Featured Speaker(s)

The Panelists:
Sheila Smith - As founder of Omega Point Consulting, Sheila helps IT organizations in Fortune 500 companies and universities improve their IT performance and value, and strengthen their partnership with the business. She brings special expertise in growing IT leaders, and in addressing implementation and organizational change management issues in deploying IT management practices.

Sheila has extensive experience coaching senior IT executives and teams in IT effectiveness and IT change leadership issues. She brings expertise in all aspects of IT management and organization, including IT alignment, IT leadership, IT process design, and IT reorganization and operating models. Prior to founding Omega Point Consulting in 1995, Sheila held senior positions with Ernst & Young LLP (E&Y), both within the management consulting practice and as a principal in E&Y's Center for Business Innovation. Her experiences with E&Y encompasses IT improvement and IT transformation services, facilitation of multi-company groups exploring IT management issues, and research in business change implementation.

Sheila is a recognized thought leader in the IT management arena, presenting at major IT conferences and publishing articles on the implications of organizational change in IT management. Sheila also served for several years on CIO magazine’s Enterprise Value Awards Review Board. An Omega Point leadership model for IT and a process for growing IT leaders have been highlighted in a recent article authored by Sheila in CIO Insight. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science, is certified in organizational change management, leadership development, and MBTI techniques.

Regina C. Santarcangelo, PMP, is president and CEO of SoftKey, Inc., a technology project management consulting firm in Coral Gables, Florida. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has worked on projects in many areas including information systems, business and project process reengineering, software application development, financial systems, travel reservation systems and project management offices.

Regina has been managing people and projects for over 20 years for companies such as Amadeus, American Express, Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Banamex, Cemex. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY; and Summa Cum Laude from Barry University, Miami, FL.

SoftKey, Inc. offers professional project management for technology projects, project management education, project manager mentoring and project management consulting to technology executives.

Jeff Fields, Unit CIO Customer Operations, National Council Compensation Insurance, Jeff joined NCCI in 2000 as a Unit CIO of Customer Operations. In his current position he is responsible for the overall management of the IT team for Customer Service, Experience Rating, Corporate Systems, New Products and E-Business Office. His responsibilities include supporting Customer Service and Experience Rating operations and building new products for the Workers Compensation Industry. He is also responsible for supporting the E-business office. He has worked for Fortune 500 companies like Intel, EDS and Unum Corporation. He sits on the board for a Marketing Interactive Technology Company.

He has published in CIO magazine articles on Matrix Management and Managing large CRM projects at the same time.

David Andrade, of PowerI Inc., has primary responsibility for the company's business development, and strategic and resource growth objectives. From 1994 to 2001, David served in a variety of executive roles at NCCI Holdings, Inc. David was instrumental in leading the company's customer facing divisions through dramatic turnaround efforts, and during this time period was responsible for successfully developing and implementing many large-scale system integration projects. From 1989 to 1994, David worked as a management consultant with Andersen Consulting and AT&T - Bell Labs, specializing in developing strategic process and technological solutions for clients in the financial services and telecommunications industries. David received an MBA(Finance and Marketing) from Columbia University in 1994, and a B.S. in Systems Engineering and Management from the University of Pennsylvania in 1989. His expertise in process management was noted in the Nov. 1, 1994 Issue of CIO Magazine.

Moderated by:
Connie J. Maldonado, PMP, is a technology project management consultant and trainer for SoftKey, Inc., a technology project management consulting firm in Coral Gables, Florida. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP^®) and has worked on projects in many areas including information systems, business and project process reengineering, software application development, financial systems, travel reservation systems and project management offices. Connie also has extensive financial experience in the banking and actuarial arenas.

Connie has served on the Project Management Institute South Florida Board of Directors since 1996 and is currently President-elect. She is also a past board member of Toastmasters International.

Connie holds a double degree from the University of Rochester in mathematics and economics.