Vanguard Magazine

GAME CHANGER 40 DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022 www.vanguardcanada.com See the full interview online Q What is your role at your organization today? As the Chief Technology Officer for Global Governments at ServiceNow, I help government agencies achieve their digital transformation strategies and de- liver better experiences to citizens and employees. Throughout my career, I've held many high-level IT leadership positions, in- cluding Director of Logistics IT for the U.S. Army G4, Deputy J6/CIO for the U.S. Transportation Command, and CIO of the National Nuclear Security Administration where I was responsible for the Nation's nuclear weapons design and manufacturing information. However, my career didn't start in technology. I began my career in the logistics industry, and I was involved in the military for 27 years. My career path is unique, but it ultimately led me to re- ceive a Masters in Information Manage- ment at Syracuse University. This edu- cation equipped me with the technical knowledge I needed for my career, and I paired it with the leadership skills that I learned in the military and other busi- nesses. My career journey really taught me the importance of leading by example. You're only as successful as your team, which is why it is so important to always make sure employees feel empowered. If the people on your team are successful, then your organization will be too. It all comes down to people and making sure technology is truly in the service of people. Q What was your most challenging moment? Over the course of my career, I have had many challenging moments but there are two instances that stand out to me that have been particularly challenging. The first was the transition from government into civilian life. I found it difficult because of the way people interacted and navigat- ed the concept of organizational identity. Business culture is very distinct from gov- ernment and applying the same principles of duty, honour, and country into the commercial world was especially different. The second moment that I think we can all relate to is the pandemic. We were all suddenly presented with the challenges of being separated from normal ways of doing business on top of a global health crisis that was making our loved ones ill. Losing the opportunity of being together was challenging as I am a people-oriented person and virtual connections were not the same. I thrive with in-person interac- tions and watercooler conversations, in addition to working with my team. The remote environment we found ourselves in presented many obstacles to staying connected through screens. Q What was your A-HA moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader, tell us that story? For me, it's not an a-ha moment, but a reinforcement of the belief that it is all about people. I've always focused on individual excellence by helping people achieve their goals and reach new heights of potential. I find when you lift others up, your organization exceeds expecta- tions and rises alongside it. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? Artificial intelligence is going to change our world. It gives people the ability to reinvent relationships, work, and ulti- mately, how they live their lives. We're on the cusp of that concept with technology that services people and it's only going to be accelerated by the application of AI across all aspects of life. We're accelerat- ing into a new way of working and living, which is why I'm fired up about being in the technology industry at this pivotal moment in time. Q What is the best advice you received? The best advice I ever received was from a First Sergeant of mine when I was a ser- geant in the Marine Corps. He took me under his wing and told me, "Sergeant Osborn, never forget that if you take care of your people, the mission will be accom- plished. Always take care of your people." This stuck with me and moulded my phi- losophy of how I live and provide leader- ship to my teams. Q What is a habit that contributes to your success? I would say I am a voracious reader. I am continuously learning, looking out for new things that also go beyond my field. I'm deeply interested in human advance- ment, new innovations, and applications of how people do things differently to make the world a better place. I'm always reading so I never stop learning. Q How is ServiceNow changing the game within your industry sector? For global governance, the ServiceNow platform is truly a game-changer. The differentiated technology enables govern- ment agencies to achieve the transforma- tion they strive for. Having a multi-in- stance architecture that gives visibility and control to government agencies allows them to apply new technology continu- ously, including AI. We're driving towards hyper-personalizing the experience for employees and citizens who interact with government agencies. Achieving the end state of a participato- ry government is within reach when you take a platform-centric approach that al- lows for the technology to be the control tower of the organization. These solutions help manage all the legacy technologies and deliver new and innovative services in commercial-like ways. BOB OSBORN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, GLOBAL GOVERNMENTS SERVICENOW

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