>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE INTERNET IS CALLED THE GREAT EQUALIZER.
GREAT EQUALIZER. BUT THE INTERNET IS ONLY IS IT
EFFECTIVE AS THE DATA BEING FED
INTO IT.
INTO IT.
INTO IT. NOW PERHAPS MORE THAN ANY OTHER
TIME, COMPANIES LIVE AND DIE
BASED ON THE QUALITY OF THAT
DATA.
DATA.
DATA. AND
DATA. AND HOW THAT IS APPLIED.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A PART OF THE FORMULA.
DURING THE EARLY 1950s,
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEVELOPED A SERIES OF PROTOCOLS.
BY THE 1970S, THEY WERE
ENTRENCHED IN DATA PROCESSING
MAKING SOFTWARE TO ASSIST
ORGANIZATIONS ALL WITH THE GOAL
OF CREATING GREATER EFFICIENCY.
IN THE 80s, A SECOND INNER
ITERATION.
ITERATION. THEY WOULD ADOPT THE NAME
ANDERSON CONSULTING WORK. TODAY,
THEY USE BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY
AND STRATEGY EXPERTISE TO HELP
ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE
ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE EFFECTIVELY IN THE INFORMATION
AGE.
AGE.
AGE. JIMMY ETHEREDGE HAS HELPED
SOLVE COMPLEX OPERATIONS.
HE HAS THE SOUTHEAST DIVISION
OF SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR.
AS YOU SEE IN TODAY'S EXECUTIVE
PROFILE.
PROFILE.
PROFILE. >> TELL ME ABOUT GROWING UP AS
A CHILD IN THAT COMMUNITY.
GORDON IS A SMALL TOWN.
NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
NO FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS.
I HEADED -- I HAD A GREAT TIME
GROWING UP.
GROWING UP. MY MOTHER GOT A PHD.
MY FATHER GRADUATED FROM
GEORGIA TECH.
GEORGIA TECH. EDUCATION WAS IMPORTANT
IMMEDIATELY TO ME.
>> GEORGIA TECH WAS PREORDAINED
FOR YOU?
FOR YOU?
FOR YOU? WAS THERE ANY INTEREST IN GOING
TO GEORGIA?
TO GEORGIA? >> MIKE GRANDFATHER HAD GONE TO
GEORGIA TECH.
GEORGIA TECH. I REALLY HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR
ATLANTA.
ATLANTA.
ATLANTA. THAT WAS THE BIG, BUSTLING
CITY.
CITY.
CITY. FROM A SMALL TOWN, IT WAS
ALWAYS VERY EXCITING TO BE UP
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> DID YOU HAVE A GAME PLAN?
GIVE A GREAT DEGREE AND GREAT
OPPORTUNITIES.
OPPORTUNITIES. WHAT WAS THE FIRST -- HOW DID
YOU SET YOUR SIGHTS?
>> I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WANTED
TO DO.
TO DO.
TO DO. I
TO DO. I JUST KNEW WHAT I DID NOT WANT
TO DO.
TO DO.
TO DO. I
TO DO. I HAD GOTTEN A DEGREE FROM
GEORGIA TECH.
GEORGIA TECH. I TOLD DR. CHO'S INDUSTRIAL
ENGINEERING -- I CHOSE
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING.
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING. THEY SEEM TO BE -- SEEMED TO BE
A PRETTY GENERAL DEGREE THAT
YOU COULD DO A LOT WITH.
WHEN I STARTED INTERVIEWING FOR
POSITIONS, I WAS NOT INSPIRED
BY SOME OF THE ENGINEERING WORK
. I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT
CONSULTING.
CONSULTING. IT JUST SOUNDED LIKE A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO
LEARN.
LEARN.
LEARN. >>
LEARN. >> DID YOU START WITH ANDERSON
CONSULTING?
CONSULTING? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. IT WAS THE ARTHUR ANDERSON
MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
MANAGEMENT DIVISION. AND THAT BECAME ANDERSON
CONSULTING WHICH BECAME SENIOR
MANAGING DIRECTOR.
MANAGING DIRECTOR. >> WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN THOSE
EARLY YEARS?
EARLY YEARS? >> THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT I HAD
WASN'T -- WAS IN WOMEN OFFICE
RETAIL FASHION.
RETAIL FASHION. -- WOMEN'S RETAIL FASHION.
THE PROBLEM I WAS ASKED TO
SOLVE IS THEY HAD ONLY TWO
CORPORATE LEVELS TO DO ANY SORT
OF EXPENSES.
OF EXPENSES. THAT WAS CORPORATE OR STORE
LEVEL.
LEVEL.
LEVEL. WE
LEVEL. WE WERE TRYING TO FIX THAT.
THIS WAS TO HELP THEM
UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WAS GOING
TO WORK.
TO WORK.
TO WORK. YOU TAKE A COPIER AND MAKE A
SIMPLE PROTOTYPE AND THE COPIER
WE TAKE IT DOWN TO 65%.
AND THEN I WOULD TAKE THAT DOWN
BY 65%. AND CREATE A POSTER
BOARD WITH THIS HIERARCHY ON
IT.
IT.
IT. TODAY, I WOULD CALL IT A LOW
FIDELITY PROTOTYPE. BACK THEN,
IT WAS JUST A POSTER BOARD.
THEY COULD SEE HOW IT WORKED.
>> HOW DID IT TURN OUT?
>> THEY LOVED IT.
THEY LOVED IT.
>> SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR IS
A BIG PART OF THIS.
WHAT HAS SENIOR MANAGING
DIRECTOR SEEN IN ATLANTA THAT
MAKES THIS TOWN SO IMPORTANT TO
SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR'S
FUTURE?
FUTURE?
FUTURE? >> IT PROBABLY STARTS WITH
GEORGIA TECH.
GEORGIA TECH. YOU HAVE A WORLD-RENOWNED
INSTITUTION NOT ONLY FOR TALENT
AND ALSO WITH RESEARCH.
WHEN I TALK TO CLIENTS DOUBT,
THEY TEASED ME THAT WHEN IT
COMES TO TECHNOLOGY, THEY USED
TO KNOW WHAT THEY SPENT ON IT.
NOW THEY HAVE NO IDEA.
EVERY DEPARTMENT NEEDS
TECHNOLOGY AND SPENDS MONEY AND
TECHNOLOGY.
TECHNOLOGY. YOU CAN'T INTERACT WITH AN
EMPLOYEE, A CUSTOMER, SUPPLIER,
WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY.
WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY. SO THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS
DRIVING A LOT OF THE INTEREST
IN WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH
CLIENTS.
CLIENTS.
CLIENTS. ATLANTA HAS A GREAT REPUTATION
WITH GEORGIA TECH.
YOU HAVE A VIBRANT STARTUP
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. THERE IS INNOVATION AND IDEAS
THAT ARE HAPPENING.
IT IS AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS
BEEN VERY PRO-BUSINESS AND
TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS
TO CREATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> WHERE DOES SENIOR MANAGING
DIRECTOR -- ACCENTURE SEE IT
GOING?
GOING?
GOING? >>
GOING? >> WE'LL HAVE SOME RESEARCH AND
LAB TYPE ACTIVITIES IN IT.
WE ARE WORKING WITH TECHNOLOGY,
BUILDING PROTOTYPES AND
CONCEPTS.
CONCEPTS.
CONCEPTS. THE OTHER BIG THING IS CO-
CREATION WITH CLIENTS.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE CONSULTANTS
THAT ARE WORKING WITH THE
CLIENTS IN THESE SPACES THAT
ARE REALLY CONFIGURED FOR
COLLABORATION.
COLLABORATION. >> WHEN YOU THINK BACK TO THOSE
EARLY YEARS, IS THIS WHERE YOU
WOULD'VE WANTED IT TO HAVE
BEEN?
BEEN?
BEEN? >>
BEEN? >> I THOUGHT IF I WAS STILL
HERE BY NOW, I'LL BE PLAYING A
LOT MORE GOLF AND DOING
ENTERTAINMENT.
ENTERTAINMENT. AT LEAST MY IMPRESSION 30 YEARS
AGO OF HOW THE SENIOR PARTNERS
OPERATED, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT
THEY WERE DOING.
I'M STILL WORKING PRETTY HARD.
I WAS PLANNED TO GO GET A
GRADUATE DEGREE.
GRADUATE DEGREE. AND NEVER FELT LIKE THAT WAS
GOING TO BE THE THING THAT WAS
GOING TO HELP ME IN MY CAREER.
I FELT LIKE I WAS LEARNING A
LOT WITH ACCENTURE.
I STARTED IN THE MANY
FRACTURING SIDE AND WORKED MY
WAY BACKWARDS UP THE VALUE
CHANGE FROM MANUFACTURING TO
THE WAREHOUSE INTO SALES AND
MARKETING.
MARKETING. A LOT OF IT WAS SPENT AROUND
GROWTH, CUSTOMER ANALYSIS,
LOYALTY, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
THAT WHEN I LEFT GEORGIA TECH.
CONSULTING AND ACCENTURE HAD A
LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN
NEW THINGS.
NEW THINGS. >> I WOULD ARGUE MIGHT HAVE
ACTUALLY GOT A GRADUATE DEGREE.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. AND IT WAS LESS EXPENSIVE.
>> ACCENTURE WAS JUST HIM DOES
OVERALL LEADER IN INNOVATION.
ACCENTURE BEAT