My Choice For CTO USA: Judy Estrin - Here Is Why . . .

Excellent choice, Judith Estrin would make an excellent CTO of the USA.

I had the opportunity to hear Judy's ideas at a presentation she delivered to my class last year. Her message is forceful and extremely compelling. Here are a few excerpts:

-Our government has been too short-sighted in its thinking, especially when funding science and technology research. If we want to stay competitive, especially against emerging powers like India and China, we need to not only be more generous with our funding, but we also need an attitude check. Our government needs to look to the future, both to avoid any foreseeable disasters and to embrace the potential breakthroughs of tomorrow (where tomorrow is actually 20 years from now).

- We should invest more in science and technology in K-12 education.

-We should promote international student exchanges, not just to bring the best and brightest from abroad to the United States, but also to allow American students to study at foreign institutions and become more globally-minded.

- We should allocate funds more evenly to different areas of science and technology research, not just to headline grabbing projects, so as not to miss any potential innovations.

- We need to develop policy and funding objectives that look beyond the next 2-4 years.

- Estrin advocates engendering a culture of innovation.

-The United States needs another a Sputnik moment, one that arouses passionate, national sentiment and that ushers in a time of great innovation.

Matt: Thanks so much for those excellent quotes. She is exceptionally well prepared for this role. She could create an amazing amount of good and make lasting changes in so many areas, especially education and in ensuring we keep the innovation engine primed and healthy.

Sorry...just don't agree. I was at Cisco when she was "CTO," and not much happened. I don't think that is anything that should be used to bolster an argument for that role. In fact, I would say just the opposite. I saw the video company she ran that Cisco acquired. It was poorly managed and ill equipped to deal with what was needed at the time. It was eventually dismantled and shut down internally, only after many political issues.

With all the VERY STRONG talent in the tech sector here in the Bay Area, I hope the list is longer. Look at other execs like Kozel, Solvik and others if you want proven talent...and that's just in Cisco's arsenal.

Obama has time to pick the right person. Ms. Estrin is not it.

How about Tim O'Reilly?

Sorry, I do not agree with your CTO argument. I was at Cisco too when she was the CTO. I did not see any leadership skills or any remarkable initiative materialize during her tenure at Cisco.

As the other reader mentioned
there is plenty of proven talent in this country. How about someone like Nathan Myhrvold or Shane Robison of HP or Jerry Cuomo of IBM ?

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and input!

I'd be a supporter of the "Estrin for CTO" push, even though I'm an Aussie, not in the US and certainly don't have a vote on the matter.

This is an important political appointment, not a company or operational appointment, as Estrin's former colleagues at Cisco seem to ignore.

The job of a national CTO is to invigorate the discussion about tech & innovation, to ensure increased government focus on the importance of education and R&D, and to help those investors who are trying to get "improved" tax advantages for investment in innovation.

It's a cultural question primarily, and your (Tom F's) video interview with Estrin showed her to be a worldly, personable and approachable type, very suited to a national CTO position.

We need one in Australia also.

Regards,

Michael Zerman
Adelaide, AUSTRALIA

OBAMA'S CTO - any movement?
Hi again Tom,
Was wondering if there'd been any movement on the "Obama's CTO" appointment. Can't seem to find anything trawling through various news, and other, sites.
Here in Australia, we're awaiting the federal government's response to last September's release of a review of innovation, commonly referred to as the Cutler Review.
Nothing has come out so far, and various commentators have been suggesting the GFC will "put the kibosh" on any new Australian government initiatives.
How is it proceeding with your federal government?
Regards,

Michael Zerman
Adelaide, AUSTRALIA

Michael, thanks for the update from Australia. As usual, things are moving very slowly in Washington. President Obama did appoint Vivek Kundra, as CIO. An interesting choice. And the administration is a big fan of "transparency" in government but this might be just a buzz word without much meaning. But we'll see...