Digital is the business strategy at Principal Financial Group

Some chief digital officers (CDOs) have a marketing background, and some come from the start-up world. At Principal Financial Group, where “digital” is a business strategy that uses specific technologies, the CDO has a background in strategy and in IT. Gary Scholten, CIO and CDO at the firm, discusses his dual role and how the company has incorporated digital into its growth strategy.

———————————————–

How did you wind up as Principal Financial Group’s chief information officer and chief digital officer?

I’ve been Principal’s CIO for almost 16 years and have taken on additional responsibilities over the years, including head of strategy and of human resources. Two years ago, our CEO was talking about the need to drive digital more deeply into our business strategies, and he asked me to consider leadership in this area. I did some research and found that the title of chief digital officer resonated with our conversation.

To read this article in full, please click here