As the vice president of Enterprise Data Architecture, Robert Friedrich is responsible for developing enterprise data assets and services, including customer data integration and master data management. Prior to joining Equifax, Robert was a Senior Principal in the Information Management Practice at HP. Robert has over 16 years of experience managing IT and business operations with an emphasis on information and data management at Fortune 100 corporations such as Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Deloitte & Touche, British Petroleum, and Capital One, and in countries around the world. Less   View all posts

Aaron Zornes is the founder and chief research officer for the MDM Institute (formerly the CDI-MDM Institute). He is also conference chairman for the MDM SUMMIT conference series on MDM, CDI, and data governance. Aaron is a noted speaker and author on Global 5000 enterprise IT issues, particularly on the topics of master data management (MDM), customer data integration (CDI), and data governance, and has advised the largest and best known solution providers. He has also worked with numerous well-known Fortune 500 companies, and companies.around the world, to develop MDM investment plans and architectures. Aaron is the editor and lead contributor to DM Review's CDI and MDM Newsletters as well as the monthly columnist for both CDI and MDM. Prior to founding the MDM Institute, he was founder and executive VP of META Group's largest research advisory practice for 15 years. He has also held line and strategic management roles in leading vendor and user organizations, including executive and managerial positions at Ingres Corp., Wang, Software AG of North America, and Cincom Systems. Less   View all posts

Jim began his IT career 30 years ago as a programmer trainee for a mid-west insurance company and worked his way up into IT management while at GE Aircraft Engines where he supported jet engine manufacturing operations in the US, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden and Great Britain. In the early 80's he was involved in GE's initial attempts to leverage the India-based off-shore software development model, which was, at that time, in its infancy. In 1986 he joined Gradison & Company, a regional brokerage firm based in Cincinnati, to in-source IT functions and to build an IT organization. In 1992 he was recognize by Computerworld, Datamation and UnixWorld for his “the network is the computer” strategy that integrated proprietary and unix-based system using wireless ethernet networks and X-windows terminals to support Gradison's 200 stock brokers. Jim joined GE Capital Consumer Financial Services in 1994 to build a commercial software development organization tasked with constructing GE's corporate purchasing card and corporate travel card software applications. As CIO for Clopay Corporation, he downsized an under-performing and over budget IT organization through the strategic use of domestic and off-shore outsourcing while successfully completing over $30Mm in IT projects. Jim was honored by Computerworld magazine as one of the “Premier 100 IT Leaders of 2003” for his creative use of technology to execute business strategy. As CIO for The Hillman Group, Jim has elevated IT from a tactical service provider to a strategic business partner that provides competitive advantage. Jim was a nominee for the “2005 Intelligent Enterprise Award” sponsored by Intelligent Enterprise magazine. He was a finalist for the “2006 Innovator Award” sponsored by Application Development Trends magazine and he also received a “2007 ComputerWorld Honors Program Laureate” for Hillman's business intelligence applications. Jim has spoken internationally on the topic of business intelligence. Less   View all posts