Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 29

29

KEEPING UP WITH
SILICON VALLEY

technologists. That's allowed us to tap into
a marketplace of relevant skills and new
capabilities to drive innovation now and in the
future.

In my previous CIO roles at Symantec, Oracle,
and PeopleSoft, I typically had a team charged
with staying abreast of innovation. I interacted
directly with our engineers, whose job was
innovation. And working in Silicon Valley, we
were surrounded by innovation.
When I joined the financial services sector, I
had to make adjustments in order to keep my
finger on the pulse of technology change. What
I've done here is to leverage the strength of
our strategic technology partnerships. We have
some key partners with innovation engines
that we can plug into. They provide us input
into what they're seeing in the marketplace.
In addition, Western Union has made an
investment in the Bitcoin-focused investment
firm Digital Currency Group, which gives us
another eye on innovation.

I also have two team members who are focused
specifically on true innovation in our customer
experience. However, because innovation is
so critical for success, I personally spend a lot
of time on that aspect. I spend a lot of time
working with our CEO and our chief marketing
officer (who is also our chief strategy and
product officer) sharing insights into what I'm
hearing in the marketplace, what I'm hearing
from our partners, and what they're seeing in
this venture capital firm in which we've placed
some investments.
Here in the Denver area, we've also been
the beneficiary of some great tech talent as
many companies have moved here to escape
the expense of the Bay area. The Denver
and Boulder areas have become hotbeds
for innovation. The governor has stated that
4,000 people move to Colorado every month,
and a good portion of those transplants are

THE
TAKEAWAYS
* A maxim for incumbent companies
in industries facing radical change:
Disrupt yourself before you get
disrupted.
* Combining operational and technology
responsibilities in one position gives the
person in such a dual role the ability
both to see an entire business process
and to apply technology needed to
improve it.
* To stay abreast of innovation requires
plugging into the innovation engines
of technology partners, investing in
innovative startups, and keeping tabs
on the activity of players both inside
and outside your industry.



Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services

Contents
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - Cover1
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - Cover2
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 1
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - Contents
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 3
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 4
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 5
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 6
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 7
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 8
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 9
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 10
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 11
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 12
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 13
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 14
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 15
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 16
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 17
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 18
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 19
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 20
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 21
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 22
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 23
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 24
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 25
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 26
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 27
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 28
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 29
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 30
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 31
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 32
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 33
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 34
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 35
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - 36
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - Cover3
Straight Talk Special Issue: Financial Services - Cover4
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