Synopsis

Given today's business climate, most companies and corporate heads will have to do more with less. Instinctively, this leads to plan on how they can reduce costs, headcounts and cut spending. But is this a sustainable long term strategy without hurting or killing the business itself? Isn't this ‘downsizing', ‘rightsizing' and re-engineering as we have called it about a decade or two back? So, what's new?

The speaker will share his experience in exploiting key technologies such as VoIP, RFID, Web Services to transform the role of the IT department beyond its traditional support service role level to that of a strategic business within a business to serve its customers and market.

For the New CIO, it is important to recognize in the new economy, reaching out to your partners and creating new value chain for yourself and staying relevant is key to one's survival.

About the Speaker

James is CIO of YCH Group, responsible for the Group and its subsidiaries' IT strategies and performance. He led the Group's move to spin off their IT department into an independent IT company - Y3 Technologies. He aligns all IT assets to the Group's business and leading the development of award-winning innovative SCM solutions for YCH customers.

James has more than 25 years of management and IT experience having served in senior management positions at Cincom Systems, (an ERP application software vendor), ObTech Asia Pacific, an NEC Corp subsidiary focusing on IT consultancy and services and Viewlocity Asia Pacific, a SCM solution vendor.

James also has a wide-ranging and direct working experience with top MNC clients on strategic system project, operations and management in ASEAN, China , Taiwan , Korea and Japan particularly in the area of manufacturing & distribution.

He contributes actively to the industry serving on A*STAR Get-Up Advisory Council, SLA's Technology/e-Logistics SubCommittee, Member of Spring's Standards Technical Committee – Supply Chain Management and WDA-IDA National Infocomm Competency Framework Technical Committee.

His past contributions include having served as the Deputy Chairman 2002-2004 on the Singapore eSCM Council and was appointed onto EDB's User Council for Logistics & Transportation Industry 2003-2005.

He is the current Chairman of Singapore IT Federation Wireless Chapter and also an active member of SiTF Council.