The Transformational CIO: Leadership and Innovation Strategies for IT Executives in a Rapidly Changing World

Building from Scratch

The first time I heard Greg Fell describe his first 30 days on the job as “unique,” I thought that he might be exaggerating. He was not. Greg has a terrific story to tell about his early days as CIO at Terex Corp.

“Here was a Fortune 500 company that didn't have a CIO or an IT organization,” says Fell. “We had to build an IT organization from scratch, and launch an ambitious global ERP project to support management's goal of transforming Terex from a holding company into an operating company.”

Terex Corporation is a leading global manufacturer of heavy equipment used in many industries, including construction, infrastructure, quarrying, mining, shipping, transportation, energy, and refining. In 2005, Terex embarked on a large-scale effort to unify the company's multiple operating units under a single brand. The transformation process would make it easier for Terex customers to do business with the company. It would also enable Terex to leverage its size and scale to become more efficient and more competitive.

But transformation would be complex, and IT would play a key role in ensuring its success. Here's the story, in Greg's own words:

When I was hired, the corporate office had fewer than 70 people. Most of them were lawyers and accountants. There were only two people in corporate IT. The rest of the IT people were scattered across 50 manufacturing sites. We had no networks connecting the sites, not even a common e-mail system. One of the division presidents ...