Governing Body Spotlight

Arun Kumar Bhaskara-Baba is the Chief Digital & Information Officer at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies and a Co-Chair of the Phoenix CIO Community. He is a results-driven executive – leading global teams to deliver business value in an accelerated way through innovative business capabilities and digital transformation of critical business functions. 

A fun fact about Arun, he loves to cook spicy vegetarian food. He says, “Having worked in Pharma and being used to sample testing before release, I bug whoever is around me to taste the dishes during cooking. And sometimes, the tasting itself empties the dish.”

Learn more about the Phoenix CIO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I started with TCS in India as a system analyst. Then I moved to Ford in the US, working in product development, manufacturing, and sales IT teams. From automotive to high tech, I began working at Dell, working with enterprise systems, data centers, network, product development, and setting up shared services. From high tech to healthcare, I set up shared services, taking a stint in quality / compliance / cybersecurity and then as Pharma Supply Chain CIO and then Manufacturing CIO. From healthcare to aerospace and defense, I drove digital transformation as a CIO. 

It was not a straight path as I took on roles that were critical, even though I did not plan for that. A common thread across all roles is to have strong sponsors and mentors… and of course, LinkedIn.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Serving is leading.
 

What is the greatest challenge security leaders face today, and how are you addressing it?

Prioritization – Focus on the business value / risk to help prioritization. Being transparent and inclusive of business leaders in prioritization and risk management. Ensure "no sticking chewing gum" – AKA if we prioritize below the line that means there should not be any work being done on that.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?

Transform from a technical leader to a business leader with technology expertise.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

When the business speaks for the value of digital without prompting and when more than 50% of my team are ready to take my job.
 

What is the value of being a member of the Evanta community?

Learning from peers and sharing with peers. A lot of the discussions help me to accelerate the work we are driving in my own operation.
 

Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.