CUNA’s Roy ’Maps’ IT Success

At a time when many CIOs are outsourcing to maximize IT efficiency, Rick Roy, CIO, CUNA Mutual Group (Madison, Wis.; $13 billion in assets), is looking to mine his own employees' potential. Shortly after arriving at CUNA in December 2003, Roy introduced a learning program to drive greater business and IT alignment by improving the IT staff's understanding of its contribution to the business. "We were looking for a different way to communicate with and engage our employees," Roy says.

Created by Maumee, Ohio-based Root Learning, the "engagement learning" program consists of three major sessions that use "maps," including text and illustrations, to explain employees' roles in terms of overall market environment, corporate context and individual and group work objectives. "It's about connecting their individual and work group goals to the strategic objectives we face at a company level," Roy explains.

More than 90 percent of CUNA Mutual's IT organization has voluntarily participated in the first session of the learning program, which Roy believes will improve productivity and morale. "One of the greatest value propositions our IT staff has over an outsource alternative is their knowledge of the business," he says.

Anthony O'Donnell has covered technology in the insurance industry since 2000, when he joined the editorial staff of Insurance & Technology. As an editor and reporter for I&T and the InformationWeek Financial Services of TechWeb he has written on all areas of information ... View Full Bio