Tony Thomas – CIO, Nissan

TL;DR

Tony Thomas, CIO of Nissan, discusses the impact of digital transformation in the automotive industry and his role in driving the company's digital initiatives.

Transcript

[MUSIC] Tony Thomas, CIO of Nissan, welcome to Stanford University and Systems Leadership.

Thank you. >> Tell us a little bit about your job in the company, now that you've been there nine months. >> Sure, so I joined as the CIO for Nissan. I have primarily three aspects to my job. First and foremost is run the traditional IT that we have across... Read More

Key Insights

• 😮 Digital transformation is essential for automotive companies to adapt to the changing mobility industry, including shifts in customer buying habits and the rise of connected services.
• 🖐️ Data plays a crucial role in driving digital initiatives, enabling companies to personalize customer experiences and improve their offerings.
• 🐕‍🦺 Traditional automotive companies can leverage strengths from other industries to drive their digital initiatives, such as telecommunications capabilities for connected services and customer experience expertise from the banking sector.

Questions & Answers

Q: How are changes in the mobility industry impacting Nissan's digital transformation?

Changes in the mobility industry, such as the shift towards e-commerce and connected services, are driving the need for digital transformation at Nissan. Data plays a crucial role in driving these changes and improving the customer experience.

Q: How does Nissan prioritize customer experience compared to legacy competitors and new upstarts like Tesla?

Nissan aims to provide a comprehensive customer experience by offering relevant information, helping customers afford and buy the right car, and providing efficient services. While there may not be many case studies in the automotive industry, Nissan sees this as an opportunity.

Q: What strengths does Tony Thomas bring from other industries to Nissan's digital transformation efforts?

Tony Thomas brings experience from industries like telecommunications, banking, and heavy manufacturing to Nissan. He believes that the automotive industry today is a culmination of various consumer segments, and Nissan can leverage these strengths for their digital initiatives.

Q: How does Nissan ensure collaboration between the digital team and the traditional product group?

Nissan is changing the dynamic of how they work by adopting a mission-based team approach where both the digital team and the product group work together. This allows for better understanding, ownership, and faster delivery of projects.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Tony Thomas, CIO of Nissan, is responsible for running traditional IT, driving digital transformation, and building a talented team at the company.

• Changes in the mobility industry, such as e-commerce, connected services, and autonomous and electric vehicles, are driving the need for digital transformation at Nissan.

• Nissan aims to provide a 360-degree customer experience by leveraging data and providing relevant information to customers.