How do different industries apply information technology to enrich their corporate strategy? Does IT actually shape business processes? To find out, Tuck has established the Vincent L. LaCorte Case Series. Supported by a three-year gift from Blair LaCorte T'90, the series will feature business cases researched and written by affiliates of Tuck's Center for Digital Strategies.
LaCorte, a Texas Pacific Group Ventures partner, named the series after his father, a respected businessman and mentor who passed away in 2006. "My father long believed that technology not only changed the way companies could do business but also the way business leaders think," says LaCorte.
Professor and Center Director Eric Johnson agrees. "We're seeing a shift in the view of technology as a separate entity or business unit within a company to something integral to the business that leadership must deal with every day," he says. "CEOs, CFOs, and other senior executives understand that information technology can have a great impact on the business—strategic IT can improve management of operations in a global marketplace, enable integration among supply chain partners, or create revenue opportunities in customer service." The cases will look at how companies beyond traditional technology startups are using information technology to shape business processes and strategy. They will also review best practices across industries, including medical devices, food services, pharmaceuticals, retail, publishing, and even humanitarian relief.
"These cases bring leading-edge thinking about digital strategies into the classroom," says Johnson. "They can prepare business students to become better managers and better leaders in the ever-evolving networked economy." Many cases from this series have already been widely adopted by top business schools throughout the country. Recent cases on Agile Software, Biogen, HP, Mattel, Steinway, and Savi Technology have been taught at Tuck, Duke, Harvard, Michigan, Stanford, and Wharton. Like his father, LaCorte has long been involved in teaching and mentoring. He sits on the board of the Graduate Business Foundation and Tuck's MBA advisory board and funds a scholarship at the Marin Education Fund. LaCorte has received numerous industry honors, including being named one of the Top Ten Business Marketers by Business Marketing and Advertising Age magazines.
"In naming this series after my father, I hope to continue his lifelong mission to educate the next generation of thought leaders," says LaCorte. "What's really great is that business students have an opportunity to help write these cases—so they can witness firsthand how organizations are changing the way they think about technology, end-to-end process, and strategy."
