When Murali Natarajan came to the U.S. for IT consulting assignments in 1994, he did not expect his work would become something bigger. “I did not graduate college planning to work for an insurance company,” he says of the assignment at RLI Insurance Co. that proved to be a turning point in his life. Yet, […]
Features Region: Midwest
Nathan Bellinger – Ceres Solutions Cooperative, Inc.
In the late-19th century, Nathan Bellinger’s family grew mint in Indiana’s Kankakee River Valley. His grandfather sold crops to a third party, which, in turn, sold it to the Wrigley Company, which needed the mint for its iconic spearmint gum. Times and markets changed, though, forcing many Indiana farmers—including the Bellingers—to embrace new sources of […]
Rick Copple – Community Health Network
When Rick Copple talks to doctors about how to use an online patient portal or why a new video conferencing tool is important, he can see their eyes glaze over. His jargon goes over their heads and his words get lost in translation. They simply want to take care of their patients; they don’t have […]
Angelo Fanaras – Public Service Credit Union
It used to be that if you were caught on camera at a bank it wasn’t a good thing. In some circles, it might even be called evidence. But these days, customers of Public Service Credit Union want to be seen on video. I could let them conduct important business and personal matters, says Angelo […]
Joe Sheridan – UMBRAGROUP
Joe Sheridan is used to being the go-to guy for IT problems. In fact, in most of the leadership jobs he’s held the past 12 years, his first task has been to “turn around IT.” That’s led him to do everything from managing networking improvements to designing and building new business applications. He began this […]
Thomas Polk – Midwest Eye Consultants, P.C.
When providing critical healthcare, the last thing a doctor should have to worry about is slow or wonky technology. This belief is what guides Thomas Polk, the CIO of Midwest Eye Consultants, P.C., as he implements tools to help both patients and doctors. As the eye care company’s first person to hold this title, he […]
Rob Lowden – Indiana University
When Rob Lowden started working at Indiana University in 1998, his work was very relevant to today’s world. He started over two decades ago by advancing and developing online learning systems and course management, which made the transition to remote learning smoother when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year. Lowden’s experience has informed the current […]
Stephenie Southard – BCU
Twenty-five years ago, when Stephenie Southard showed up for an IT job interview, she was told she was “pretty enough” to be a secretary or she could become a schoolteacher. The remarks only fueled her desire to pursue a career in the male-dominated industry she loves. Fast-forward to 2019 when Southard landed her dream job as a vice president and chief information security officer at BCU, a credit union based in Vernon Hills, Illinois. It’s a joy, she […]
Matthew Ireland – NTT Research, NTT Security
He anticipates a trend, the outsourcing of data protection that his employer is well-positioned to assume on behalf of corporate clientele. For many companies, it’s a question of when, not if, they’ll be hacked, Matthew Ireland warns, and they may not even know about it for three to six months while the consequences accrue. “We’re […]
Tracy Barnes – State of Indiana
While it may not be a Dickensian “best of times, worst of times” scenario, there’s no doubt that 2020 turned much of what state governments do squarely on its head. With increased demands for services during the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with new regulations limiting how state employees could interact with those in need, Tracy Barnes […]
