Everett J. Sutherland, 2014 Honoree

Title
Senior vice president and CIO
Employer
Commonwealth Financial Network
Location
Waltham, Mass.
New titles in your IT organization:
Security engineer, director of enterprise technology, director of the project management office, release manager, resource manager, quality assurance lead, product development lead, systems administrator lead and technology consultant.
How do you evaluate emerging technologies?
I created the position of director of enterprise technology to help fill what I saw as a void in this area. Aside from keeping an eye on our entire technology stack and helping to manage major issues, this person spends about 50% of his time on looking at emerging technology and industry trends. He briefs the staff and proposes skunk works-type efforts to evaluate the concepts and determine potential business value.
How are you building an IT department for the future?
Aside from building up the technical talent and a comprehensive stable of skill sets, I have built up our 'command and control' capabilities and continue to push for more actionable management information to aid in decision-making and in developing plans. I also invest time with my staff devoted to teaching the importance of always thinking forward and anticipating the unexpected.
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