http://www.butler.edu/csse
http://www.butler.edu/csse
Ms. Lou Russell
President and CEO
Russell Martin & Associates
Indianapolis, IN
Lou Russell is president and CEO of Russell Martin & Associates, a consulting and training company focused on improving planning, process and performance in information technology organizations.
"Technology" evokes images of things that are mechanical and electronic, mindless and predictable, efficient and precise, utterly devoid of emotion and humor. Fortunately, Lou has nothing in common with those stereotypes, because as Zen and the Art of the Macintosh notes, "The future masters of technology will have to be lighthearted and intelligent. The Machine easily masters the dumb and the grim."
Lou and her staff help their Fortune 500 clients understand that it's not about the technology, it's about what the technology does. Her 14-year-old Indianapolis-based company and its "IT Therapists" teach that technology cannot succeed within a broader business strategy without joint ownership of both design and outcomes by business-side and IT colleagues. Russell Martin & Associates has grown over 200 percent in the last decade, driven by a core focus on learning.
She is the author of The Accelerated Learning Fieldbook and Project Management for Trainers, and is currently working on Leadership Alchemy, due out in Fall 2002. She is a frequent contributor to Computer World, Cutter Executive Reports, and Network World, among others, and publishes the monthly Learning Flash electronic newsletter. A popular speaker, Lou addresses national and international conferences such as the Project Management Institute, Project World, LotuSphere, GIGA World, Systems Development and the Society of Information Management (SIM). She holds a computer science degree from Purdue University, where she taught database and programming classes, and a Masters in Instructional Technology from Indiana University. Her career has included positions as a programmer, database administrator, Help Desk implementer/manager and manager of technical training.
Igniting, affirming and sustaining learning is also a personal mission, evidenced by Lou's activities outside the company. In addition to work with children's charities and the Indianapolis SIM organization, she coaches and plays soccer, and teaches religious education. Lou is also a senior consultant with the Cutter Consortium and currently serves on the High Tech Task Force in Indiana, as well as the boards of ITT Technical Institute and Butler University. She was elected to "Who's Who in Indiana Technology" in 1995 and named "Woman of the Year" in 2000 by Women & Hi Tech. She is the proud mom of three daughters.
I have agreed to advise Butler University's CSSE program because of Peter Henderson's unique vision for a rigorous yet pragmatic approach to software engineering. I appreciate the research Peter has done to design a curriculum that creates a well-rounded software engineer, ready for the real world of business. In addition, Peter brings a focus on creating a diverse student population, which I think is critical to the future success of IT as an enabler of business.