Prospective Industry Partner Persona

Background

Stage in life? Family? School/career path?

• Chief Information Officer, responsible for all enterprise-wide information technology initiatives.
• Has more than 30 years of information technology, management, global initiatives, and operations experience.
• Prior to joining current company, he served as the senior vice president and chief information officer for Coca-Cola Refreshments.

Demographics

Male or female? Age? Location?

• Male.
• 59.
• Lives in Smyrna with his wife and two children.

Identifiers

Demeanor? Communication preferences?

• Learned confidence. Overrides his natural timidity by speaking quickly and confidently.
• Perceptive. Sees the big picture and what matters.
• Authentic. Willing to be real, treat others as peers, and help out where needed.

Goals

Primary goal? Secondary goal?

• Primary: Create high-quality, secure, and cost-effective technologies that enhance his company's business capabilities.
• Secondary: Shorten a product’s time to market.

Challenges

Primary challenge? Secondary challenge?

• Primary: Threats of being made obsolete at the hands of technology innovations that disrupt the industry and his company.
• Secondary: Cyberattacks.

Real Quotes

About goals, challenges, etc.

“We’re looking for opportunities for partnerships that help transform our industry and allow us to tap into a talent pipeline.”

“Innovation is a priority for our company.”

“Engineering students can provide us with a unique opportunity to get fresh, innovative ideas and solutions.”

Common Objections

Why wouldn't they choose Georgia Tech?

• We don't need external innovations for this. We can leverage our internal R&D.
• State tax incentives are better elsewhere.
• Not agreeable to the intellectual property terms.