Exploring digital transformation within organizations is the topic of the annual Business Technology Symposium, 1–3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, CUB Auditorium, at Washington State University. The event is free and open to the public and students in all majors at WSU.
Top executives from leading enterprises will discuss how organizations are handling digital transformation in areas such as customer experience, operational processes, and business models.
“Digital transformation puts information technology at the center of business strategy,” said Debbie Compeau, Carson College of Business senior association dean for faculty affairs and research. “This approach can help organizations better engage and serve their workforce and customers, improve their ability to compete and achieve future ambitions.”
Symposium panelists will include:
- Ketan Pendse
Director of professional services at Edifecs Inc., a healthcare technology company based in Bellevue, Washington
Pendse oversees a team of 20+ associates focusing on client delivery. He is a seasoned information technology (IT) leader with 19 years of experience in the IT/software industry. Over his career, he has held various roles including software engineer, production support analyst, business analyst, and project/ program manager. Pendse is a certified project management professional and a certified Academy of Healthcare professional. He is pursuing his executive MBA degree at WSU. - Aaron Wheeler (’20)
Information technology director, Suquamish Tribe
Wheeler leads a team of technicians and engineers who support systems for nearly 400 government employees. This includes the helpdesk, telecommunications, server and network infrastructure, cloud architecture, EHR databases, and an upcoming tribal broadband service. Wheeler’s background is a mix of business and IT, focusing on capital infrastructure, design, and implementation. He has worked with representative Drew Hansen of the 23rd Legislative District on House Bill 1336. This bill, which was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee last June, allows local and tribal entities to sell internet service directly to the public. Wheeler is also a certified Red Cross first aid/automated external defibrillator instructor and serves on the TribalNet Government and Member Services Advisory Board. - Nicole Weynands (’01)
Human centered computing group project manager and team lead, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
Weynands leads teams in delivering software products and services for sponsors and clients of PNNL. She is experienced in project management, agile frameworks, design thinking, mentoring, facilitation, and working with stakeholders and teams to achieve common goals and outcomes. She is also trained in social styles and Prosci change management and earned a mini-master’s certificate in user experience design from Rutgers University. Prior to joining PNNL, she worked as a consultant manager for Slalom Consulting. During her tenure at Slalom, she worked on many projects for various clients, with an emphasis on designing, developing, and delivering content management systems and web-based applications. Weynands also managed Slalom Seattle’s user experience and design team from 2012–2015. She is a member of the Carson College of Business National Board of Advisors and volunteers in her community.
The Business Technology Symposium is hosted by the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship within the WSU Carson College of Business and is sponsored by Mike (’85, ’86) and Amy Dreyer (’86) and Steven (’76, ’84) and Cyndie Tarr.
