About

Professors Leslie Willcocks and Professor Mary Lacity are universally considered to be two of the world’s most respected researchers, speakers and writers in the field of knowledge work automation.

Their objective on this website is to dispel myths and misinformation about risks and effective practices of Service Automation technologies through insightful, researched-based commentary that is independent, objective, rigorous, ahead of the learning curve, and highly practical.

Their in-depth research into Service Automation over the past four years has, so far, produced three enlightening books:

Both Leslie & Mary are experienced orators on these and many other business-related subjects. They are available to speak at conferences, events and in-house company conventions across the globe. Both professors are represented by the speaker agency, Rhetorician Ltd.

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Mary Lacity

Professor Mary Lacity

Dr. Mary C. Lacity, Walton Professor of Information Systems and Director of the Blockchain Center of Excellence in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at The University of Arkansas. She was previously Curators’ Distinguished Professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has held visiting positions at MIT, the London School of Economics, Washington University, and Oxford University. She is a Certified Outsourcing Professional ®, Industry Advisor for Symphony Ventures, and Senior Editor for MIS Quarterly Executive.

Mary's recent research focuses on improving business services using Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Cognitive Automation (CA), and Blockchain technologies. She has conducted case studies and surveys of hundreds of organizations on their adoption journeys, has given keynote speeches and executive seminars worldwide, and has served as an expert witness for the US Congress.

Mary was inducted into the IAOP’s Outsourcing Hall of Fame in 2014 - one of only three academics to ever be inducted. She was the recipient of the 2008 'Gateway to Innovation Award' sponsored by the IT Coalition, Society for Information Management, and St. Louis RCGA. She has published 28 books, most recently, A Manager’s Guide to Blockchains for Business (https://sbpublishing.org/blockchain.html), SB Publishing, UK. Mary's publications have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, MIS Quarterly, MIS Quarterly Executive, IEEE Computer, Communications of the ACM, and many other academic and practitioner outlets.

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Professor Leslie Willcocks

Leslie P. Willcocks has an international reputation for his work on automation, global management, outsourcing, e-business, information management, IT evaluation, strategic IT and organisational change. He is Professor in Technology Work and Globalisation at the Department of Management at London School of Economics and Political Science.

He also heads the LSE’s Outsourcing Unit, and, for the last 28 years, has been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Technology. Leslie is co-author of 55 books and has published over 230 refereed papers in journals such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, MIS Quarterly and MISQ Executive.

He has delivered company executive programmes worldwide, is a regular keynote speaker at international practitioner and academic conferences, and has been retained as adviser and expert witness by major corporations and government institutions.

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