cover of episode Future of Business: SAIC’s Toni Townes-Whitley on Leading Strategic Transformation

Future of Business: SAIC’s Toni Townes-Whitley on Leading Strategic Transformation

2024/11/7
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Toni Townes-Whitley: 我接手SAIC后，基于对公司现状的分析，提出了四个需要调整的假设，并通过微调和员工技能提升而非彻底的改变来推动战略转型。这包括调整产品组合，使其更具企业规模，并采用更先进的技术；改进市场策略和企业文化，以适应新的市场定位；最后，更新品牌形象，使其更具前瞻性。整个转型过程注重循序渐进，并通过建立企业运营模式、设定关键指标和定期评估来确保转型按计划进行。我们还注重培养员工的企业思维模式，鼓励大胆挑战和承担风险，并通过技能提升计划来培养人才。 Toni Townes-Whitley: 在采用新技术，特别是人工智能方面，我们注重在为政府客户提供最高安全性和可靠性的同时，保持技术领先地位。这包括在部署之前进行测试和模拟，并确保数据安全和准确性。我们重视人工智能的负责任使用，关注数据安全和准确性，并积极参与制定人工智能伦理标准，致力于减少人工智能中的偏见。我们使用人工智能来改善任务，并对人工智能标准负责。 Toni Townes-Whitley: 我们能够应对政府客户的预算和政策不确定性，主要通过专注于国防和情报部门对新兴技术的持续需求，以及在相对稳定的联邦机构中的业务来实现。 Toni Townes-Whitley: 我们使用关键指标来追踪战略转型的进展，包括财务指标（例如增长和盈利能力）以及与产品组合、市场策略和文化相关的指标。我们还通过调查来衡量员工对企业思维模式、大胆挑战、承担风险和技能提升的感受。 Toni Townes-Whitley: 我们通过成立人工智能委员会来解决人工智能实施中的偏见问题，该委员会由来自不同部门的代表组成，定期审查人工智能的应用。 Toni Townes-Whitley: 我在职业生涯中面临许多挑战，包括性别和种族偏见。我克服这些挑战的方法是专注于具有挑战性的机会，并运用所学知识来发展自己的职业生涯。我的职业道路更像一个阶梯，在垂直方向上不断寻求具有挑战性的机会，并在水平方向上运用所学知识。

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Toni Townes-Whitley discusses her approach to strategic transformation at SAIC, focusing on fine-tuning rather than wholesale change, and identifying key areas for pivot based on data analysis.
  • SAIC was the first in its market to have an employee-owned operating model.
  • The company had gone a bit flat in its growth cycle and needed more differentiated portfolio.
  • Four hypotheses were identified for areas needing tuning, which were tested in the first year.

Shownotes Transcript

With more than $7 billion in annual revenue and 24,000 employees, SAIC provides engineering, digital, AI, and mission support to defense, space, intelligence, and civilian customers. CEO Toni Townes-Whitley took the helm a year ago, after stints as a senior executive at Microsoft, CGI Federal, and Unisys. She discusses her approach to strategic transformation at SAIC through fine tuning and employee upskilling, rather than wholesale change. She also shares how the company is incorporating cutting edge technologies, like generative AI, with appropriate safeguards for government clients.