Marian Cook

Marian Cook is a seasoned executive, speaker, teacher, and author with over 30 years of experience in helping public and private sector enterprises digitally transform to thrive in the future. She is a trusted advisor to heads of governments and Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Currently, Marian serves as Principal at Slalom Consulting in Chicago,  leading their Emerging Technology and Innovation team focused on Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, Internet of Things and Blockchain. Marian also serves as Head Learning Facilitator for MIT’s Corporate Innovation and Innovation Ecosystems class, and the Blockchain Certification Program offered on-line by the Sloan School of Management, as well as a guest lecturer at IIT on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Previously, Marian worked for the Governor as the Chief Strategy Officer, Innovation & Technology, for the State of Illinois. There she co-led the creation of a vision and roadmap for a ‘Smart State’ powered by transformation in policy, talent, technology and partnerships in the innovation ecosystem. Illinois is the first state in the United States to have developed such a vision leveraging Smart Cities concepts state-wide. She continues to lead a gubernatorial advisory board composed of heads of innovation from large corporations in the State of Illinois.

The majority of Marian’s career has been in the private sector prior to being asked to join the Governor’s team. She started as a Manufacturing Systems Engineer with IBM, and grew throughout her career into many leadership roles, always at the intersections of technology, business, innovation and what’s next.

She is a frequent and highly rated speaker and learning facilitator on innovation, the future of work, the future of cities, sustainability, regenerative design and many emerging technologies.

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