BIOGRAPHY
Stephen Gillett is currently the Senior Director of Engineering Operations at Yahoo! Inc. His current responsibilities encompass the area of utility computing and virtualization as it applies to the operational computing architecture of the Yahoo! and subsidiary companies IT infrastructure. Yahoo! Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries is a global Internet brand. The Company provides Internet services that are essential and relevant to users, and businesses through the provision of online properties (the Yahoo! Network) to Internet users and a range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to market to that community of users.
Prior to Yahoo!, Stephen was the Vice President of Information Systems for CNET Networks in San Francisco. CNET Networks, Inc. is a worldwide media company and creator of content environments for the interactive age. CNET Networks operates Websites, each with its own distinct brand that delivers authentic content experiences for both users and marketers. The personal technology category is anchored by brands, such as CNET.com, Download.com and Webshots. The games and entertainment category primarily consists of the GameSpot and MP3.com brands.
Stephen has held management positions at several companies, including CenterRun Software (acquired by Sun Microsystems) and two technology start-ups focused on online retailing and operating holdings management. Stephen earned his BS from the University of Oregon and his MBA from San Francisco State University in 2005.
Stephen currently lives in San Francisco with his wife, two young children, and black Labrador. He spends much of his free time in the world of Azeroth as a Founder/Officer in the World of Warcraft Guild The Azure Blades.
ABSTRACT
Guild Building is Skill Building: How guild building
leadership and management skills learned in MMPORPG's transcend into the
real world of a startup company.
Symposium, Thursday (3:15 - 4:45) in Hall
of Ideas F
An introspective look at leadership and managerial skills needed for building successful online guilds, and how those skills transcend the virtual world to have real-life practical application for startup companies and/or employment in established organization.
This talk will describe this authors experience as a guild master and draw parallels to experience in the start-up world as an early member of a successful startup. This will set to define how Guild building is real Skill building that the MMPORPG's offers a realm never before available to evolve leadership and social skills.
Accordingly, the talk will examine the following questions:
What are the skills needed to build and sustain a successful Guild?
What are the challenges needed to recruit and retain Guild Talent?
The role of the Guild Master (GM) and the CEO, are they so different?
How did this author learn and adapt skills learned online to the real world?
By introducing first hand accounts of his role as a GM and experience in the startup world, the author will explore these dynamics and lead the audience on a personal journey through this experience of guild building.