Karen Austin is senior vice president of information technology and chief information officer for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., where she leads the evaluation and support of mission-critical systems and develops the company's technology strategy, infrastructure and architecture. Prior to PG&E, Austin held several executive-level positions at Kmart Corp. and Sears Holdings Corp. At both, she was responsible for systems governing store operations, merchandising, supply chain and finance. At Kmart, she served as divisional vice president of supply chain applications, vice president of IT applications, vice president for applications development, chief information officer and interim chief marketing officer. At Sears, her roles included president of consumer electronics, senior vice president and chief information officer. She has also held various IT technology positions for The Timken Co. and Central Mutual Insurance Company in Ohio. Austin received a bachelor's degree in computer science from Tri-State University in Indiana.

Panel:
The New Rules of Innovation and Corporate Ingenuity: Adapting to a Changing World

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