itmWEB Speakers


Russ Finney

Business & Technology Keynote Speaker

Russ Finney
Russ Finney
Russ Finney

Click Here for Available Presentations and Speaking Topics

Russ Finney is a well-known business and technology keynote speaker who is an advisor, researcher, and futurist directly serving a wide range of clients. His latest focus has been understanding the Digital IT model which is now evolving within businesses throughout the world. 

 



Short Bio:

 


He gives dozens of business and technology topic speeches per year, and he is also one of the most highly followed daily business and technology commentators on Twitter. 

He draws from his insights working inside the computer chip industry building semiconductor equipment, the defense industry building aircraft carriers and submarines, the financial services industry building advanced trading platforms, and the aerospace industry building advanced VIP & Head-of-State aircraft.

He is available to serve your event needs as a keynote speaker, a breakout session speaker, a moderator, or as a master of ceremonies.

Contact information:

itmWEB Group LLC
info@itmweb.com
(512) 349-2445
Russ Finney is a well-known business and technology keynote speaker who is an advisor, researcher, and futurist directly serving a wide range of clients. His latest focus has been understanding the Digital IT model which is now evolving within businesses throughout the world. 

He gives dozens of business and technology topic speeches per year, and he is also one of the most highly followed daily business and technology commentators on Twitter. 

He draws from his insights working inside the computer chip industry building semiconductor equipment, the defense industry building aircraft carriers and submarines, the financial services industry building advanced trading platforms, and the aerospace industry building advanced VIP & Head-of-State aircraft.

He is available to serve your event needs as a keynote speaker, a breakout session speaker, a moderator, or as a master of ceremonies.

Contact information:

itmWEB Group LLC
info@itmweb.com
(512) 349-2445Russ Finney is a well-known business and technology keynote speaker who is an advisor, researcher, and futurist directly serving a wide range of clientsHe gives dozens of business and technology topic speaches per year, and he has become one of the most highly followed daily business commentators on Twitter https://twitter.com/rfinney for CIOs, CEOs, and C-Level executives.

Russ Finney is an award-winning assistant professor of instruction and the director of MIS undergraduate programs at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business where he teaches technology & business strategy. He currently serves as the chair of the UT faculty council information technology committee.


He is also an advisory partner the itmWEB Group where he assists with research and client engagement projects. He is a former CIO in the semiconductor, aerospace, and financial services industries where he focused on manufacturing, engineering, defense products, core banking, and trading. 


In 2016, Russ was named by Apollo Research as one of the Top 5 most highly followed US CIO influencers through social media (@rfinney). In 2021 and 2023 he was named to the Texas McCombs faculty honor roll, and he has also been nominated for the Hank & Mary Harkins Foundation Award for effective teaching for the last two years, one of the highest faculty recognitions for active UT Austin professors. 


He began his career working with Ernst & Young.


 

https://twitter.com/rfinney


 

Link to Apollo Top 5 CIO Influencer Announcement

 

 

 

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Russ gives dozens of business and technology topic speeches per year to both large audiences and private company gatherings.

He is available to serve your needs as a keynote speaker, a breakout session speaker, a moderator, or as a master of ceremonies.


Contact information:


itmWEB Group LLC

info@itmweb.com

(512) 349-2445

 

 

Stratamation

stratamation.net

 

 

Tech Ranch

techranchaustin.com

 


General speaking topics:


- Creating a C-Level Business Strategy

- Creating an IT Strategic Plan

- Using Modern AI technology in a business

- 10 year outlook for future technology trends

- Automating the C-Suite

- Conceptualizing and creating a startup ecosystem

- Leveraging ultra-future technologies in business

- Empowering business growth and disruption

- Creating an innovation program in an enterprise

- Taming global and cultural virtual team issues

- Using agile techniques within large enterprises

- Enhancing teamwork dynamics and productivity

- Creating innovation from within business and IT

 
 
 



                                        Biography                                      


Russ Finney
Russ Finney

 

Long Bio:

 

Russ Finney is advisory partner and researcher for the itmWEB Group, a firm which focuses on advisory and research activities for mid to large sized companies, corporate divisions, and governmental agencies. He is also affiliated with Stratamation where he focuses on strategic planning for business, and with Tech Ranch where he assists with startup ecosystem conceptualizing and building. 


He also serves as an assistant professor of instruction and as the director of MIS undergraduate programs in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas in Austin teaching technology & business strategy. In 2021 and 2023 he was named to the UT Austin McCombs School of Business Faculty Honor Roll.


Russ is a well-known international high-tech speaker and strategy consultant who is an affiliated partner of several of the major brand name consulting firms. He has also been occasionally serving as an fractional CIO or CTO for companies that are bridging an executive need, conducting a business turn-around, or building up their IT capabilities.

 

He gives dozens of business and technology topic speeches per year, and he has become one of the most highly followed daily business and technology commentators on Twitter for CIOs, CEOs, and C-Level executives, In 2016 he was named a Top 5 CIO Influencer through social media by Apollo Research.


He draws from his insights working inside the computer chip industry building semiconductor equipment, the defense industry building aircraft carriers and submarines, the financial services industry building advanced trading platforms, and the aerospace industry building advanced VIP & Head-of-State aircraft.


In 2006, he was named Austin IT Executive of the Year by his peers at the annual InnoTech conference. Russ has served on the boards of the Austin Technology Council, the Austin Planetarium, and the National Board of Directors of AITP.
 
He was the 2008 and 2009 co-chair of the New York City based Outsource World conference - an annual gathering of worldwide IT leaders. Before TEL, he was an IT consultant for many years with Ernst & Young.
 


 

Russ Finney University of Texas McCombs
Martha Heller, Russ Finney, Randy Krotowski, and Andre Spatz discuss global IT at the CIO April 2004 Perspectives conference
Panel member with Martha Heller, Randy Krotowski, and Andre Spatz
Russ Finney Lithuania
Break Sessions and Workshops
Moderating with Mark Parmenter, Ken Milman, Mohan Sankararaman


                      Examples of Past Presentations                    

2023 - 2024 Presentations

AI Strategy Series Sessions Designed for C-Suite Execs - HT Group
Chief Information Officer Summit - Dallas Texas - Using Data and Business Analytics to Improve a Business (2023 and 2024)
Using AI in Education - Texas Association of School Boards - Fort Worth and San Antonio Leadership Summits


2020 - 2022 Presentations

Business 2030: Our (Not So) Science Fiction Future - Predict 2022
Lunch & Learn Strategy Series Sessions Designed for C-Suite Execs (2 Part Series) - HT Group
AI & Machine Learning - Pure Storage Customer Event
Speaker and Judge - Constellation Research "The Pitch" Event
OC Success Secrets - ERP Organizational Change Journal Podcast (ERP-OCJ)
Business Leadership Keynote - Texas State University Business Symposium


2019 Presentations
 
 
Strategic Planning Gets Agile - Workflow Magazine (Link to ServiceNow)
Strategic Thinking for Executives (3 Part Series) - HT Group Event at UT
AI and Machine Learning: A New Imperative for the C-Suite and IT Leadership
Digital Strategic Planning - The IT Department Must Do a New Mindset Reboot
Wall Street Journal Video Interview - Machine Learning (Link - Section 4)


2018 Presentations
 
 
Executing Strategy through Investment, Support, and Acquisition - UT Austin
4th Industrial Revolution - Lithuania Economic Conference - Vilnius
4th Industrial Revolution - UT Dallas AIS Conference
CIO Panel: Survival of the Fittest - Austin InnoTech
IT Future 2020 - InnoTech Dallas
IT Future 2020 - InnoTech San Antonio
Automating the C-Suite - Private Client
High Performance Virtual Teams - Austin Technology Council
Podcast: Best Practices for Outsourcing Software Development (Link)
 
2017 Presentations
 
 
IT Future 2020 Keynote - InnoTech - Oklahoma City
CIO 2020 - Positioning Youself for the Next Shift - Expert Fireside Chat - OKC
Strategic Planning: Basics to  the Boardroom - Fort Worth CIO Symposium
Innovation Secrets from Bumblebees and Tech Entrepreneurs - Panel - Fort Worth
CIO Panel: Disaster Recovery and Risk Management - Mississippi CIO Symposium
CIO Panel: Doing More with Less - Mississippi CIO Symposium
From Diasters to Risks to Opportunities - Project Management Institute Keynote
Real World Agile - Texas State University
CIO Panel: Technology Roadmapping - Arkansas CIO Symposium
CIO Panel: Change Management - Arkansas CIO Symposium
IT Double Vision: How a Business and Its Technologists Can See Right Past Each Other
Strategic Planning: Basics to the Boardroom - ITFMA Austin
CIO Panel: Technology Roadmapping - Milwaukee CIO Symposium
CIO Panel: The Patch to Leadership - Milwaukee CIO Symposium
The PMO meets Agile - Lunch and Learn Event - PMI Austin
CIO Panel: Technology in Healthcare and the Thousand Yard Stare - Las Vegas
CSO Panel: Trends in Security Practices and Technology - Las Vegas
Managing Innovations from Identification to Realization - PMI Spring PDF
CIO Panels: Working with the Business, Roadmapping, & Change Mgmt - Kansas City
Austin Corporate Lunch n Learns - Innovation: From Light Blub to Lights On
 
 
2016 Presentations

 

 

Executive Panel: Challenges of Innovation - Memphis SIM CIO Symposium
Executive Panel: Enabling and Leading in an Analytics Driven Organization
Executive Panel: How to be Relevant and Heard - Memphis SIM CIO Symposium
Cybersecurity: Build CEO, Executive, & Audit Confidence, Knowledge, & Support
IT Double Vision: How a Business & Its Technologists Can See Right Past Each Other
IT Strategic Planning: From the Basics to the Boardroom - ITFMA - Chicago
The Digital Metamorphosis: 6 Future Leadership & Strategy Imperatives Required for IT Success

 
 
2015 Presentations

 
IT Future 2020 - Technology and Impacts (InnoTech - San Antonio & Oklahoma City)
Executive Roundtable: Moving to the Cloud (Austin IT Symposium)
Rethinking IT & the CIO Role: 8 Future Tech Breakthoughs Creating Change
Connecting Agile Development to the C-Suite (Multiple events)
The IT Transformation Dilemma (efm - San Antonio)
Executive Roundtable: Building a Top Performing IT Shop (InnoTech - Austin)
CIO Panel: Positioning the Organization through a Competitive Strategy
CIO Panel: Succession Planning/Retaining and Recruiting
CIO Panel: The Foundations of a High Performance IT Organization
IT Strategic Planning: From the Basics to the Boardroom (efm - Memphis)
 
 
2014 Presentations
 
 
Creating a Winning Cloud Strategy for Business (Moderator - San Antonio InnoTech)
Methodology Transformation: Waterfall to Iterative to Agile (Multiple events)
High Performance Projects using Virtual Teams (efm - Austin)
From Diasters to Risks to Opportunities (efm - San Antonio)
Rethinking IT: Eight Near Future Technology Breakthroughs (Kansas City)
Building Systems: Going Waterfall to Iterative to Agile (InnoTech)
IT Survival in the Technology Fast Lane (efm - New Orleans)
Enabling IT Innovation and Transformation (Moderator - Austin & Kansas City)
Living the Teenage Dream in a Future Career (Texas State AITP)
Innovations: IT Survival in the Technology Fast Lane (efm - Memphis)
IT Destination 2020 (efm - Grand Rapids)

 
2013 Presentations

 
Vision Dynamics - Left Brain | Right Brain Thinking for Project Teams (Minneapolis)
IT Retention and Recruiting (CIO Panel Moderator - efm Symposium)
Agile & Beyond (Executive Panel Moderator - Minneapolis)
High Performance Virtual Teams (Austin InnoTech) 
IT Destination 2020 - A Look at Future Trends (efm - Idaho)
Best Practices and the Evolution of DRP (CIO Panel Moderator - San Antonio)
Vision Dynamics - Building Teams with 360° of Vision (Milwaukee, Tulsa, Memphis)
Moving to an Enterprise Agile Methodology (CIO Panel Moderator - Tulsa)
Technology Trends - A Five Year Forecast (Omaha)
Business 2020 - Disruptive Horizontal Thinking (Styve Executive Forum - San Diego)
Left Brain / Right Brain Thinking (efm - Fargo)

 
2012 Presentations

 
CIO Insights (CIO Panel - AWT)
Innovation - The 10 Ideas Framework (Stryve Executive Forum - Tucson)
The Rise of the Cloud (TechExecs @ IBM - Austin)
CIO Future & Focus (Stryve Executive Forum - Virginia)
Innovation from the IT Manager's Desk (Gateway to Innovation - St Louis)
IT Desination 2020 (InnoTech & efm Events - OKC, Salt Lake City & Des Moines)
Sourcing, Vendor, and Legal Best Practice Trends (IQPC - Chicago)
How Risk Management can Drive Innovation (efm - San Antonio)
IT Investment Planning (IQPC - Orlando)
CIO Imperitives (CIO Panel Moderator - Austin IT Symposium)
IT Finance (IQPC - Las Vegas)

 
2011 Presentations

 
Global Outsourcing Success Strategies (Gartner - Dallas)
Managing a Global IT Operation (CIO Panel - BusinessWorld - Mumbai, India)
Going Green - IT Trends for Using Efficient Technologies (Mumbai, India)
Ultra-Future Technologies (Innotech - Oklahoma City, Portland)
Global Information Systems Management (IQPC - Miami)
Global IT Procurement & Spending (IQPC - Orlando)

 
Other Previous Presentations

 
Web 2.0 (Software - San Jose) 
Conference Co-Chair (Interop/OutsourceWorld 2007 & 2008 - New York)
IT Executive Strategy - CIO Panel (CIO Magazine Executive Events - San Diego) 
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (Techxans - Austin) 
IT Challenges and Opportunities (Innotech - Portland) 
"Free Your Mind" Innovation Approaches (Freescale - Austin)
Non-profit Organizational Strategies (AITP - Baltimore) 
IT Oganizational Approaches (ITFMA - Las Vegas)
Successful Execution with Multi-location Teams (PMI - Austin)
Ultra-Future Technologies (Texas State - San Marcos, AITP - San Angelo)
Creating Innovation from the IT Manger's Desk (ITFMA - Los Angeles)
Global Leadership (Texas L.E.A.D - Austin)
Outsourcing from an Executive Perspective (OutsourceWorld - New York) 
The SCC vs SSO - Becoming a Customer Driven Model (SSON - Las Vegas)
 
Panel discussion at the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum
Panel discussion at the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum

In February of 2009 he was a featured speaker at the NASSCOM conference in Mumbai, India. The same year he was also a keynote Speaker for USAA’s Nexus Distinguished Speakers Series.
 



In the News
 

His Japanese experiences were featured in Computerworld: 


When HQ is Over There


 

Russ is frequently quoted in publications such as:

CIO Magazine - What It's Like To....Bond On Mt. Fuji
CIO Magazine - Generation Y
CIO Update - Using Policy and Compliance Tools


Computerworld - Politics Prevail Over Portfolio Management
Computerworld - Caught in the IT Pay Squeeze
Computerworld - Polishing Hidden Gems
Computerworld - IT Braces for 'J-SOX' Rules
Computerworld - IT Execs Search Far and Wide for Financial Skills
Computerworld - Innovative tech projects won't slow down for some


Entrepreneur Magazine - Technology Rules
Entrepreneur Magazine - Power Up


Contract Professional - More Than the Bare Necess-IT


Austin Business Journal - Trade associations are a big part of business
Austin Business Journal - In Depth: Modern Office

 

Many of the projects with which he has been involved have been noted in white papers by infor, IBM, Pemeco, Concur, Enigma, and Catapult Systems. The IBM related Global eBusiness web portal project was documented by Dr. Lynda Applegate and turned into a case study which is used by the Harvard Business School.


He has also been invited for the last five years to be a guest lecturer within the MBA program at the University of Texas, and he also currently serves on the Texas State CIS Advisory Board to help in the development of both degree curriculums and outreach programs. In the past he has served on similar boards at the University of Houston and at the Texas State Technical College.