Paul A. Strassmann

PAUL A. STRASSMANN’s career includes service as chief corporate information systems executive (1956-1978; 1990-93 and 2002-2003), vice-president of strategic planning for office automation (1978-1985) and information systems researcher and professor (1986-date).

Mr. Strassmann is currently a Research Advisor for the International Data Corporation and was distinguished professor of Information Sciences, George Mason School of Information Technology. He is Contributing Editor of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association Signal magazine and serves on the Board of Directors of Queralt, a company that offers Radio Frequency Tag identification services.

After serving as an advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Defense in 1989 he was appointed to a newly created position of Director of Defense Information and member of the U.S. Senior Executive Service. He was responsible for organizing and managing the corporate information management (CIM) program across the Department of Defense that included a major cost reduction and business re-engineering program of the defense information infrastructure. Strassmann had policy oversight for Defense Department’s information technology expenditures. He is 1993 recipient of the Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service from the Secretary of Defense, the Department’s highest civilian recognition. In 2002 he was recalled to government service as the Acting Chief Information Officer of NASA, with responsibility and accountability for the computing and telecommunication information infrastructure. In 2003 he retired from government service after receiving the NASA Exceptional Service Medal for improving I.T. architecture, security and services.

Strassmann joined Xerox in 1969 as director of administration and information systems with worldwide responsibility for all internal Xerox computer activities. From 1972 to 1976 he served as founder and general manager of its Information Services Division with responsibility to operate corporate computer centers, communication networks, administrative services, software development and management consulting services. Introduced major innovations in global telecommunication management. From 1976 to 1978 he was corporate director responsible for worldwide computer, telecommunications and administrative functions. He was a key contributor to shaping business Xerox strategy for office automation and developed new methods for evaluating the productivity of computer investments.

Until his retirement from Xerox he served as vice president of strategic planning for the Information Products Group, with responsibility for strategic investments, acquisitions and product plans involving the corporation's worldwide electronic businesses. Afterwards he became author, lecturer and consultant to firms such as AT&T, Citicorp, Digital Equipment, General Electric, General Motors, IBM, ING, SAIC, Shell Oil, Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments as well as Adjunct Professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and Visiting Professor at the University of Connecticut and the Imperial College, in London, England. His public involvement includes multiple testimonies such as to the Senate, the House of Representatives, Board of Governors of Federal Reserve, the British House of Commons and the USSR Council of Ministers. Strassmann also served on the Boards of Directors of Alinean, InSite, McCabe Software, Meta Software and Trio Security Corporations.

Prior to joining Xerox Strassmann held the job of Corporate Information Officer for the General Foods Corporation and the Chief Information Systems executive for the Kraft Corporation from 1960 through 1969. He started working with computers in 1954 when he designed a method for scheduling toll collection personnel on the basis of punch card toll receipts. He earned an engineering degree from the Cooper Union (included in lifetime Hall of Fame), a M.S. in industrial management from M.I.T. and a honorary PhD from the George Mason University. He is author of over 450 articles on information management and information worker productivity. His 1985 book Information Payoff–The Transformation of Work in the Electronic Age has attracted worldwide attention and was translated into a number of languages. His 1990 book, The Business Value of Computers, covers research on the relation between information technology and profitability of firms. His 1993 book, The Politics of Information Management offers guidelines on organization of the information function for greatest effectiveness. A companion volume, The Irreverent Dictionary of Information Politics reflects on the inconsistencies in information management practices. A 1997 book, The Squandered Computer, was Amazon.com #1 best selling book on information management. His latest books are on Information Productivity - Assessing the Information Management Costs of U.S. Industrial Corporations (1999), The Economics of Corporate Information Systems (2007), Paul’s War (2008), Paul’s Odyssey (2009) and The Computers Nobody Wanted – My Years at Xerox (2009). His lectures are now appearing as video recordings on the Internet.

Strassmann was chairman of the committee on information workers for the White House conference on productivity and served on the Department of Defense Federal Advisory Board for Information Management and the Army Science Board. He is a Distinguished Engineer of the Association for Computing Machinery, life member of the Data Processing Management Association, Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society, senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and member of the honorary engineering societies Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon. He authored the code of conduct for data processing professionals; was recipient of the 1992 Award for Achievement by the Association for Federal Information Resource Management and was named the Government Executive of the Year; the 1992 International Industry Award for advancing the adoption of Open Systems and the 1996 Excellence Award for Business Engineering. In 1997 he was named as one of the twelve most influential Chief Information Officers of the last decade by the CIO magazine. In 2000 he was cited by the Department of Defense for his pioneering work as one of the executives responsible for advancing the cause of U.S. information capabilities. He is recipient of the 2006 Neal Business Journalism award and the AFCEA SIGNAL award for the best feature article in 2011. Strassmann is recipient of the Gen. Stefanik Medal for his actions as a guerilla commando from September 1944 through March 1945 in Czechoslovakia.