Francois.Estellon

Contributor

After studying industrial engineering at the Grenoble Institute of Technology in France and receiving a master’s in supply chain and manufacturing management from Linkoping University in Sweden, Francois Estellon started his career as a manufacturing and quality engineer in diverse heavy industries. He soon joined PwC Germany as a senior consultant for a large chemical company’s global ERP implementation.

Eventually he started his own consulting firm, and over the course of five years grew the business into a multimillion-dollar operation across Germany, France, Canada and the U.S. The firm focused on management and IT consulting for asset-intensive industries with a wide range of clients in oil and gas, chemicals, aerospace and defense, and medical devices. The company was sold in 2006, and Estellon took a leadership role in the newly formed global consulting footprint.

In 2008, he joined Bucyrus International, a mining machinery manufacturer, as director for global application, and soon became global CIO. In 2013, Estellon joined Gardner Denver, a private manufacturer of compressors and pumps for the industrial, energy and medical sector. He is CIO for the company responsible for the global IT footprint.

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of Francois Estellon and do not necessarily represent those of IDG Communications, Inc., its parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies.

Articles by Francois.Estellon

IT Leadership Decathlon

Moonlighting for CIOs: how to get a second job

IT leaders can benefit greatly from the exposure of getting a second set of responsibilities in their organization. They can see the business they serve from a different angle, expand new skills and solidify their internal and external careers
By Francois Estellon September 13, 2016
IT Leadership Decathlon

How can a CIO provide clarity in a messy world?

From reading the tea leaves to understand Big Tech strategy to writing “The Idiot’s Guide” about any technology, a CIO has a lot of explaining to do.
By Francois Estellon July 27, 2016
IT Leadership Decathlon

Helicopter CIOs: stop micromanaging

CIOs usually have progressed to their position from the technical world. Sometimes providing hands-on support is valuable, but where does providing experienced-based assistance become micromanagement?
By Francois Estellon May 9, 2016
IT Leadership Decathlon

Embracing change as IT leaders

You'd think that in the always evolving technology space, IT organizations and their leaders would be comfortable with change. And that's true ... as long as it's tech related. If we have to change people – ourselves or others? Well, that's a different story...
By Francois Estellon March 11, 2016
IT Leadership Decathlon

Demonstrating leadership in IT is an all-around contest

IT leaders are like decathletes: They must demonstrate many skills and the ability to compromise across multiple dimensions for the sake of overall success. rn
By Francois Estellon February 10, 2016