Toyota Chief Digital Officer Zack Hicks Honored for Excellence in Leadership by the Association for Information Systems

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for Information Systems (AIS) will honor Zack Hicks, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Toyota Motor North America and Chief Executive Officer and President of Toyota Connected North America, with the AIS Leadership Excellence Award on December 14, 2018, at the 39th Annual International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS).

Hicks is being recognized for his visionary leadership and innovation in the use and development of information systems. In 2016, he founded Toyota's data analytics startup, Toyota Connected North America, and he's also playing a key role in leading Toyota's global transformation to become a mobility company, building out innovative technology and creating new business opportunities in everything from connectivity to autonomous driving. Additionally, he has a global role leading information security management for Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) and serves as field general manager for its in-house Connected Company.

"Zack is the first chief digital officer at Toyota Motor North America -- a very unique strategic position," says AIS President T.P. Liang. "He has brought new technologies, such as IOT, analytics and security, to enhance the competitiveness of Toyota. His contributions to digital transformation and innovation -- like connected vehicles, for example -- show him to be an excellent role model for strategic information officers, and demonstrate that the role of IT is critical to the transformation of manufacturing and other traditional industries."

The AIS Leadership Excellence Award was created in 2015 to recognize the achievements of industry leaders. Recipients are selected by a committee consisting of a chairperson, the AIS executive director, the ICIS conference chair, and the current, immediate past, and elected presidents of AIS. As this year's winner, Hicks will deliver the keynote address at the ICIS in San Francisco, CA, where the theme will be "Bridging the Internet of People, Data and Things."

Since joining Toyota in 1996, Hicks has championed a global telematics ecosystem, facilitating the implementation of cloud-based collaboration tools for Toyota employees. He also led the development of an award-winning social media analytics platform.

Today, as Toyota's first chief digital officer, Hicks leads the firm's newly created Digital Transformation and Mobility unit, advancing shared mobility, connectivity services, over-the-air upgrades and future business opportunities. This new role will define and accelerate Toyota's mobility efforts, including vehicle connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving technologies.

As founder, CEO and president of Toyota Connected North America, Hicks also leads the company's connected car ecosystem, where he is driving transformational change through cutting-edge technology, data and connectivity. This fast-growing startup serves as Toyota's data science hub, connecting vehicles, customers and businesses through machine learning and artificial intelligence. Additionally, as chairman of Toyota Connected Europe, Hicks oversees the London-based startup.

"A lot of what Zack has done at Toyota is about getting people working together to innovate and bring technology to market," says AIS President-Elect Alan Dennis. "What's striking beyond the technology is his understanding of that market, the existing products and the business value that the new technology adds." 

Hicks is a member of Toyota's North American Executive Committee, a board member of The Toyota Foundation and Toyota Insurance Management, as well as the Toyota Diversity Board, Toyota PAC Board, and the chair of TMNA's Executive Steering Committee. Hicks was also named one of Dallas Business Journal's "Most Admired CEOs of 2018." In 2016, he received the "Innovator of Year" award from D-CEO magazine, and he and TMNA are also multiple recipients of the CIO 100 award.

A Pepperdine University graduate with an MBA from the University of California at Irvine, Hicks was recently appointed to the board of directors of Signet Jewelers.  He also is an active member of the CIO Strategy Exchange and the Corporate Executive Board for Chief Information Officers.

The Association for Information Systems, founded in 1994, is a professional organization that serves as the premier global organization for academics, students and professionals specializing in Information Systems. ICIS is the most prestigious meeting of the AIS, which has more than 4,400 members representing more than 95 countries worldwide. This year, approximately 1,500 academic professionals from around the world will participate in the conference.

For more information about AIS, please visit www.aisnet.org.

SOURCE The Association for Information Systems