The Institute for Digital Transformation

Focused exclusively on Transformation since 2009

Long before “Transformation” was cool!

The Institute for Digital Transformation provides digital leaders, enterprises, and service providers with the resources to elevate their Digital Transformation effort.

The buzz and hype created around Digital Transformation has resulted in confusion and ubiquity that has rendered the term nearly meaningless. Transformation extends far beyond the technology stack and must include the organization’s culture, its operating processes, and virtually every facet of how it functions.

Guided by the real-world experience of our Institute Fellows and our proprietary industry research, we produce a wide range of insightful leading-edge methodology, tools, content, and news summaries needed for a transformational journey.

The Institute is your first stop for the insights, tools, and guidance needed to lead your organization past the hype into becoming a Digital Enterprise.

Our Credentials:

  • Founded in 1997
  • Focused exclusively on Transformation since 2009
    Long before “Transformation” was cool!
  • Over a decade of experience in helping Fortune 500 companies successfully transform
  • Our Founder, Charles Araujo, is an internationally recognized expert on digital leadership and transformation and is a sought after keynote speaker
  • In 2012, Charlie authored the best selling book about the future of IT, The Quantum Age of IT: Why Everything You Know About IT is About to Change
  • Producers of The Transform IT Show, sponsored by The Intel IT Center
  • Dr. Frank Granito created the Readiness Framework by melding his doctoral dissertation in Organizational Culture, the Institute’s decade of experience, and the Institute’s participation in Research Projects
  • Created the first automated, analytical tool to objectively measure a company’s “readiness” to transform
  • Published Digital Transformation Demystified by Dr. Frank Granito in 2022. Each chapter provides a different, but proven approach to transformation by a global Industry Expert.

The Team

Robert Field

Robert Field

Chief Digital Officer

Dr. Frank Granito

Dr. Frank Granito

Chief Scientist

John Palinkas

John Palinkas

Managing Partner

Patti Blackstaffe

Patti Blackstaffe

Institute Fellow

Jessica Carroll

Jessica Carroll

Institute Fellow

Hans Gillior

Hans Gillior

Institute Fellow

Cherri Holland

Cherri Holland

Institute Fellow

Aleta L. Jeffress

Aleta L. Jeffress

Institute Fellow

Stefanie Krievins

Stefanie Krievins

Institute Fellow

Whynde Kuehn

Whynde Kuehn

Institute Fellow

Kathryn Lancioni

Kathryn Lancioni

Institute Fellow

Reynaldo Lugtu Jr

Reynaldo Lugtu Jr

Institute Fellow

Nora Osman

Nora Osman

Institute Fellow

Chuck Papageorgiou

Chuck Papageorgiou

Institute Fellow

Nita Sanger

Nita Sanger

Institute Fellow

Dr. Dobie Savić

Dr. Dobie Savić

Institute Fellow

Raymond Sheen

Raymond Sheen

Institute Fellow

Jeff Ton

Jeff Ton

Institute Fellow

This Could Be You

This Could Be You

Guest Author

Alumni

Charles Araujo

Charles Araujo

Founder

Roy Atkinson

Roy Atkinson

Fellow Alumnus

Terry Bennett

Terry Bennett

Fellow Alumnus

David Gandar

David Gandar

Fellow Alumnus

Stephan Kudyba

Stephan Kudyba

Fellow Alumnus

Bryan Oak

Bryan Oak

Fellow Alumnus

Patrick Savard

Patrick Savard

Fellow Alumnus

Doug Tedder

Doug Tedder

Fellow Alumnus

John Thorp

John Thorp

Fellow Alumnus

Our Story

Our MISSION is to ensure your Transformation success.

But how did we get here?

In the Begining

Back in 1997, Charles Araujo founded CastlePointe as a “lifestyle” company, meaning his former employer wanted to hire him back as a consultant. After this engagement ended, Charlie decided he enjoyed life as a consultant. He quickly found other assignments providing strategic planning and operations efficiency improvements to enterprise IT organizations.

A few Years Later

Charlie discovered ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructural Library) and thought he had found the answer to why so many IT projects failed. The process framework seemed to be “The Solution“. Charlie changed the focus of CastlePointe to be a process improvement company specializing in ITIL. Charlie became deeply involved with itSMF USA, eventually being elected to President and serving on the Board.

The ITIL Assessment

In 2008, Charlie met John on an ITIL assessment and they immediately hit it off (think fire and gasoline). What made this ITIL assessment so unusual, was the importance the client placed on culture. After much discussion (i.e. screaming and shouting), a section on culture was included in the ITIL assessment. After the assessment was delivered, Charlie and John (happily) went their separate ways. But that was not the end.

The Implementation

A few months after the assessment was delivered, the client wanted to implement recommendations from the ITL assessment and insisted that both Charlie and John first plan and then lead the implementation. After working together for a while, they both came to understand that although their approach was different, they were both heading toward the same objective. They also realized that Process was not the ultimate solution, but instead people and culture were the “magic” key. They developed “DeepRoots” methodology focused on changing IT Organizations. It had all the things an IT Organizations loved (templates, reviews, approval process, project management, time-frames, etc.). But after the client started using it, they realized “DeepRoots” was not about changing the technology, it was about changing people’s attitudes and behaviors. A testimonial from Senior VP said “You have no idea how much you’ve changed my organization.

IT Transformation Institute

After working together for 2 years transforming that client, Charlie and John became partners. In 2011 they formed the IT Transformation Institute, whose focus was to use “DeepRoots” methodology to quickly and successfully implement change in IT Organizations. In addition to working with dozens of Fortune 500 companies, Charlie found time to write his first book “”The Quantum Age of IT: Why Everything You Know About IT is About to Change“. (The first line is epic. “IT as we know it is dead.“) and serve as host for the Intel sponsored show “TransformIT Show“. And dozens of organizations around the world engaged Charlie as a speaker.

Institute for Digital Transformation

In 2015, Charlie and John had a couple of “Ah Ha” moments. First that IT was no longer the center of the Universe and second to really change the business world, they could not do it company by company as consultants. And the Institute for Digital Transformation was born. We started 2016 with a radical change in focus, we would not longer be consultants, instead we became advisors with a focus on producing media and content that would spread our message. But we could not do it alone.

We enlisted created the Institute Fellows program and enlisted Industry Leaders to share their insights, opinions, research and real life experiences about the transition to the Digital Era. They each have a unique set of experiences and perspectives and offer their unique voice to help you understand the world that is shifting around you and what you must do to survive the transition.

We were also joined by Dr. Frank Granito who created the Readiness Framework and provide a focus on the development of tools and services that could be used by partners, consultants and service providers.

2023 and Beyond

We are once again evolving. Stay Tuned…..

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