Premier 100 IT Leader profile:
Katrina Lane

Computerworld - She was a scientist who moved to marketing, then a marketing maven who moved to IT. The jobs may have changed, but there's a common thread in Katrina Lane's career that's easy to see: Now senior vice president and CTO at Caesars Entertainment Corp. in Las Vegas, Lane has a laser focus on her mission and relishes challenges.

Take Caesars Entertainment's integration of Planet Hollywood last year. Lane's IT team was tasked with ensuring that Planet Hollywood customers would have seamless access to the Caesars Total Rewards customer loyalty program. They finished the job in just 18 weeks, and the system went live about five weeks after the acquisition was complete. In a word, it was all about planning.

"It took a whole lot of prep work," says Lane. "All of our groups and the properties brought our collective resources and creativity to bear."

In fact, well before the sale closed, the team started working with gaming regulators, creating strategic liaisons with external partners, and mapping out every step of the project.

The project tested Lane's management abilities and leadership. "You have to constantly work on adapting your style to different people, to figure out how best to motivate the team," says Lane.

"Katrina brings a rare combination of deep and analytic intellect, a passion for the operations of our business and the capacity to inspire those around her," says Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO and president of Caesars Entertainment.

And although she's changed fields a few times, Lane seems to have found her true passion in IT. "With technology, there's nothing you can't do," she says. "It truly is magical."

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