Industry Leaders Partner with o9 Solutions to Support Executives on their Digital Transformation Journeys

DALLAS – February 22, 2021 – o9 Solutions, the leading AI-powered Integrated Business Planning (IBP) platform, boosts the thought leadership within its network with former leaders from JFE Steel and Nestlé.

o9 Solutions’ AIM10x Executive Council grew by another two members today, with Hiroshi Nishikawa, former CIO of JFE Steel, and Filippo Catalano, EVP and Chief Information and Digitisation Officer at Reckitt Benckiser (as of April, 2021) and former Global CIO at Nestlé, joining its efforts. The council hosts a collective of visionary industry leaders who regularly share valuable learnings, best practices, and knowledge through AIM10x Webinars and Podcasts. The council’s mission is to help executives navigate and accelerate their digital transformation journeys through curated content around leadership, strategy, change management, and how to leverage new technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to reach business goals.

Hiroshi Nishikawa

Nishikawa joins the network as an award-winning inventor, steelmaking expert, and prolific writer, with 104 patent registrations and 37 articles to his name. He received the Prime Minister Award of National Invention Award in 2001 and the “G. Watanabe Medal” in the category of Technical Achievement Contribution in 2009. He started his career at Kawasaki Steel Corporation, one of the top steel manufacturers in Japan, and became the department head of the Steelmaking Division at Chiba Steelworks. After Kawasaki Steel and NKK jointly established JFE Holdings in 2002, Nishikawa held various senior positions at JFE Steel Corporation. After fulfilling the role as CIO of JFE Steel, Nishikawa joined Exa Corporation as Vice President in 2012 and became Senior Executive Fellow in 2018.

Nishikawa states: “At the Engineering Department of JFE Steel’s East Japan Works, our work involved production planning and product delivery, and we had been building SCM between the steelworks and its customers. At that time, the planning relied heavily on human experience, and in recent years, it had become difficult to cope with the rapidly changing and increasingly complex SCM. After assuming the position of CIO of the head office, I introduced S&OP from i2 to build a consistent sales and production plan for the head office and the steel mill.

I was very interested in the fact that o9 Solutions has IT tools that apply AI to build more advanced sales and production plans. Ideally, I would like to connect stakeholders such as production, logistics, and customers with a consistent system to create a plan that provides a bird’s eye view of management and SCM as a whole. o9 Solutions’ platform has the potential to solve the problems in the current SCM. That is the reason why I joined o9 Solutions.”

Filippo Catalano

Filippo mirrors Nishikawa’s expertise and interest in IT innovation. One of Filippo’s early roles at Procter & Gamble (P&G) saw him as the IT manager in Italy, before he transitioned to running the Digital Marketing program for Beauty Care, managing the P&G European IT Innovation group and managing global innovation for the company’s global digitization program. His analytical and creative thinking made him a critical architect when building out the company’s brand from a mobile, digital, and social perspective. In 2018, Filippo was appointed Senior Vice President and CIO of the Nestlé Group, where he led the digital transformation of the world’s largest food and beverage company. This initiative saw Nestlé’s e-commerce sales grow by 18.5% in 2019 and enabled a better understanding of and engagement with its customers. By April 1st, 2021 Filippo will join Reckitt Benckiser as EVP and Chief Information and Digitisation Officer.

Filippo states: “With the tall order for all companies have to use technology and data for good, to make a positive impact to societies and the planet, there are exponential opportunities to improve the supply chains of the world in any manufacturing sector, to both improve operational fundamentals and to have a positive impact on sustainability. All of us tech leaders need to do our part.”

“I’m delighted that Hiroshi Nishikawa and Filippo Catalano have joined the AIM10x Executive Council. The perspective they bring to digital transformation is a fresh one: Hiroshi with his extensive and impressive expertise focused on industrial manufacturing and Filippo having digitally transformed the world’s largest food and drink company,” said Chakri Gottemukkala, CEO at o9 Solutions and active member of the AIM10x Executive Council. “I speak on behalf of everyone involved in the network when I say we’re genuinely excited about the thought leadership we are looking forward to seeing from our new members.”

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About the AIM10x Executive Council

The future of digital transformation, next-generation planning, and decision-making is here. But most businesses will find the journey to their goals difficult. The AIM10x Executive Council is a business advisory board that combines the expertise and experience of operational leaders at some of the world’s largest enterprises.

o9 Solutions created its AIM10x Executive Council in partnership with visionary experts across industries to deliver expert insights drawn from professional experience. Executives can navigate and accelerate their digital transformation journeys through AIM10x webinars, Masters of Digital Transformation podcasts, and the AIM10x Innovators Network.

Visit the AIM10x Executive Council

In a world of volatility, APEX is the answer

The AI-powered operating model that helps enterprises thrive in the VUCA era. The o9 Digital Brain unifies planning, forecasting, and execution — powered by AI.

Learn more

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