The View from the Top Series

We’ve asked the CEOs, COOs and CFOs of companies large and small, from many different industries, what IT does right, why technology projects have gone wrong and ways technologists can contribute even more to business success.

Why Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue Thinks IT Can Make Government Work Better

As a small business owner, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue was an early LAN and e-mail adopter who learned to program in Unix. But he won’t deploy the latest and greatest technology for state agencies unless it makes them more efficient and improves services to citizens.

How a Midsize Textile Maker Uses Technology to Compete Globally

The textile manufacturing industry shipped out a generation ago. But Glen Raven CEO Allen Gant Jr. uses IT to bring home the profits of globalization.

Defense Logistics Agency Director on IT’s Key Role

Lt. Gen. Robert Dail, director of the Defense Logistics Agency, puts IT at the core of his strategy to make the military supply organization more responsive to the troops in Iraq.

No IT Fumbles at NFL Films

For NFL Films CFO Barry Wolper, smart IT investments are key to delivering winning multimedia programming in a crowded entertainment field.

Stock Exchange CEO Expects Dividends from IT

CEO Meyer (Sandy) Frucher has engineered and overseen the biggest technology transformation in the 216-year history of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.

An IT Cure for the Blues

Tom Bowser, CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, says IT can reduce costs by mining customer data for ways to make individuals healthier.

Dow Chemical CEO: IT for Reinvention

Low-margin industries—such as chemicals—usually don’t invest heavily in IT. But Dow does. Its CEO Andrew Liveris tells us why.

Interview with Manpower CEO Jeff Joerres

A global IT strategy promotes business-IT cost-sharing and efficiency, says Joerres.

Innovation Is Key at the Merc

The CEO of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Craig Donohue, explains why he wants IT to be innovating constantly.

Interview with Oreck Corp CEO on Disaster Recovery

Tom Oreck credits quick thinking by employees (including his VP of IT) for a speedy recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Why CEO Paul Levy Loves His CIO

The CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center knows technology saves both lives and money. That’s why he’s agreed to give his IT department an investment transfusion.

CEO of The Options Clearing Corp. Knows His Company Lives or Dies by the Strength of Its IT

Wayne Luthringshausen knows his company lives or dies by the strength of its IT. Maybe that’s why he isn’t so hung up on cutting costs and hitting deadlines.

Retirement Keeps TIAA-CREF CEO Herbert Allison Busy

Allison boosted the CTO position and restructured IT to help the retirement services company stem rising costs and maintain its industry standing.

Terms of IT-Business Alignment

Zurich North America Small Business CEO Ray Thomas believes in using IT to drive the insurance company’s goals of reducing transaction costs and growing its stable of insurance agents.

IT Rocks the Web for National Gypsum CEO Tom Nelson

Nelson guided his company’s bold use of the Internet. But he’s learned to demand proof of value before embarking on any IT-fueled strategies.

Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning Says IT Not a Cost Center

Fanning says it’s a mistake to view IT as a cost center. He wants investment in new systems to power the bottom line.

Marriott President and COO William Shaw Gets IT Value Wake-Up Call

Shaw knows the ROI of technology can be hard to pinpoint. So he constantly pushes for better ways to measure IT’s contribution.