VeriFone Systems, Inc. has announced that Karen Austin, change management expert and CIO for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E), will join the board, effective immediately.
“We are very excited to welcome Karen to the board. The technology expertise she’s demonstrated at some of the nation’s largest retailers as well as her strong leadership in implementing change across PG&E will be a great asset for VeriFone and our executive team,” said Alex W. (Pete) Hart, chairman of the board, VeriFone.
“I’m delighted to have Karen join our board,” said VeriFone CEO Paul Galant. “Her success in leading organizational change, which essentially modernized PG&E in ways that enhanced operations and customer service and pushed it into the digital age, will help us to expedite the transformational progress underway at VeriFone to become the company that we want to be – a company that is client-first, operationally excellent, strategically focused, properly organized, and operating with a single, distinct culture.”
After joining PG&E as CIO in 2011, where she oversees and directs IT systems and cyber security initiatives that support all of PG&E’s customer touch points, Austin transformed the enterprise into a more nimble and innovative company that leveraged and digitized big data to enhance energy management for both the utility and its customers. For this success, she was named one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT leaders—an award program honoring leaders that excel at demonstrating positive management strategies, innovation despite business challenges and effective use of information technology.
Prior to joining PG&E, Austin held several executive-level positions at Kmart Corporation and Sears Holdings Corporation. At Kmart, she served as Divisional Vice President of Supply Chain Applications, Vice President of IT Applications, and Vice President for Applications Development, Chief Information Officer and Interim Chief Marketing Officer. At Sears, Austin served as Senior Vice President, CIO and President of Consumer Electronics.
