Las Vegas|October 27-29, 2009
General Sessions | Breakout Sessions | Workshops | Roundtables | Lunches | Talking Points
Choose from a variety of concurrent interactive breakout sessions featuring industry experts and thought leaders sharing how they have been able to innovate and optimize the way they do business.Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes, including 15 minutes for Q&A. No preregistration required. Open to all attendees.
Confirmed presenting organizations include:
Session Descriptions:
Analytics ... Powering Innovation and Optimization
Speaker: Renée Nocker, Director of Enterprise Business Intelligence, Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Analytics is the marriage of an expert’s brain power and a computer’s accuracy and speed – for a perfect union that produces optimum results and innovative ideas. With the insights that analytics provide, we can think of new ways to achieve our goals and better ways to do so. Analytics can spark the “people” power behind the innovation and optimization that an organization needs. The right approach to analytics starts small and builds on success – and changes the world of hindsight via reporting to insight for better business performance.
Are You Ready for Some Football? Maximizing the NFL Customer Experience
Speaker: Paraag Marathe, Vice President of Football Operations, San Francisco 49ers
As ticket prices rise and HDTV proliferates, it’s never been more critical to define the value prop of attending an NFL game in person. Tasked with boosting ticket sales and stadium revenue, the onus is on professional teams to better understand their customers. What are their behaviors and preferences? How do we keep the customers we have and gain new ones? Discover what the 49ers already know – that building a robust, single view of game-day operations is essential – and how using BI and analytics to maximize the customer experience scores the ultimate touchdown.
At Your Leisure: Using Data to Deliver Dream Vacations
Speaker: Jeremy TerBush, Director of Revenue Management and Analytics, Group RCI
Group RCI (a division of Wyndham Worldwide) is the global leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, delivering unique vacation experiences to more than 4 million leisure-bound families each year. Learn how Group RCI puts business analytics to work on enhancing inventory management, optimizing member matchups, improving organizational structure and more – allowing key decision makers to spend significantly less time crunching numbers and more time making critical business decisions.
Better Decisions Through Profitability Analysis
Speaker: Glenn Snyder, Director of Profitability, Visa
Organizations around the world use financial data to make decisions. Often those decisions involve making specific business segments more profitable by increasing revenues or by gaining efficiencies to reduce expenses. But many decisions are made with incomplete information, which can lead to greater risk of shareholder value. Find out how profitability analysis takes a different view of an organization’s internal, general ledger-based financial data and provides greater insight and understanding into what drives a business and leads to increased efficiency and profitability through better decisions.
Can the Management of Risk Create Risks?
Speaker: Charlie Sanchez, Director of Risk Controls, SourceGas
Risk management is intended to help your organization get where you want it to go while avoiding hazards and shocks along the way. But what happens when efforts to avoid risk actually create risk? In this session, we’ll explore how a fear culture can permeate corporate culture and make it difficult to ascertain what the real risks are. We’ll also discuss how to develop strategies that truly address specific risks, how to resolve discrepancies between statistics, trends and experience, and why it can be a good thing to make some mistakes along the way.
Creating a Business Analytics Culture in Insurance: A Scorecard for Success
Speaker: Mark B. Gorman, Principal, Mark B. Gorman & Associates
Profitable growth is an elusive goal in today’s increasingly competitive and volatile insurance industry. Rapid development and deployment of new products, risk management efforts and more precise pricing decisions require agility and focus. More effective decisions must be made with greater accuracy, efficiency and transparency. Leading insurers use business analytics to meet these challenges, yet widespread, enterprisewide programs remain an anomaly. Drawing on the presenter’s 25 years of industry experience, this session will explore the critical issues in determining how insurers can optimize the impact of analytics across the organization.
Credit Risk and Adapting to the New Lending Environment
Panelists: Hans Helbekkmo, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Wide Risk, Union Bank of California; Jianmin Liu, Senior Vice President, Credit Risk Management Analytics, Wells Fargo; Rex Pruitt, Senior Analyst, PREMIER Bankcard; and Michael Stefanick, Director of US Risk Practice, SAS (panel host)
This panel will explore the specific changes that major financial institutions are making to credit analytics in an effort to adapt to the new lending environment. As the economy starts to "make the turn" and institutions have survived the crisis, we will look at what leading opportunities they are seeing with the retail and commercial lending markets – and what specific changes they have made in their lending approval processes. How has analytics helped them survive the last year, and how will analytics help propel their businesses into the leadership position within their respective markets?
Driving Cost and Quality Leadership Through Analytics
Speaker: John C. Kerr, General Manager of Cost Leadership and Operational Excellence at Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the leader of the $100 billion global appliance industry. This leadership position is a result of winning brands, innovation, quality and a continuous focus on efficiency. Whirlpool’s Six Sigma Program – Operational Excellence – is an integral part of its long history of success. This session will profile the executive management system, tools and analytics used to drive breakthrough and continuous improvements at Whirlpool.
Enterprise Risk Management: The Ultimate Balancing Act
Speaker: Mona Leung, Chief Financial Officer, Alliant Credit Union
Enterprise risk management (ERM) is neither a project nor a discrete process. It’s a mindset change of your organization’s culture when thinking about risk. With strong executive leadership, a clear ERM framework and a set of structured implementation phases and processes, ERM software can deliver a current, credible understanding of the risks unique to your organization. Hear how Alliant Credit Union – the eighth-largest credit union in the US with a gross asset base of $6.7 billion – effectively introduced and integrated the concept of ERM.
Game-Changing Analytics: How Disney Does Data
Speaker: Cameron Davies, Senior Director, Disney Management Sciences Group
In a world of constant change and evolution, yesterday’s strategic advantage can quickly become tomorrow’s industry standard. Is your organization investing in and using game-changing analytics to gain a clear advantage over its rivals? In this session, we’ll explore how Walt Disney Co. – arguably one of the most creative organizations in the world – puts analytics-based decision making into practice. You’ll also hear how Disney integrates technology and analytical innovation to deliver world-class experiences to countless fans and guests across multiple platforms.
Gone Phishing: Using Analytics to Reel in Financial Fraudsters
Speaker: Chris Swecker, Principal, Chris Swecker Enterprises
The world’s most sophisticated and savvy criminals target financial institutions, with the greatest threats posed by organized criminal networks. As law enforcement struggles to rein in these fraudsters, analytics has emerged as a key player in stemming large losses earlier and more effectively. With nearly 25 years of experience fighting fraud, organized crime and money laundering for the FBI (and most recently for Bank of America), Chris Swecker will share his experiences with using analytics to break down data silos, plan proactively and “connect the dots” – leading to reduced losses, increased investigator efficiency, bigger recoveries and the prosecution of more financial fraud cases.
Green Innovation: Strengthen the Brand and the Bottom Line
Panelists: Scott Jenkins, Vice President of Ballpark Operations, Seattle Mariners; Christopher Brophy, Vice President of Environmental Compliance, MGM; Gavin Starks, founder of AMEE Inc.
Cutting emissions. Reducing energy consumption. Attracting new customers to green offerings. Organizations in every industry are adopting new sustainable practices that have a positive impact on the brand and the bottom line. In doing so, they must break down data silos, engage with suppliers and employees, and adopt new metrics for managing performance. Panelists will share their experiences with building the business case for sustainable investments, climbing the green learning curve, the explosion of metrics and standards, mitigating environmental risks and how you can position your organization for the emerging low-carbon economy.
How Canadian Pacific Keeps Demand Forecasts on Track
Speaker: Mark Kirkpatrick, Director of Revenue Planning and Reporting, Canadian Pacific Railway
Since 1881, North American railway operator Canadian Pacific has strived to deliver value for customers and shareholders alike. When forecast accuracy emerged as a key driver of the company’s success, CP embarked on an innovative overhaul of its vintage, homegrown forecasting capabilities. Hear how a sea change in forecasting methodology at CP – including lessons learned from more than 30 years of bottom-up, customer-level forecasting and expected gains from a major new demand-planning project – helped put this railway giant on the express track to success.
How to Enhance Customer Service and Boost Margins Through Size Profiling
Speaker: Daniel Ryu, Vice President of Planning and Allocation, The Wet Seal Inc.
Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, CA, The Wet Seal is a leading specialty retailer of fashionable and contemporary apparel and accessories. The company operates two nationwide, primarily mall-based chains of retail stores under the names Wet Seal and Arden B, with 496 stores in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (415 Wet Seal stores and 81 Arden B stores). Attend this session to learn how fashion-forward retailers can enhance customer service, turn inventory and improve margins through the use of accurate, store-specific size profiles.
Innovations in Creating a Culture of Customer-Centricity for the Value Chain
Speaker: Anne Robinson, Senior Manager of Information and Data Strategy, Customer Value Chain Management, Cisco Systems
"What gets measured gets done" often is true when it comes to tactical execution. When applied to large-scale strategy, however, the implications of this adage are even more significant. By integrating corporate quality and customer service with traditional supply chain functions, Cisco fundamentally changed its thinking and created Customer Value Chain Management, a totally new and fully customer-focused organization. Hear how a sharp focus on performance management, metrics and data helped drive Cisco into a new era of quality, customer service and supply chain execution.
IT at the Heart of Real-Time, Personalized Healthcare
Speaker: Yan Chow, Director of Innovation and Advanced Technology Group, Kaiser Permanente
As the healthcare industry moves toward providing patient information in real time, industry giant Kaiser Permanente is pursuing an information-based technology strategy across its network of 14,000 physicians. Supported by one of the largest IT organizations in its industry, Kaiser’s KP HealthConnect system (the world’s largest civilian electronic medical record) lies at the heart of its vision for real-time, personalized healthcare. In this session, Kaiser will discuss this vision, the potential of health information and predictive analytics, and key partnerships necessary to lead transformative corporate strategies.
Operator? This Is an Emergency! Why Data Disconnects Spell Trouble for Telcos
Speaker: Rick Pigeon, Vice President of Network Cost and Revenue Assurance, One Communications Corp.
With nearly $800 million in annual revenue, One Communications is one of the largest privately held regional providers of telecommunications services in the US. But One was once a rapidly growing startup in the Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) sector – and its transition to an operating company was a challenge. As a young company with many manual and ill-defined processes, immature systems integration and scarce data integrity, One got down to brass tacks with its data. Find out how a focus on integrated, centralized data helped One evolve successfully from startup to industry giant and discover the keys to success in this highly competitive space.
People, Processes, Tools and Technology: Finding a BI Organizational Model That Works
Speaker: Rachel Alt-Simmons, 2VP of Business Strategy, Select Business Intelligence & Analytics, Travelers
Looking to formalize your business intelligence initiatives but don’t know where to start? Find out what steps your organization needs to take to create an effective BI organizational model by addressing the critical people skills, processes, tools and technologies essential to success. Drawing on the presenter’s real-life experience championing, developing and executing on BI strategies at two FORTUNE 100® insurance companies, this session will highlight the challenges, opportunities and successes you’ll find along the way – including what needs to be in place before you can start, how to bring IT and business together as partners and how to keep stakeholders engaged while managing demand and expectations.
Perspectives on Assessments and Analytics in the Afghan War
Speaker: Chad Storlie, Founder and Lead Instructor, Combat Analytics
The recent assessment of the counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan and accompanying metrics of success have left many asking the question, “How do we evaluate progress in a counterinsurgency?” In this session, Chad Storlie – a seasoned marketing executive and an Iraq war veteran – will explore the metrics offered to assess progress in Afghanistan, a historical perspective on the use of analytics in operations by the US military, and ideas about how to make analytical assessments as effective as possible in Afghanistan. He’ll also discuss how commercial organizations can learn from military challenges and adopt analytical practices in nontraditional situations.
Reforming Education to Secure Our Future: Innovate – Educate
Speaker: Jami Grindatto, Corporate Affairs Director, Southwestern United States, Intel
Why in the world do corporate leaders care about education reform? Why are large companies spending millions in support of their own education initiatives, corporate foundations and organizations to drive science, technology, engineering and math education in our schools, yet achieving little systemic change? Find out how a national pre-competitive industry collaborative is changing the game in education; how corporations coordinate efforts and investments to drive national discussions; and how corporations invest locally with education thought leaders to demonstrate innovation to educate our children in new, engaging ways. What’s at stake? Our economic well-being and future.
Research Intelligence: Leveraging BI Technology to Support Research
Speaker: Sam Alessi, PhD, Systems Scientist and IT Architect, Idaho National Laboratory
Since 1949, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has supported the US Department of Energy’s missions in nuclear and energy research, science and national defense. Learn how INL meets the needs of both its research community and its business users by seamlessly integrating business intelligence technology with research-grade mathematical and statistical algorithms accessible to researchers via their desktops. You’ll also hear how this capability, known as Research Intelligence, powers solutions such as the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS), University Engagement Index and Conservation Market Trading.
Retail Is Detail: How Analytics Drives Decisions at Gap
Speaker: Soundar Koneti, Senior Director, Operating Strategy, Gap Inc.
As one of the world's largest specialty retailers – with more than 3,100 stores and fiscal 2008 revenues of $14.5 billion - Gap operates some of the most recognized apparel brands in the world. Not surprisingly, hunches and best guesses didn't get this branding behemoth where it is today. Find out how Gap used advanced analytics in its approach to several strategic initiatives, including size localization, markdown optimization, assortment localization and promotions localization. You'll hear what worked, what didn't and what lessons were learned in the process.
Right Customer, Right Offer, Right Time: Drawing on Data to Optimize CRM
Speaker: Nicholas Metcalfe, Director, CRM MyAds Performance Marketing Group, FOX Audience Network
With access to more than 155 million users and a close relationship with one of the world’s largest social networking platforms, FOX Audience Network is redefining the landscape of online advertising for publishers. But with all that data comes inevitable gaps – and the challenge of gleaning valuable insight from a tremendous volume of information. Find out how FAN harnessed data about users’ preferences, behavior, profitability and more to deliver highly targeted ads for its clients, creating a relevant experience for each individual and generating higher revenue for its customers.
Strategies for Success in Client Segmentation
Speaker: Kim Larsen, Director of Advanced Analytics, Charles Schwab & Co.
Segmentation can be a powerful tool for refining client messaging and targeting, as well as identifying gaps in products and services. However, some 50 percent of segmentation schemes across various industries are never implemented or used to make business decisions – typically due to a lack of communication between analytical teams and business partners during early segmentation development. Learn how to work with analytical teams to build actionable segmentation schemes that meet business needs, including which crucial steps in early segmentation development frequently determine whether the segmentation is a success or a missed opportunity.
Streamlining Analytics to Optimize Decision Making at UnitedHealth Group
Speaker: Patrick A. McIntyre, Vice President of Healthcare Analytics, UnitedHealth Group
In today’s highly competitive and ever-changing environment, business and technology leaders must find ways to make better decisions faster and with fewer resources than ever before. To address such challenges and still come out on top, organizations need a streamlined, integrated and optimized analytics environment that’s flexible enough to meet the needs of a highly diverse user community. In this session, you’ll hear how UnitedHealth Group is bringing business and technology leadership together to drive improved business decision making through a more integrated, aligned and robust set of analytics capabilities.
Technology is Easy – People Are Hard
Speaker: Mark Kagan, consultant on defense, security, intelligence issues and foreign affairs
All too often, organizations look for and implement cybersecurity solutions without taking into account the “human factor,” figuring that technology or “black boxes” will solve their problems. Mark Kagan will discuss how employees can make or break the success or effectiveness of security technologies and the overall security of organizations; the critical importance of change management when new security solutions or policies are implemented; and the need for ongoing training and education. Using examples from the public and private sectors, he will illuminate some of the challenges and solutions that organizations need to consider.
We're not in Kansas Anymore: The Journey to Next-Generation BI
Speaker: Karen Heath, Managing Practice Principal, HP’s BI Solutions (BIS) Group
We've come a long way in business intelligence (BI) over the last 25 plus years, but the interesting part of the journey lies just ahead. BI consistently ranks at the top of CIO's priorities, but while it basks in the brilliance of the Emerald City - where it has arrived to stand alongside other core business applications in importance - the fact is that it underdelivers on its potential for most organizations. What road (yellow brick or otherwise) will lead us toward better return on our BI investments? How will technology developments influence the next generation of BI deployments? What are the trends that are going to drive enterprise BI? This presentation answers these questions, discusses the role and importance of governance models; determining ROI on BI investments, data quality and MDM; and the emergence of advanced analytics as an enabler.
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