Ravi Pendse, vice president for information technology and chief information officer, was awarded with the Michigan CIO of the Year ORBIE Award for the nonprofit/public sector by the Michigan CIO Leadership Association (MichiganCIO). The ORBIE honors chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.
“The MichiganCIO ORBIE winners demonstrate the value great leadership creates. Especially in these uncertain times, CIOs are leading in unprecedented ways and enabling the largest work-from-home experiment in history,” according to Jen Wise, executive director of MichiganCIO. “The ORBIE Awards are meaningful because they are judged by peers – CIOs who understand how difficult this job is and why great leadership matters.”
Pendse joined U-M on August 1, 2018. As an executive officer, he provides university-wide leadership and strategic direction for information technology. He is also a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. His research interests include Internet of things, cybersecurity and future of work.
Pendse shared via a brief, introductory video shown during the award ceremony that humility is a tremendous value that you need to carry with you at all times.
“I see this award as a reflection of the can-do culture and work ethic of the entire Michigan IT community,” said Pendse. “Our ITS colleagues have been amazing in helping create a one ITS and one Michigan IT culture. Culture of care is in our DNA and this award is really about our amazing team and this great institution. We have been able to deliver tremendous value to the university during the pandemic and beyond thanks to the passion, dedication, and collaborative work of our entire community.”
