Jim Downing Email Address

Vice President and Chief Information Officer

NW Natural is an oil & energy company that provides natural gas service.

I am an IT&S Professional. It’s the path I’ve chosen and the one that I’ve continued to invest in myself. I’ve been in the IT&S industry for just over 15 years. I’ve aggressively climbed the corporate IT&S ladder and have been recognized by my customers and stakeholders as a value added member of the corporate team. IT has changed a lot of the years, from order takers to business champions. Today, IT&S is about creating value, enabling the business, and being able to respond to external forces upon the business. As an example, in the industry we take data points from various sources, we process the data, and then transform that data into information. We then discuss the possible outcomes with our senior leaders and make changes in our business outcomes or service strategy. This is the step where IT&S actually create value for the business.This is where I excel above and beyond my peers and associates. I’m one of the few IT&S Leaders who understands the business drivers, who understand the complex business models, and can speak to how IT&S is underpinned to make it all happen. Regardless of the challenge, insourcing, outsourcing, offshoring, consulting, hardware, ERP systems, ITIL, Retail, Fortune 100 companies, Industry recognition, Public Speaking, I’ve enjoyed a lot of diverse experience and will bring those to the table.I’ve had the pleasure of working with great people all over the world. People who have taken time to help me understand their culture so I can be a better leader. People who have helped me with my language skills so I can improve my communication. People who have taken time to educate me to become more of an industry expert. I’m a passionate and smart working leader. I’m a champion of honesty and integrity. I’m interested in getting things done right and minimizing risk and exposure to the enterprise.