As Vice President of Product Planning at Hitachi Data Systems and Chief Engineer at the Information Technology Platform Division (ITPD), Michael Hay leads a global team of thinkers who contemplate and help enact the future of Hitachi's expanding IT portfolio. He engages a variety of R&D teams, using a clear understanding of customer and market requirements, to guide direction and inspire innovation. Previously, he was on long-term assignment in Japan where he served in several roles with a focus on divining and, ideally, realizing long-term directions. Michael joined HDS in 2001 after serving as CEO and owner of a consultancy focused on complex enterprise and systems management design and deployment. His professional background also includes stints at IBM, IBM partners, and IT startup companies. These roles have help him develop his keen focus on solutions for the problems of tomorrow. He holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.