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.