As CTO of General Motors’ information systems and services, a huge technology consumer, Tony Scott has seized the opportunity to shape the national technology agenda. A founding member of the Liberty Alliance, Scott has been a leader in the push for open standards. Inside the company, he defines the computing and telecommunications architecture and standards for all the Detroit-based company’s business units, helping to unify and simplify systems. Real-time integration has contributed to a 10 percent reduction in product launch times and a 20 percent reduction in inventory costs. “CTOs can have a unique leadership role in a company if they can play the role of ‘honest broker’ when it comes to technology issues,” Scott says. “I think this is especially important in a world where technology has such a huge impact on business success but at the same time is a larger economic factor on the cost side.” “In a CTO role, I think that influence is a function of trust, relevance, and time. Both inside and outside the company, one has to build trust, and that leads to information sharing, then collaboration, and then finally perhaps to influence,” Scott says. — E.E. Return to InfoWorld’s 25 Most Influential CTOs 2002 Software DevelopmentTechnology Industry