Dianne Lapierre ─ IT technologies executive translating business objectives into innovative advancements for the digital workplace
February 9, 2021 • 3 Minute Read
Dianne Lapierre
Chief Information Officer
Absolute Software
Are you looking for an experienced technology leader with a demonstrated success track record? We know the person—Dianne Lapierre!
Dianne is the Chief Information Officer at Absolute Software, responsible for driving IT solutions that enhance its overall business strategy and employee experience. She is also responsible for translating business objectives into innovative technology advancements and techniques aligned with today’s digital workplace. She has more than 20 years of experience and leadership within the information technology and security sector and is currently serving as the President of the CIO Association of Canada’s Vancouver chapter.
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™—Dianne Lapierre!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
I’m a big “sharer,” so people know a lot about me! Maybe that my guilty pleasure is watching adventure reality TV shows like Survivor and Alone.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
About 35,000 km a year, pre-COVID.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
A selection of organ “meats” at a restaurant in Tokyo – my Japanese colleagues took me there in the hope of grossing me out, but I ate everything and enjoyed about half of the dishes. They all tasted good, but the texture of some of the entrails was a bit off putting to me.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
The opportunity to lead (from an IT & Business Operations perspective) a significant merger/acquisition project for 2 large insurance companies. They involved lots of moving parts, geographic distance, cultural differences and organization change management. I learned a lot about the important intersection between business needs and technology requirements, and how critically important collaboration and transparency are in such an endeavor.
After the 2008 financial crisis, my employer made difficult decisions about which IT & business projects would continue to be funded and cancelled. There were many factors to consider: benefit to the business, contractual obligations, headcount reduction, and risk management. I learned a lot about what mattered to the business that enabled me to make better decisions going forward.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
There isn’t one single individual that acted in that role for me. Instead, I looked to many people I worked for and with, and learned as much as I could from each situation.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Early in my career, I was perhaps too competitive and didn’t build a strong support network among my peers until mid-way through my career. I could have benefited earlier from building these networks.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
Volunteering and speaking at events for organizations like Vancouver Women in Technology, the CIO Association of Canada and other women’s and IT networking organizations. I’m always happy to have a coffee and informally connect or set off formal mentoring relationships.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Lately, I’ve been very interested in how collaboration tools help retain and extend productivity in remote work environments. Implementing the tools is the easy part; the more important part is how we change people’s behavior to use them effectively.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
How to stay on top of the huge outpouring of information and data, and focus on what matters to me and my company – what trends will make a difference to my customers.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
I think it relates back to the previous question – today there is so much information, and so many new concepts, ideas and technologies constantly emerging. How do we plan for a future that is changing so rapidly? Where do we invest money, time and talent? What will make a difference next year, and what do we need to do today to get there?
