Walmart CIO Karenann Terrell Wins Fisher-Hopper Prize

Go into any Walmart and you can always find a good deal on everything from household supplies to casual clothing.

While Walmart stores in California may offer a wide range of organic vegetables, others in Colorado carry a wider variety of fishing and sporting gear.

In order to learn more about its 140 million weekly U.S. shoppers and their expectations, Walmart Chief Information Officer Karenann Terrell embraced the giant retailer’s pervasive use of data to drive inventory systems, ensuring merchandise will be available in the stores demanding it.

Terrell has been named the fifth winner of the 2016 Fisher-Hopper Prize for Lifetime Achievement in CIO Leadership, presented annually by the Fisher CIO Leadership Program at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

The prestigious award recognizes CIO leadership excellence in information and technology management. This year’s award nominees included Terrell and three other respected CIOs: Kim Hammonds of Deutsche Bank; Matt Carey of Home Depot; and Kim Stevenson of Intel.

Terrell’s ability to scale big data and technology to modernize the 54-year-old retailer’s global backend system is an excellent example of CIO leadership, according to the Fisher-Hopper Prize 14-person selection committee.

“A primary motivator for us is to serve customers seamlessly from app to site to store. Consumers want a frictionless experience,” said Terrell.

Terrell will be honored at the Renaissance CIO banquet and award ceremony on September 29, 2016, at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club on the Berkeley campus. The banquet follows a day-long conference, “Landmark CIO Community Event,” to be held at the University Club at Memorial Stadium and sponsored by the Fisher CIO Leadership Program. Featured conference speakers include Merrill Lynch CIO DuWayne Peterson and Raytheon CIO Rebecca Rhoads, winner of the 2015 Fisher Prize.

The Fisher CIO Leadership Program provides CIOs, Berkeley-Haas students, and faculty with seminars and research insights about the evolving role of CIOs and the application of information technology to business strategies. The program also provides monthly roundtable discussions for senior IT executives on such topics as intellectual property protection, big data, and IT security.

 

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