Rudy Puryear, who graduated from NC State with BS in Computer Science in 1974, is widely considered one of the top IT consultants in the world. While at N.C. State, Puryear worked full-time at Synergetics, while maintaining a full course load. After graduation, he became Stone School Supply’s first data processing manager, where he converted the entire company to computers. Later he became the first director of information systems for the North Carolina Judicial Department, where he implemented the first computer system for the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. In 1981, he moved to Boston to work for Nolan, Norton, & Company, an information technology strategy consulting firm. After two short years, he had moved to Chicago, where he was managing director running consulting for the company. The firm was acquired by KPMG in 1987, and he became the Managing Partner of IT Strategy. In 1991, he went to Andersen Consulting as a managing partner of IT strategy, advancing to global managing partner of e-commerce, responsible for the overall development and direction of Andersen’s e-commerce strategy. Under his direction, Andersen Consulting’s business in this market grew to be ranked as the largest e-commerce practice in the world by International Data Corporation in 1999, with more than $425M in revenue. In 1999, Puryear became President and CEO of Lante Corporation, where he led the company through a successful IPO and embarked on a sustained drive to grow the company, positioning it for long-term success in the Internet services marketplace. Puryear is a recognized expert on the emergence of the electronic economy and its impact on both traditional companies and start-up ventures. He has advised clients representing a broad cross-section of industries worldwide, and he is a highly sought-after speaker. His insights have been featured in leading business publications such as The Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Financial Times and Fortune. He was named the world’s seventh most influential consultant by respected industry publication Consulting Magazine in June 2000. Puryear joined Bain & Company’s Chicago office in 2002, where is currently a partner and director, as well as the leader of Bain's global Information Technology practice. Over the last 15 years, he has advised many of the world’s largest companies on ways to leverage their IT assets and activities to drive enhanced business results. More recently, he has advised a number of Fortune 100 companies on using next generation technology to win in all things digital.