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October 16, 2000

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IT Management
Roger Mowen Eastman Chemical

By Sandra Swanson

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oger Mowen, VP and CIO at Eastman Chemical Co., says he's a voracious reader--and he's not just talking about the 200 or so E-mails he receives daily. He finishes at least one business book per week. His current pick is Living On The Fault Line by Geoffrey A. Moore. It's about how brick-and-mortar companies create shareholder value in the New Economy.

All that reading helps Mowen--who doesn't have an IT background--drive Eastman Chemical's E-business efforts. Mowen joined the company right out of college 30 years ago, after earning a bachelor's degree in textile chemistry and a master's degree in textile technology. Most of his positions have centered on sales, marketing, and manufacturing.

But thanks to his extensive reading, Mowen learned about West Coast E-marketplace startups in the chemicals industry last year and saw a window of opportunity for Eastman. He went to the executive board with a sense of urgency. "I told them, 'This is going to have a huge impact on the chemicals business--it's a chance for us to be a real leader in the New Economy if we get out ahead of this.'" The board agreed to let Mowen do some benchmarking and to study companies such as Cisco Systems and Dell Computer. With the help of consultants, a group led by Mowen created an E-business strategy fully sanctioned by the executive team. When Eastman's CIO retired last year, Mowen was promoted to the post.

Unlike his predecessor, Mowen reports directly to chairman and CEO Earnest Deavenport. Not having a strong technology background keeps Mowen from getting caught up in the "build part" of the job and focused on strategy, he says. Part of his vision is to have technical and nontechnical managers understand IT's strategic implications. Says Mowen, "I want them to be so knowledgeable that IT folks and business people can work collaborat-ively and not sell to each other."