Norcross-based international outsourcing firm Paalam Inc. is organizing monthly roundtable forums where Atlanta information technology executives can share their company’s best practices and industry perspectives.

“We want to have 15 or 20 invited guests and create an ambiance where [chief information officers] can participate and establish relationships with peers from other companies,” said Paalam CEO Narsi L. S. Narasimhan, who organizes the forums.

The forums are held up to three times per month and generally feature two speakers- an executive from one of Paalam’s more than 30 locally based clients, which include banking, legal and information technology businesses. The other speaker is a widely known business expert.

Jagdish Sheth, Charles H. Kellstadt professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, is Paalam’s next guest expert. He is scheduled to lead a Thursday, Dec. 7, lunchtime roundtable forum at the Buckhead Club.

In an interview with GlobalAtlanta, Dr. Narasimhan, said that the forums are designed to address industry issues rather than act as a marketing medium for Paalam’s clients.

“We want the programs to be as focused as possible so that CIOs feel comfortable about coming,” Dr. Narasimhan said, adding that he started the program because there were not enough focused networking events for senior level executives in Atlanta.

At Paalam’s first forum on Sept. 20, Don Ratajczak, former director of Georgia State University’s Economic Forecasting Center and regents professor emeritus of economics at Georgia State, discussed how the current economic outlook affects a company’s IT operations.

During the same forum, Glenn Martin, chief technology officer of Intent MediaWorks, a client of Paalam’s that specializes in peer-to-peer Internet downloading, discussed his company’s business model and issues regarding intellectual property rights.

Future forums could address trends in software development, how to manage people, how to negotiate business deals and offer insight on the global economy, Dr. Narasimhan said.

In addition to Dr. Sheth, Paalam’s future discussions are to include Dr. Ratajczak, who will speak for the fifth time at the roundtable forums, Benn Konsynski, the George S. Craft professor of business administration at Goizueta, and David Hudson, change management consultant at Solution Resources Inc., which has helped Norcross-based packaging company Rock-Tenn Co. implement company-wide changes.

The CIO roundtable discussions are sponsored by Paalam clients, and guests participate for free.

For more information, contact Dr. Narasimhan at (770) 209-9700.