IHS CIO, Mark Settle discusses the challenge of scaling the technology architecture and the IT team to support a fast growing company.

IT Supported Revenue Growth

Our interview with Mark Settle, who became CIO at IHS Inc. in February 2014.

How did you initially hear about the CIO opportunity at IHS?

I was contacted by an executive recruiter. Recruiters frequently contact me to solicit candidate recommendations for searches they’re performing. In this case the recruiter thought I would be intrigued by IHS from both a business and technical perspective – and he was right. The company I worked for prior to IHS had experienced a recent change in ownership and I was already exploring new job opportunities, so the call came at a particularly fortuitous point in time.

What was it about this opportunity that caught your attention?

I was generally familiar with IHS based upon prior work experience in the Denver area. I knew they were a well-run company with an impressive financial track record, and that they were highly acquisitive. Big Data and advanced analytics are two of the principal growth drivers at IHS and I was particularly intrigued by the opportunity to learn more about the business application of these technologies. In prior jobs I had spent a lot of time implementing hybrid cloud operations, virtualizing a private internal cloud and using public cloud providers on an ‘as needed’ basis. I thought my cloud experience would also be valuable to IHS. So it was kind of a ‘perfect marriage.’ I felt that I could accelerate IHS’ use of cloud-based services to improve the agility of its product development and service delivery processes while at the same time expanding my own understanding of big data and analytics technologies.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I reviewed IHS’ investor presentations and analyst reports extensively before meeting with members of IHS’ executive team because I wanted to understand IHS’ business model and growth strategies in detail. This research allowed me to dig a little deeper into current initiatives and investor expectations in my subsequent discussions with the CEO and CFO.

Did you have an interview strategy?

My goal in any interview – whether I’m the interviewer or interviewee – is to establish a two way conversation. In my opinion a failed interview is one in which the interviewee simply answers the questions put to him or her. Asking perceptive questions pays off in two ways – it shows you have taken the time to do your homework on the firm prior to the interview and, secondly, it typically engages the interviewer and leads to topics that are not part of the normal interview script.

What was IHS looking for in their new CIO?

There is a big emphasis on growth at IHS. Our executive team is committed to growing our top line revenue from $2B to $5B over the next 3-4 years. Consequently, we have been recruiting individuals who have worked in larger companies and are familiar with the decision-making processes and operational practices employed by larger companies. My prior experience working in Fortune 300 companies was very appealing to them just in terms of my general management experience.

More specifically, they wanted their next CIO to restructure the IT group and IT operations to support a much larger business in terms of global reach, number of colleagues and customers, number of online transactions, etc. And since a good part of IHS’s growth is by acquisition, they also needed a CIO who had experience integrating diverse systems post-acquisition.

Lastly, my leadership is style is very collaborative in nature and I think that was a key factor in being able to work productively within IHS’ company culture.

Were there any surprises during the interview process?

It was an extended process because of the inevitable scheduling conflicts that occur in coordinating executive meetings. We had to get creative so that I could meet with key members of the management team. Rather than wait for folks to become available back in the Denver corporate office, I met with several key individuals in hotels or restaurants in cities where they were travelling on other business. That was a first for me, but it worked well.

From day one, what are some of the concrete steps you took to learn the business and build relationships across the enterprise?

First, I spent time with my new team, getting to know their career interests. This is my sixth CIO position, and I know from experience that many people are frustrated when the new CIO arrives because they feel that all of the good work they did for his or her predecessor has been lost. They feel that they are starting all over again and need to prove their worth to the new CIO to advance their careers. So it’s important to understand their career goals, and determine ways you can help them achieve those goals. That will help everyone be more successful at the end of the day.

It’s also important to spend time with customers – both internal and external – during the initial stages of a new CIO assignment. You want to hear the impressions that your internal customers have of the IT organization before you absorb all the biases of your own staff. You need that outside-in perspective because it will tell you very quickly about the skills of your team. You may need to go down one or two organizational levels and talk to people who interface with your staff on a day-to-day basis in order to get substantive feedback.

The budget is important. I always start chipping away at that immediately. I want to know how we are spending our money and with whom.

Who do you report to?

The CEO.

What are some of the organizational changes you have made?

I’ve created an Enterprise Architecture team to establish technology roadmaps for key portions of our IT infrastructure and business application portfolio, and to drive technology standardization where appropriate. I’ve also established a Vendor Management Office so that we now have a dedicated group managing all our supplier contracts. This has given us the chance to step back and identify consolidation opportunities that will enable us to increase our spending with a smaller number of strategic vendors. Vendor consolidation pays off in multiple ways, by increasing our bargaining leverage and reducing the internal overhead associated with administering multiple contracts.

How are you developing your future leaders?

It is very easy to give people special assignments based on their strengths. I like to get people out of their comfort zones a little, and see how resourceful, creative and analytic they can be when operating outside their areas of formal responsibility. This way I discover who has the potential to take on new responsibilities.

What is something you do to encourage a culture of innovation?

We try to stay plugged-in to the startup companies in Silicon Valley and selectively incorporate some new, emerging technologies and tools into our day-to-day operations. We visit startups on a periodic basis and solicit feedback from other companies who have deployed their capabilities. Our Enterprise Architecture team facilitates the evaluation of new technologies, involving other portions of the IT organization as appropriate so we bring all of our expertise to bear on assessing the true impact of deploying a new product or service.

What do you think digital transformation means at IHS?

It goes back to what brought me to the company in the first place: the chance to apply analytical tools to various types of big data. For us, transformation is defining the right analytical opportunities to exploit the data that we have, and delivering the information and forecasts resulting from such analysis to our customers through a variety of channels such as PCs, tablets and smartphones.

What advice do you have for anyone about to start a new CIO job?

Make sure you get up in front of the whole IT group during the first week. The sooner people can see you, the better. When presenting yourself, strike the right balance. Share your background and your qualifications without sounding like you have all the answers, or that you are there to re-create what you did at your previous job.

About Mark Settle

IHS_CIO_Mark_SettleMark Settle joined IHS as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer in February 2014. Prior to joining IHS, Mr. Settle served as the CIO of five Fortune 500 companies and worked in a variety of industries, including enterprise software, consumer products, high-tech distribution, financial services and oil & gas. He has supported the global business operations of companies with high transaction rates and stringent up time requirements, including Visa International, Arrow Electronics, Corporate Express, Occidental Petroleum and ARCO. Mr. Settle received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the Geological Sciences from MIT and his PhD in Geology from Brown University.   

About IHS

IHS (NYSE: IHS) is the leading source of insight, analytics and expertise in critical areas that shape today’s business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 150 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to sustainable, profitable growth and employs about 8,800 people in 32 countries around the world.

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