Technically, Filippo Passerini is CIO and Global Services Officer of Procter & Gamble, but that hardly begins to describe his role there, much less his emerging responsibilities.
P&G's acquisition on September 30 of former competitor Gillette, valued at $57 billion, made P&G the largest consumer goods manufacturing company in the world with more than 300 brands—21 of which are "Billion Dollar Brands," meaning annual sales topping the billion-dollar mark.
Passerini heads P&G's largest business unit, Global Business Services and Information Technology. Established in 1999, GBS is a shared-services organization providing key business support and solutions to 140,000 employees in 86 countries.
This year Passerini expanded GBS to include P&G's information technology department. Under his leadership, I.T. has been reorganized, refocused, and renamed Information & Decision Solutions.
GBS has been recognized for three consecutive years as one of the Ten Most Admired Shared Services Organizations, as determined by the members of the Shared Services and Outsourcing Network, and is considered best-in-class in the industry for its strategic partnerships.
A native of Italy, where he earned his doctorate in statistics and operating research at the University of Rome, Passerini joined P&G in 1981 and has since held a series of leadership positions in the UK, Greece, Italy, the U.S., Latin America, and Turkey before taking over GBS in 2003. He oversees more than 70 global business services and three key business partnerships.
It is fair to say Passerini relishes challenges. He has scaled three peaks of over 15,000 feet, including Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, and Mount Ararat, the highest mountain in Turkey.
He spoke with CIO Today about scaling the heights of I.T. at P&G. He comes across as mesmerizing, open, relaxed, and sophisticated, a true world citizen equally at home anywhere on the globe. Passerini attributes his business and personal style to a lesson learned while playing competitive chess as a teenager: "You can think and anticipate as much as you want, but you can only think so long, because the clock is ticking."
CIO Today: What are your top concerns as CIO?
Passerini: I don't know that I would call them 'concerns,' but there are three key areas that I see as critical for ongoing success and thus demand focused attention.
My first focus area is people. No technology or innovation can replace the power  of motivated, energized leaders. And I see every employee as a leader. It's key that employees are kept informed about goals and strategies; that they understand their role in bringing those to life; and that they are not only part of the solutions, but also part of the 'wins' when success is achieved. (continued...)
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