| | 9MAY 2025 | | 8 MAY 2025 IN MY OPINIONHARNESSING TECHNOLOGY IN THE UTILITY SECTORAlberto Ruocco is a Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Alliant Energy Corporation. He joined the company in September 2023, bringing years of experience in information technology and the utility sector. Alberto's leadership guides the selection, implementation and optimization of technology solutions that facilitate essential aspects of the company's strategy and enhance cybersecurity operations. In his role, he leads teams leveraging new technologies that play an increasingly critical role in serving customers and building stronger communities. Key Experiences that Shaped the Journey of CIOOver many years, I have been involved in numerous consulting projects, ranging from strategy initiatives to large-scale system implementations. These extensive engagement experiences have helped me focus on the return of technology investments and exposed me to the multi-faceted role of the CIO. My initial exposure to the regulated and unregulated energy and utility industry was a revelation ­ as I learned more, I was captivated by the industry's problem statement: managing safe and reliable delivery of an essential service through a socialized, cost-sharing mechanism while adapting a complex, engineered system amidst the shift towards clean energy.As a CIO for a mid-size, investor-owned utility, I always approach problem-solving holistically. While I draw upon various theoretical models that often guide our work, our plans and decisions revolve around achieving a balance across many stakeholders while maintaining a focus on the return on investment and affordable customer rates. Key Leadership Qualities to Overcome ChallengesEarlier in my career, I perceived the utility industry as a place where business practices and enabling technologies rarely changed. However, over the last decade in this field, my experience has been the opposite. The pace of change towards the shift of clean energy has been significant where my team and I are learning continuously. We rely on a variety of sources across the utility and technology sectors to understand the evolving dynamics of our industry and leverage technology to drive advancements. Ultimately, the technology function is on the frontline-- co-leading change within our organization and the industry. As a CIO, thriving in this dynamic environment and adapting quickly is the key to success.There is a healthy tension between maintaining a safe and reliable electric grid and implementation of emerging technologies. While embracing innovations, we need to be prepared to take calculated risks. By developing a logical understanding of the technology stack, we can decide when and where to take risks and how these risks might impact the company's technology footprint. If we are too comfortable with the status quo, we might miss opportunities to positively impact business results. In contrast, if we take too many risks at the wrong time and in the wrong place in the stack, it could lead to negative business outcomes. This is why leaders must manage risk by inspiring collaborative problem-solving, encouraging bold ideas and driving informed decisions.Leading the VisionTwo significant quotes guide the process to create a vision to drive growth of digital information, operations and cybersecurity technologies. The first quote by Alan Kay states, "Context is worth 80 IQ points." Our context starts with the global economy. We then consider utility industry dynamics and evaluate our company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. All these inputs help us determine how technology can further our company's interests. In collaboration with functional leaders, we prioritize technology investments that enable transformation efforts and tactical improvements.The second quote by Helmuth von Moltke states, "No plan survives contact with the enemy." The essence of "strategy" lies in its nature as a plan By Alberto Ruocco, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Alliant EnergyAlberto Ruocco
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