In this week’s episode, Jeff Brittain, Managing Director at FedEx Institute of Technology, University of Memphis, and seasoned global IT leader, shares his journey into leadership, his career path from engineering to IT leadership, and the life lessons he's gained along the way. He emphasizes the importance of communication, adaptability, and maintaining positivity in leadership roles, while reflecting on his own evolution as a leader with a "professional casual" style. The conversation also touches on Jeff's passion for fitness and problem-solving, showcasing how these interests contribute to his holistic approach to life and work. This inspiring episode highlights the "something extra" that defines impactful leaders across industries.
Bio: M. Jeff Brittain is a global business-minded technology leader and patented inventor in Digital Health with over 30 years’ experience across industry, start-ups, growth companies, and consulting. Jeff is a Senior Advisor to Venture Funds, Portfolio Companies, Global Consulting Firms, and Universities on innovation, product / market fit, and enterprise go-to-market. Jeff has a proven history of driving innovation to market, of stabilizing IT operations, and of transforming IT organizations from support entities into sources of competitive value.
Jeff graduated from corporate life at the end of 2024, having most recently served as Head of IT, North America for Bayer, where he managed technology strategy for the region driving support of 30k people who deliver $16B annual revenue. He introduced Generative AI into the global employee support process and helped cascade award-winning digital media techniques across all of Bayer’s businesses in North America. Prior to this role, Jeff was based in Basel Switzerland global IT Head for Bayer Consumer Health Research & Development and Marketing responsible for supporting the over-the-counter medicine and self-care therapies around the world.
Prior to Bayer, Jeff led global R&D IT for Merck Consumer Care where he drove the transformation of a 100-year-old brand into a digital health offering and in doing so launched the largest IoT and cloud computing deployment in the company. Prior to Bayer, Jeff served on the Industry Advisory Board for the FedEx Institute of Technology where he helped launch the largest-at-the-time research-based software testing center in the world. Jeff started his career with top-tier consulting firm Accenture and later led IT services for start-up software companies and regional consulting firms across aerospace and defense, industrial products, automotive, high-tech, and medical device industries.
Jeff is currently President of Verix Partners, an advisory services company, and actively participates in advisory networks for multiple venture capital organizations and the Managing Director at the FedEx Institute of Technology, University of Memphis.
Something Extra: "I think it's leading from a perspective of, how can I help?"
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