(Sheila Talton is donating one hour of her time to the winning bidder.)


Sheila Talton is an innovative business leader with over 25 years of experience in helping companies increase value through technology. She was one of the pioneers in defining the network integration consulting segment. Her career path has paralleled the growth cycle of the network integration business, beginning with the early days of local area networks and continuing through development of sophisticated communications systems for the Euro-Tunnel, and today's demands for optimum efficiencies across all business functions.


Ms. Talton was recruited to Cisco Systems, the world's leading networking technology company, as Vice President of Advisory Services, within the company's Customer Advocacy group. As part of this responsibility, she is leading the development of Cisco's new portfolio of Network Transformation Services, a critical initiative for Cisco Systems in its migration from a product-focused to a solutions-focused company. In this capacity, she works with Cisco's top l00 customers to align their strategic applications to advanced technologies in business communications platforms.


Ms. Talton brings significant expertise to the position, with experience across all functions in the technology industry. Her background has been in both corporate and consulting. Most recently, at EDS she led the Consumer Products/Retail and Healthcare Industry outsourcing business after serving as President of Global Business Process Innovation Services. Previously she was Vice President of the Midwest Critical Technology Practice for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Prior to these positions she spent nearly fifteen years as President and CEO of Unisource Network Services, a company she founded to address the emerging demand for networking services in an era of deregulation.


Her accomplishments include conceptualizing and building "Maestro" methodology, which was among the first to focus on communications networks; creating the first customer focus groups of CIOs for new applications in communications network technologies; leading the Cap Gemini team that created the innovative "Adaptive IT" solution offering, which allowed the alignment of IT budgets to corporate strategy; and development and direction of BPIS teams to conduct change management processes for large outsourcing clients of EDS including ABN AMRO, US Department of the Interior, Dow Chemical and GM.


She is a founding member and chairperson of the Information Technology Senior Management Forum, an organization of IT leaders from Fortune 500 corporations. She also serves on the boards of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation. She previously served as a Congressional appointee on the US White House Women's Business Council and The Executive Council of Chicago.


Her honors include selection as one of the "Top 10 Women in Technology," by Enterprising Women and as "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the National Federation of Black Women Business Owners. She is also a recipient of the "Entrepreneurial Excellence Award" from Working Woman magazine.


Ms. Talton is a frequent speaker on topics including technology's vision for changing our work and living environments, and devotes much of her personal time to causes which further the education and advancement of women and minorities in technology. She has been cited in publications including CIO Magazine, Crain's Chicago Business and Black Enterprise.


She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School.