Executive Education Program Planned For Corporate IT Executives

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (July 14, 2006)—Information technology executives andsenior managers can explore strategies that optimize IT investments for enterprise-wide business needs at a unique executive education program hosted by Penn State Executive Programs Sept. 11 - 15.

The five-day program, "The Enterprise Technology Strategist: Aligning IT & Business Strategies," brings together the academic expertise of Penn State faculty members in the Smeal College of Business and the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) with the real-world business experience of Gartner, Inc.

The course will delve into all aspects of IT and organizational alignment from strategy and infrastructure issues to those surrounding external alliances and partnerships. The results-oriented program is specifically designed to help participants better understand, plan and implement the alignment of their IT and business strategies and infrastructures.

"This partnership between Penn State and Gartner gives participants access to some of the best academic minds and top business-technology consultants in the industry," said Patrick Cataldo, associate dean for executive education at Smeal.

Faculty presenters include Albert A. Vicere, executive education professor of strategic leadership at Smeal and Joseph L. Cavinato, professor of supply chain management at Thunderbird. Scott Bittler and Richard Buchanan, both in enterprise planning and architecture strategies for Gartner, are also program faculty leaders.

Participants will engage in interactive sessions that address issues, best practices and implementation of IT and business strategies. The sessions are also structured to provide opportunities for participants to discuss with peers their own unique workplace challenges.

"Aligning IT and corporate strategies is crucial for organizations to reap the high-potential value of IT and gain a competitive advantage," said James B. Thomas, Smeal dean and professor of information sciences, technology and management. "Fitting technology, structures, processes and skills to match strategic alignment isn't just crucial to exploit their full potential but may be necessary for survival."

Penn State Executive Programs has been serving the development needs of the world's business leaders since 1954, providing both open-enrollment and custom programs. Nearly 36,000 executives from 43 different nations have participated in programs on topics ranging from strategic leadership to supply chain management.

The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology was founded to build leaders for the digital, global economy. Since its launch in 1999, IST has recorded impressive growth in undergraduate and graduate programs, helping students become technologically skilled and also able to understand how technology can make a difference in business, government, education and social services.

Gartner is a leading international provider of research and analysis about the global IT industry. The firm provides data, advice and opinions to 45,000 clients worldwide representing 9,000 distinct organizations, delivers 2,000 consulting engagements a year and holds more than 70 annual events that draw in excess of 35,000 attendees. Clients include CIOs and other senior IT executives in corporations and government agencies as well as technology companies and the investment community.

For more details and registration information, visit: http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep/eets.html.