Insights from PTC's VP of Strategic Planning - Greg Urban

Q: Tell us your name, and what you do at PTC.

A: My name is Greg Urban, I'm the Vice President of Strategic Planning for PTC's Segments. I’ve been with PTC since May 2015; but, my time with PTC companies goes back as far as November 2013 when I started with ColdLight, a company acquired by PTC. At PTC, I drive cross-business unit and cross-function initiatives in product strategy, product planning, business unit planning, technology prioritization, and product portfolio management. I also manage a team focused on these areas, and Executive Communications and Customer Reference Management.  

Q: Tell us about your early years.

A: After graduating from college in 1998, I immediately went to graduate school in England. Cranfield University's College of Aeronautics, to study Human Factors Engineering in aviation settings. I've always been fascinated with human machine interface, aircraft cockpit design and complex controls. I wanted to learn how to develop aircraft and other complex system controls and Cranfield had one of the most comprehensive programs at the time.

While in this program, I interned at Oracle in California. The software company. I started to discover human computer interaction, a field that was becoming more and more intertwined with machine controls. After I graduated, I went to work immediately in Human Factors consulting at a company in Philadelphia. The focus on the business was in human computer interaction. The internet was becoming widely available and human computer interaction was a growing field. I spent my early days designing and developing the first online banking experiences we all take for granted today. 

In the field of Human Factors, I've worked on various human machine/computer interfaces. From electrical power grid dashboards and control centers, to military vehicle controls, to financial trading and swap tools, to factory machine controls, to software supporting people with advanced analytics and machine learning insights. Advanced analytics' ability to augment human performance and decision making continues to intrigue me. Over the years, my passion for advanced analytics technology led me to drive innovation as a Cognitive Engineer at CHI Systems in the early 2000s and later in my role at ColdLight.   

Q: Did you think you would be doing exactly this, 20 years ago?

A: No, but life is about learning and adapting, and technology will always change. Never stop learning. In 2004 I went back to school, part time, and in 2010 I completed an MBA degree. As expected, it changed the trajectory of my career. It has!

Q: How many roles have you had within PTC?

A: I guess technically 3. And that’s looking all the way back to my initial days at ColdLight.

Q: Favorite part about working at PTC?

A: The people. Innovation is about collaborating with people, coming up with ideas and further developing the ideas into the products that customers need. The people at PTC I meet are always dreaming up new ideas. I love that! 

Q: Favorite PTC product, and why?

A: My favorite PTC product is ThingWorx. ThingWorx is the first PTC product I learned to develop on. It is also where ColdLight's analytics technology lives. Vuforia Studio is a close second. I see augmented reality as the next wave for human computer interaction. It's exciting!

Q: What direction do you see PTC moving towards?

A: I think the way that we are moving is clear. IoT. As part of Jim Heppelmann's LiveWorx 2017 Keynote, he said that IoT is PLM. Data coming from a connected product operating in the field can be used by engineers to inform the design of future versions of a product, improve the manufacturing of the product, streamline the sales and marketing activities and innovate the service and maintenance of the product. The digitization made possible with IoT technology completes an engineer's picture of their product's life cycle.       

Q: Most exciting thing about moving to the Seaport?

Boats. We'll be so close to the Boston Harbor. New to the Boston area, I'm just learning how amazing the waterfront is. Several friends have boats near our new office. I'm looking forward to getting out on the water in the Summer, every chance I get.

Q: Most fun/interesting thing you have done in your work.

 One of the things that I think was just a lot of fun for me was Family Day. Last year before I moved to Needham, I really didn’t know what the Needham office was about.  And so, Family Day. My family wasn’t even here, but I had a really good time. If my wife hears this, she may be like “you had fun at Family Day without your family?!?!”

I volunteered for the Dunk Tank. There were probably 25 volunteers, and we had 10 minutes each in the dunk tank. I had never done a dunk tank, I didn’t really know what to expect, well I kind of  knew what to expect: I was going to get wet. The funniest part was who was the first person to dunk me. My intern! 

Being there, I got to see all my co-workers and their families. I got to see everyone in a different way. Family Day was fun, it was a great experience, it was a great day! I’ll never forget it.

Q: One piece of advice you wish you heard when you started out?

A: Always find ways to stay current on the latest technologies and innovations. I heard this, but it is critically important in software. Technology is continuously changing and the pace appears to be accelerating. I believe this is even more important today. Blockchain, additive manufacturing, augmented reality... What's next?!?!