Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Vice President of IT, Chief Information Officer, Purdue University
Major company achievements during tenure: Ian Hyatt, who leads a team of 700-plus IT people at Purdue University, is credited with bringing a steady hand to the position as well as advances in cybersecurity, student experience and research support. He is also credited with enhancing the university’s cybersecurity; implementing Mobile ID for students; decreasing customer wait times at the IT Service Desk; launching two chatbots through the Robotic Process Automation Center; beginning a five-year, $2.6 million upgrade to campus wireless network; adding the Negishi community cluster supercomputer; and integrating all distributed campus and academic IT units into one unified Purdue IT organization.
Challenge faced: “Losing all internet access on campus due to a fiber cut 120 miles north of here.”
First computer: “Tandy Color Computer, to program graphics showing a train made of blocks moving from left to right on the screen.”
The road: Hyatt enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at 17, then transitioned to the Rhode Island Air National Guard six years later and served the country for 37 years until his military retirement in 2022. Throughout that time, he held technology leadership positions in the private sector with companies including GTECH, Lifespan Corporate Services and IGT Providence before joining Purdue in 2021. “While these roles on the surface seem a big contrast from my role in the USAF, at the heart, they’re all really about building relationships, empowering leaders and strategic decision making,” he said.
Favorite gadgets: Bluetooth speakers, Kindle Fire, Alexa
I wish people understood: “Technology is only one part of the job. To utilize the latest technologies, improve the customer experience and protect the university’s environment, we need a strong group of people with diverse skill sets and interests working together toward a common goal with a bias for action.”
Free time: spending time on the beach in Florida; diving, boating, fishing; visiting major league ballparks around the country•
Check out more Tech Exec of the Year honorees.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.