When Randy Krotowski learned that Caterpillar was looking for a new CIO, he had just come to the conclusion with his wife that he would end his career with Chevron, a company that he had been gainfully employed by for 29 years. He had had a diverse array of experiences at the energy giant, and thoroughly enjoyed the work. He listened to the details of the new opportunity not thinking that he really could be convinced. The more he listened, the more interested he became, until he ultimately joined the company in February of 2012.
It had been a while since his first 100 days with a new company, but Krotowski recognized that his newness meant that he needed to get out and meet other leaders, learn more about the supply chain of the company, draw parallels between his old employer and his new one in order to generate creative insights, and to get some quick wins under his belt. In this interview I recently conducted with Krotowski, he talks about what he has done well, as well as what he would do differently if he had the chance to do things over.
Randy, you joined Caterpillar a year ago after three decades and several senior roles at Chevron, and had some time to think about your new plans in terms of the first 100 days of operation in those new roles. This however, was your first opportunity to do so in a brand new company. How did you develop those initial plans at a new company, in a new industry, and within a new culture?
It wasn’t a whole lot different from the job changes at Chevron. Being in a new industry and with new people, however, I did have a great deal to learn in those areas. In any role, I try to answer the question, “What does the company need from me?” Given where Caterpillar is going, given where we want to be in the future, and given the companies we are competing against, what does the company need from IT? These are the same questions I would ask in any role at any different company.
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Date: August 27, 2013