It is my honor, as the ISSIP Executive Director, to serve you at such exiting times!   According to the World Bank, by 2025 nearly all the world population (~ 8 billion people) will have access to all the wold information through a device that fits the palm of  the hand!!  This creates tremendous opportunities for  industries, academic institutions, governments, and  individuals everywhere.  This is reason why our work at ISSIP is so important.  Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of working with so many of you, and I am humbled by the level of talent, and  commitment  that  you embody as Service Innovators.  You are the ones who turn this tremendous opportunity into a  future that serves all of us, through your work as ISSIP Ambassadors, Special Interest Group (SIG) Chairs, Chapter Leaders,  Members, Volunteers,  and Interns.

We currently have four active SIGs: Cloud Mobility, Education and Research, Future of Services, and User Experience. The SIGs  meet regularly and move forward with their objectives, and agenda in promoting service innovation by authoring white papers,  books,  presenting at conferences, conducting research, developing professional workshops, etc. Each of the SIGs are welcoming new members.   You may also propose to start a new SIG,  hot topics include (but are certainly not limited to ):  Data & Analytics, Globalization, Innovation Tools & Methods, Service Systems, Internet of All Things, M2M, Robotics, Energy etc.  For more information, please check the SIG website.

We are now  linked to at least five professional societies through our  esteemed Ambassadors (ISSIP members with significant involvement in other  professional societies who help us form as an umberella society that promotes T-shapedness):  The Association of Information Systems (AIS), Society of Serviceology,  Institute for Operations Research & the Management Sciences (INFORMS), American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), IEEE Computer Society’s Design Automation Technical Committee.   Ambassadors are nominated by members, vetted by me, and appointed by our President. 

We have also been in early planning discussions to form geographic Chapters (for Germany, Switzerland, Japan, UK, Italy, Jordan, Australia, etc.).  Chapter are proposed by members and approved by the Board of Directors.

So, If you are interested in forming a new SIG, nominating an ISSIP Ambassador (you may nominate yourself), forming an ISSIP Chapter, doing internship, sharing  ideas,  and providing feedback, please send me an email to execdir@issip.org, or write a comment below.

Again, I want to thank all of our Members for their commitment, and our BOD Members, Advisors, and sponsors   for their continued support and generosity!

Yassi Moghaddam, ISSIP Executive Director