Ray Creely Business Solutions Executive for IBM's Global Technology Unit IBM B.S.B.A. with an emphasis in MIS, 1979

Ray Creely is currently the Business Solutions Executive for IBM's Global Technology Unit with responsibilities for the Communication Sector and Security. As the Business Solutions Executive, Ray works with technology companies to provide a variety of industry and security solutions to IBM clients globally. He started his career at IBM as a Systems Engineer and has held numerous positions including Branch Manager, Director of Consulting & Services and Client Services Director.

Ray is married with two sons and also has served as a Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America where he supports the local community in developing future leaders. As a member of UMSL's I.S. Department Advisory Board, Ray has been working with faculty and board members to provide career awareness programs for high school students throughout the St. Louis area. He is a mentor and Advisory Board member for Soldan International Studies High School in the St. Louis School District. Ray, a.k.a. Razor Slazar in 2nd Life has hosted tours of IBM's 2nd life island to high school students. He has worked with UMSL's Center for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity to deliver an eight month Discover Your Roots program to Soldan High School. In the summer of 2008, Ray worked with the IS department and board members to develop a 5 day, in dorm IS Summer Program for high school students. Currently Ray is working with UMSL Center for International Studies and the Information Systems Department to develop three academies that focus on International Business, Global Issues and Information Technology for Soldan High School. Ray is an active member of Washington University's Center for the Advancement of Information Technology (CAIT). He also participates with UMSL IS on a number of RCGA initiatives .

We sat down with Ray and asked him some questions.

Why did you decide to come to UM-St. Louis?

       Since I was personally paying for my education and working full time, UMSL was the best value and location for me.

Why did you pursue a career in information systems?

       I had a background in electronics and recognized the expanding opportunities in IS.

What college classes did you find most useful to your career?

       Tying my business classes to IS classes allowed me to better understand how my programs were addressing business problems.

If you were in college today, what courses would you take?

       Bio-Engineering, Nano Technology and Anthropology. (Connecting the future and the past)

How did you continue your education after your first degree?

       IBM has provided me with many opportunities to stay current and position me for new assignments. Everything from my early days of CICS Macro programming classes to a more recent Harvard Business School Program that allowed me to better understand international business consulting.

How did you find your first job?

       Attending college during the day, I worked as a janitor in the evening at an office building. One person often worked late and we frequently talked. She referred me to a friend. I was hired shortly after as a COBOL programmer. I then switched to UMSL evening classes.

In what non-academic activities did you participate in college that you would recommend to others (and why)?

       I worked full time and took a full load at UMSL. Sleep was the only non-academic activity I found time to participate. This is what I missed most in College. I would recommend exposing yourself in an activity outside your field of study.

How would you change your career if you had it to do all over again?

       I have so much to be thankful for, I would hesitate to change anything.

What advice would you give to someone just starting in the field?

       Communication skills are key to success. Look for opportunities to network. Look for opportunities that are challenging and FUN. Don't wait for them to come to you.

Look into your crystal ball. What do you see changing in the IS field in the future?

       Just looking at the gaming and medical industries as the crystal ball, I see smaller and faster devices with more complex applications virtually everywhere.

If you would like to ask Ray a question, you can email him at rjcreel at us.ibm.com.