8 | | MARCH 2026IN MY OPINIONRaied Stanley is the Vice President/Information Services and Chief Information Officer of Southwest Gas Corporation, where he oversees core applications, network, computing, server, storage, and infrastructure solutions. He began his career at ConAgra Foods as Senior Director of Applications and was responsible for program management, infrastructure engineering and operations, application development, portfolio management, and process reengineering. In 2009, I joined the Metropolitan Utilities District in Omaha, Nebraska and initially managed computing application systems for various business units. On January 20, 2020, I became the Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Southwest Gas Corporation, taking on my current role.PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUCCESS My prior professional experiences have been foundational to the success of Southwest Gas' IT strategy. They have also provided me with the technical expertise, strategic vision, operational know-how, financial acumen, leadership skills, and adaptability needed for effective leadership. These experiences have enabled me to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and align technology investments with our business objectives.For instance, my experience in various IT leadership roles has helped me develop a clear vision for our technology direction and align the IT strategy with business goals. Leading technology transformations, implementing new systems and managing large-scale projects enhanced my change management skills and ensured successful adoption of new technologies. My experience in optimizing IT operations and processes has helped me lead more efficient and cost-effective technology management. The ability to manage relationships with technology vendors and negotiate contracts ensures that Southwest Gas gets the best value from its technology investments. THE CHALLENGES: IMPLEMENTING COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND SECURE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONSImplementing new technology solutions comes with several challenges, particularly in ensuring cost-effectiveness and security. For me and my team, cybersecurity threats are top concerns, as protecting sensitive company and customer data is critical. This, along with the fact that we are a regulated utility and must comply with data protection regulations, adds another layer of complexity.We have adopted a "zero trust" security model to address these issues. The model involves proactive security measures, regular audits, and staying updated with cybersecurity trends. We have also enhanced our incident response plan.Budget constraints and cost management are another challenge. Balancing new technology investments with budget limitations and demonstrating ROI for IT projects is crucial. We manage this by prioritizing IT investments based on strategic business needs and conducting thorough cost-benefit analyses.STRATEGIC PLANNING: METHODS OF MANAGING BUSINESS GROWTH WITH EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESAt Southwest Gas we strategically plan and manage growth with emerging technologies through a systematic method. It involves aligning technology initiatives with business goals, building a culture of innovation and continuously optimizing performance. The method also assesses the current business and technology space by understanding both the short and long-term goals. We also evaluate the existing technology infrastructure and identify the areas of strength, weakness and improvement. Our method is all about developing a comprehensive technology roadmap that aligns with the business strategy by identifying a clear vision and specific objectives. All this is done along with a detailed timeline with milestones and a plan to allocate resources for budget, personnel and technology infrastructure.Another method that we have resorted to is investing in training programs to upskill our employees and establishing innovation labs and centers of excellence to encourage experimentation and innovation within the organization.COLLABORATING WITH TOP LEADERSHIP TO ALIGN THE COMPANY'S STRATEGY WITH ITS OVERALL VISIONWe employ a multifaceted approach to align Southwest Gas's technology strategy with its overall vision and long-term goals. ALIGNING TECHNOLOGY WITH BUSINESS GOALS FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCYBy Raied Stanley, Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Southwest Gas Corporation
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