Abstract

The hyper speed at which technology is moving today is causing disruption to ripple out like a pebble in a pond, affecting not only products and business models, but also disrupting the behaviors and our needs of customers. Keeping pace with our customer's digital expectations requires us to understand the key technology trends ushering us into a new hyper-digital world. The Hyper-digital age is fueled by three trends: Hyper-connectivity, Hyper-automation, and Hyper-adoption. In this session, Karl Gouverneur, Vice President and CTO at Northwestern Mutual, will clarify these trends and highlight examples of how each can not only disrupt our business, but also offer opportunity for differentiation in the marketplace. Karl will address the sea of technology start-up companies that pop up daily to rival market leaders and provide insight into the unbundling of giants for which we should all prepare!

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Bio

Karl Gouverneur (pronounced "Governor") is vice president and chief technology officer for Northwestern Mutual, and head of the company's enterprise technology management department. In this role, Gouverneur oversees a team that sets the company's technology direction, manages technology innovation and governance, ensures a reliable operations infrastructure, and manages information risk to protect the company's brand and reputation.

Gouverneur focuses on providing technology that leads to efficiency and flexibility for business processes to enrich the experience of the company's clients, financial representatives and employees. He partners with business areas across the enterprise to integrate technology with the company's business strategies and objectives.

In addition to his other responsibilities, Gouverneur leads an award-winning technology innovation program which evaluates technology-based ideas for rapid development and funding.

Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual in 2006, Gouverneur was the vice president and chief technology officer at Seattle-based Safeco Insurance, where he built an IT architecture practice and identified over $110 million in business value. Before his role at Safeco, he was the chief architect at Chicago-based CNA Financial, where he focused on business alignment, IT strategy and IT standards, and strategic and innovative IT solutions including a claims transformation program, service-oriented architecture, voice over IP, strategic sourcing and enterprise content management. He started his career at Ernst & Young, where he progressed through the ranks to become a senior manager.

Gouverneur is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration – computer science. He is currently a member of the CTO Research Board and the ALPFA National Corporate Advisory Board. In the Milwaukee community, Gouverneur serves on Marquette University's Global Sourcing Advisory Board and is an active member of the Discovery World Board. He is also an advisor to the Northwestern Mutual Hispanic Employee Resource Group.