whose personal growth has fueled that of our firm, and to our clients with whom we collaborate, driving remarkable change, opportunity, and value together.” 

The recognition by the Financial Times follows Metis Strategy’s recent recognition by Vault as one of the Top 50 Boutique Consulting Firms to Work for in North America in 2023. As a relationship-oriented firm, Metis Strategy tailors its work to our clients’ unique needs. Metis Strategy has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and partner to some of the world’s most innovative and successful companies with its people-first culture built on collaboration, diversity, and inclusion to attract and retain top talent. 

About Metis Strategy: With more than two decades of experience, Metis Strategy is a boutique strategy and management consulting firm focused on the intersection of business, technology, and innovation. Serving mainly Fortune 500 and Forbes Global 2000 companies, areas of specialty include business strategy, digital transformation, technology strategy and operations, growth and scale strategy, and organizational change. We help define new products or services for clients, design improved customer and employee experiences through digital capabilities, and advise organizations on how they can achieve favorable business outcomes more efficiently and effectively. 

Learn more about Metis Strategy

Read about our work 

Listen to the Technovation podcast, featuring interviews with top technology leaders

Explore career opportunities