Today the #1 CEO priority is growth. With a majority of CEO’s seeing technology as a key enabler of growth, CIOs now have a mandate to innovate with investments in new technology initiatives. There is a catch though, budget. CIOs are typically spending as much as 90% of their IT budget on ongoing operations, leaving just 10% of the budget for innovation.
In order to drive the business transformation that creates competitive advantage, today’s CIO must take control of their IT roadmap by creating a Business-Driven Roadmap designed around their business objectives, not the vendor’s. A roadmap that continues to utilize the vendor’s software and solutions, but on the CIO’s own terms and timeline, providing the flexibility, funding, and freedom to focus on initiatives that support the growth of the business.
Eric Robinson, former CIO of Color Spot Nurseries discusses the strategy he took to increase Color Spot’s SAP footprint while driving down costs and enabling him to create a 5-year Business-Driven Roadmap with Rimini Street that leverages best of breed technology to support the needs of the business.
Michael Louie, Director of Product Marketing hosts this 30-minute, interactive session.
Michael Louie
Rimini Street
Michael has more than 18 years’ of experience in product marketing and strategy in the enterprise software and services space. Mr. Louie currently holds the position of Product Marketing Director and is responsible for overseeing the SAP line of solutions. Prior to Rimini Street, Mr. Louie has held various positions in global companies including Oracle, Symantec, and Cisco. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from UC Davis.
Eric Robinson
Rimini Street
Eric Robinson is responsible for the expansion of all Rimini Street SAP services and products worldwide. He works to ensure all SAP teams are aligned on product strategy, management, delivery, and sales.
Eric specializes in vision, guidance, planning, and management for technical solutions to complex business problems. Having worked with SAP systems since the early 1990s, he has extensive knowledge of manufacturing, distribution, and financial systems.
Mr. Robinson spent 12 years as CIO for Color Spot Holdings, a grower providing plants and flowers to major retailers such as Home Depot. He consistently maintained an IT budget of 0.75% of sales revenue, becoming an authority on cost-effective IT.
Earlier in his career, he led teams of SAP professionals at a division of Toyota and at medical device manufacturer, Hudson RCI.
