Robert Smallwood (writer)
Robert F. Smallwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 Davenport, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Author, technology expert, magazine publisher, podcast presenter |
| Known for | Information governance publications, founding Institute for Information Governance, Information Governance World magazine |
Robert F. Smallwood is an American author, technology expert, magazine publisher, and podcast presenter. As a highly productive writer in the field of information technology, he has authored 10 books, contributed over 100 articles to trade journals, and presented at more than 60 industry conferences. He played a key role as a founding chapter leader and president within AIIM International, joining its global Board of Directors in 1997 and advancing to the Executive Committee by 1998. In 2014, he established the Institute for Information Governance; four years later, in 2018, he co-launched Information Governance World magazine; and in 2020, he founded the Certified Information Governance Officers Association.
Personal
Born in 1959 in Davenport, Smallwood was raised in Bettendorf, where he distinguished himself both academically and athletically, earning All-State Honors in Band and Cross Country. He set several records in track events including the 2-mile run and 3000 meters. In 1977, he received a varsity letter for cross country at the University of Northern Iowa.
Following a scholarly exchange program at University of Massachusetts Boston, he graduated with honors in Business Management and Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa in 1982. He later earned an MBA from Loyola University New Orleans in 2000.
Smallwood's professional journey began at Burroughs Corporation (which later became Unisys), where he implemented mainframe and document management solutions for commercial banks and the Federal Reserve Bank of New Orleans. Subsequently, he worked at Wang Laboratories, focusing on deploying early commercial document imaging technologies and software tailored for law firms.
In 1988, Smallwood authored an internal white paper at Wang Laboratories on deploying document imaging systems within financial services. By 1991, he transitioned to independent IT consulting and co-founded IMERGE Consulting in 1995. His Institute for Information Governance was created in 2014 alongside the release of Wiley & Sons’ first textbook on Information Governance; a second edition was published in 2020.
The Five People You Meet in Hell: Surviving Katrina
Smallwood’s debut book, The Five People You Meet in Hell: Surviving Katrina (2005), stands as the earliest personal narrative published regarding the effects of Hurricane Katrina. It details his own experiences during and following the disaster. Among the "five people" highlighted is his neighbor and friend, actor Harry Anderson, famed for his role in the 1980s television series Night Court.
In 2006, Smallwood embarked on a 21-city book tour that included interviews on platforms such as C-SPAN (BookTV), BBC Radio, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, ABCNews.com, among other prominent media outlets. The book was optioned for cinematic adaptation by Safier Entertainment in November 2013 under the tentative title A Season in Hell, inspired by Arthur Rimbaud’s poem.
Other publications
- 2005 "Brando, Tennessee & Me" – his inaugural play
- 2007 "Prisoners of Katrina"
- 2009 "Jackson Squared" – his first novel
Information governance publications
Smallwood’s initial nonfiction technology work appeared in 2008 with Taming the Email Tiger. In 2012, Wiley & Sons published his guide to preventing WikiLeaks disclosures titled Safeguarding Critical E-Documents: Implementing a Program for Securing Confidential Information Assets. This was followed by Managing Electronic Records: Methods, Best Practices, and Technologies (2013), coauthored with nine experts. His Wiley CIO series contribution, Information Governance: Concepts, Strategies, and Best Practices, was first released in 2014 with an updated second edition arriving in 2020. This volume serves as a foundational resource for corporate information governance (IG) initiatives and is incorporated into curricula at leading institutions such as Oxford University and San Jose State University. Additional works include Information Governance for Executives: Fundamentals and Strategies (2016) and Information Governance for Healthcare Professionals (2018), published by HIMSS and Taylor & Francis respectively. Also launched in 2018 was Smallwood’s Information Governance World magazine—the first periodical entirely devoted to IG topics.
Black & White Ball - Hurricane Katrina Relief Event
In her role as executive director of the Louisiana Writers' Foundation, Smallwood spearheaded the "Black & White Ball" held at Hotel Monteleone, commemorating the 40th anniversary of Truman Capote's renowned New York gathering. This charitable event aimed to aid authors recovering their professional footing after Katrina, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. The ceremony honored distinguished figures such as Romanian author Andrei Codrescu, Louisiana Poet Laureate Brenda Marie Osbey, and poet Dave Brinks. The program was hosted by news anchor Angela Hill.