#48 Digital Transformation From Cisco to GE and Beyond – A Conversation with Bill Ruh

Summary: Bill Ruh is CEO of Digital Business at LendLease Group, a global developer and construction company for high rise and other real estate developments. Previously, he was the Chief Digital Officer for all of GE and CEO of GE Digital. Our conversation explored the nature of digital transformation, the considerations for creating goals and aligning the organization for success. One of the key insights is that transformation for industrial firms draws from best practices of technology companies, and the core principle is that technology companies’ missions are tied to asset optimization and better outcomes. He also shared how large companies need to think of transformation in two speeds – shorter term and longer term, where Speed 1 is the quarter to quarter focus and Speed 2 is the long term “moon shots”. He compares and contrasts the innovation mindset and approaches between startups and established companies, and shares best practices for larger companies to bridge the cultural gaps between their legacy and digital businesses. He also shares his views of the futyre of the construction and real estate industries enabled by the transformative impact of new technologies, which he is spearheading in his new role at LendLease.