LEADERSHIP EVENT MOST SUCCESSFUL TO-DATE
School Raises Nearly $215k
On June 6th, 2006, the Ivan G. Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information
Systems at Pace University celebrated its 11th Annual Leadership and Service in
Technology Award Reception. It was a record breaking event, garnering nearly
$215,000 in support of student scholarships and various school-based initiatives. The
event was chaired by Bank of New York Chief Information Officer, Kurt Woetzel, and
honored Austin A. Adams, the Executive Vice-President and Chief Information Officer of
JPMorgan Chase, the 3rd largest bank holding company in the world. Ivan G.
Seidenberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications and benefactor of the
school, was the guest speaker for the evening. The event was held at 55 Broad Street
at a venue known as the “Digital Sandbox.” This facility, owned by the Rudin family,
was the hallmark building in lower Manhattan where Silicon Alley was born.
Mr. Adams, a 33-year banking veteran, has spent most of his career overseeing
technology and operations during dramatic technological innovation and industry
consolidation in Financial Services. He has been involved in no fewer than 90 mergers over
the course of his career. He is currently responsible for technology and operations,
managing almost 28,000 employees and a multi-billion dollar budget. He assumed this
role upon the merger of JPMorgan Chase and Bank One Corporation in July 2004. He
was recognized as the 2004 CIO of the Year by Waters magazine and was named a
Premier 100 IT Leader by Computerworld magazine in the same year. He has been
named one of the 16 most influential technology people in the world by Business 2.0
magazine and as one of the Top 10 CIO’s for the financial services industry.
Mr. Adams’ commitment to leadership in technology goes well beyond the corporations
he has worked for over the years. He believes deeply, as he stated in his remarks at
the event, “We simply have to develop IT professionals with a high degree of business
savvy and excellent leadership and communication skills. … This has to be a paradigm
shift beyond the traditional skills of systems analysis, design and programming – and
one supported by innovative programs that combine business and IT curricula – such as
those offered at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.”
Additionally, Mr. Adams serves as a director of the Bank Administration Institute (BAI)
and ViewPointe, a leading provider of check image storage and exchange services. He
is a member of the Research Board, CIO Strategy Exchange, and the Executive
Committee of BITS (the technology group for the Financial Services Roundtable). He
chairs the Technology Council as well.
Each year, the Seidenberg School presents the Leadership and Service in Technology
Award to an individual or company that best exemplifies leadership in the field of
technology, innovation in the application of technology to serve people, and
commitment to community service and education. Mr. Adams’ distinguished career
certainly makes him a deserving recipient of this honor.
The annual Award Reception serves as the primary fund-raiser for the Seidenberg
School. All proceeds from the event are used to support student scholarships and
various school-based innovative initiatives. Each year, several Seidenberg students
who rely on financial aid to complete their studies are awarded scholarships from these
funds, and many of our programs and course offerings depend on them as well.
So thank you from all of us here at the Seidenberg School to all of you who support the
school, our initiatives, and our efforts! We are looking forward to another successful
event in June 2007. Details will be announced shortly so please check our Web site at
www.seidenberg.pace.edu for more information. If you would like to participate in the
event next year, please contact Kim Bendus at 212-346-1689 or kbendus@pace.edu.