918: To create stronger alignment between technology and business objectives, farm-to-fork cooperative Land O’Lakes is embracing Fusion Teams, which combine deep technical expertise with business insights to anticipate needs, innovate faster, and deliver more tailored solutions. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Land O’Lakes CTO Teddy Bekele about the critical role technology plays in driving both innovation and operational alignment within the company’s cooperative model. Teddy shares how Land O'Lakes is transforming its operations through Agile practices, Fusion Teams, and AI-driven decision-making, all while fostering sustainability and growth across its diverse business units, including smarter farming and enhanced supply chain management.

917: In his newest book This is Strategy, renowned author and marketing thought leader Seth Godin provides a detailed framework for developing an effective strategy and challenges the way strategy is approached across industries. In this episode, Peter High sits down with Seth to explore the critical difference between strategy and tactics, offering practical insights into how individuals and organizations can craft strategies that stand the test of time. Seth emphasizes the importance of simplicity, demonstrating how profound strategies can be communicated in clear, memorable terms. Seth also dives into the growing role of AI in strategic thinking, sharing his experience with tools like Claude to challenge assumptions and refine strategies. Additionally, he discusses the necessity of empathy in leadership and the importance of embracing change and constraints to fuel innovation. Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or simply curious about the future of strategy in an AI-driven world, this episode offers actionable insights to help you navigate the complexities of modern leadership.

916: The ways customers interact with retailers and other organizations have vastly changed in recent years, and the pet care industry is no different, leveraging technology to deliver personalized, efficient experiences for pet parents. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Greg Fancher, Executive Vice President of IT and Chief Information Technology Officer of PetSmart. Greg discusses PetSmart’s ongoing digital transformation, which has included a shift from a distribution center-focused model to store-based e-commerce fulfillment, improving speed and efficiency for customers. He also shares insights into re-platforming PetSmart’s systems to use microservices, enabling faster innovation, and the company's strategic use of AI for optimizing operations like pick path efficiency and personalized marketing. Greg provides an inside look at the company's efforts to enhance its omnichannel retail strategy, including cloud-based booking for pet services and real-time inventory visibility. Lastly, Greg highlights the importance of leadership restructuring and portfolio management in aligning technology investments with business goals and discusses his excitement for future technologies like quantum computing and their potential impact on security.

915: Consumer insights are the lifeblood of any company, enabling them to optimize product availability, personalize marketing, and enhance customer experiences through direct-to-consumer channels and loyalty programs. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews John Gigerich, Chief Information Officer of Keurig Dr Pepper. John shares insights into the 2018 merger between Keurig and Dr Pepper, which created a beverage powerhouse, and discusses his role in integrating the companies' IT systems while ensuring cybersecurity. He elaborates on Keurig Dr Pepper's digital transformation journey, covering cloud migration, intelligent automation tools like RPA and AI, and the company's data-driven approach to consumer insights that optimize product offerings and marketing strategies. John also provides a fascinating look into the company’s supply chain optimization initiatives and the role of the digital value chain. Finally, he highlights the importance of ROI in IT investments and shares his excitement for AI and data-driven innovation at KDP.

914: The shift towards cloud computing has accelerated with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and venture capital firms like Bessemer Venture Partners have taken notice. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Mary D'Onofrio, partner at Bessemer, who leads investments in cloud software and emerging technologies. Mary discusses her journey into venture capital, Bessemer’s Cloud Index, and the State of the Cloud reports, while highlighting how AI is transforming the cloud landscape. She also shares insights into the "five Cs of cloud finance" and the importance of customer feedback in shaping investment decisions. 

913: In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Aaron Gwinner, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Reynolds American. Aaron discusses the company's ambitious goal to reduce the health impact of its products by transitioning customers away from traditional cigarettes to lower-risk alternatives like vaping. He explains how technology plays a critical role in this transformation, including a significant cloud migration effort aimed at centralizing data and improving operational efficiency. Aaron also shares insights on the evolving challenges of cybersecurity and the potential of generative AI to improve employee productivity and supply chain management. Drawing on over two decades of experience at The Coca-Cola Company, Aaron reflects on how his international career has informed his approach to leadership at Reynolds American. Tune in to hear more about Reynolds American's digital transformation, its mission to build a better tomorrow, and the key role of IT in achieving this vision.

912: The fusion of IT transformation and AI is revolutionizing how businesses leverage technology to drive growth and innovation. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Satya Jayadev, CIO of Skyworks Solutions, a global leader in high-performance analog semiconductors that power the wireless revolution. Satya shares insights into his six-year journey at Skyworks, leading a digital transformation that took IT from a back-office support role to a business driver and visionary partner. He discusses how Skyworks is leveraging AI to optimize processes and product development and how the AI Enablement Office is identifying critical use cases across the organization. Satya also explains the role of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) in improving engineering efficiency and product design speed. Lastly, he provides a forward-looking view on how AI and 5G are shaping the future of business and consumer experiences.

911: In financial services, automation and AI are transforming risk management, streamlining compliance, and enhancing customer experiences for greater efficiency. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Jason Strle, Chief Information Officer of Discover Financial Services. Jason discusses Discover’s unique position as one of the first FinTech companies, emphasizing its direct-to-consumer model and its role as one of the four major credit card networks. He highlights how Discover's customer-first approach drives innovation across the company, earning high levels of customer loyalty. As CIO, Jason provides insights into the breadth of his responsibilities, covering everything from core banking platforms to cloud infrastructure and information security. He also delves into how Discover is embracing AI and automation to innovate risk management, making traditionally complex processes more efficient and competitive. Jason shares his thoughts on how Generative AI is transforming customer service and risk management, while also addressing the challenges it presents. The conversation also explores Discover’s partnerships with FinTech startups and how the company stays on the cutting edge of financial technology.

910: Biopharma companies have adapted their business and technology strategies to address the decreased demand for COVID-19 vaccines, shifting towards a more predictable, seasonal market. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Brad Miller, Chief Information Officer of Moderna. Brad shares how Moderna is harnessing cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, and cloud computing to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry. As Moderna transitions from a COVID-19 vaccine-focused company to a diversified portfolio that includes oncology and rare disease treatments, Brad explains how digital transformation is powering advancements in R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization. He also highlights Moderna's internal learning academies, which ensure the workforce stays on the leading edge of digital and AI innovations. With a rich background that includes leadership roles at Capital One, Mastercard, and Amazon, Brad brings valuable insights into technology leadership in biotech. Tune in to discover how Moderna is shaping the future of medicine through technology.

909: According to MIT's Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) Senior Research Scientist and Chairman Peter Weill, "real-time business" refers to an organization’s ability to make decisions, respond to customer needs, and manage operations instantly using up-to-date data and technology to drive efficiency and outcomes. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High welcomes Weill to discuss his groundbreaking research on real-time business and lessons for executives seeking to transform their organizations. Weill shares how companies are leveraging cloud data, AI, and APIs to enable real-time decision-making, customer onboarding, and employee support. He highlights case studies from companies like Chase and United Airlines, showing how real-time operations have improved customer satisfaction and boosted performance. Weill also emphasizes the importance of digital-savvy leadership, noting that boards and executives with these skills are best positioned to succeed in this new paradigm. Finally, he offers insights into the future of real-time business with Generative AI, which promises to revolutionize customer interactions and internal processes.

908: In the world of customer service, artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) are unlocking new possibilities to elevate the customer experience beyond what was once thought possible. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High sits down with Harry Folloder, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Alorica, to explore how the company utilizes AI to revolutionize customer service, streamline operations, and empower both employees and customers. Harry highlights the crucial role of technology in building trust and delivering personalized, seamless customer interactions in today’s digital-first world. He also shares his inspiring personal journey, detailing how his background in law and emergency services—as a firefighter and paramedic—has uniquely prepared him to lead digital transformation at a tech-driven company. Discover the innovative AI-powered solutions propelling Alorica’s success and how Harry’s leadership is shaping the future of customer experience. Whether you're interested in AI, digital transformation, or leadership, this episode provides valuable insights into the technologies and strategies driving innovation at Alorica.

907: Enhancing the end-user experience is key to driving productivity, security, and scalability in today's digital landscape. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Muneer Mirza, Director of End-User Computing at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Muneer shares his journey at Amazon, starting from his role in developing the company’s website to overseeing AWS’s end-user computing services. He provides an inside look at services like Amazon WorkSpaces, AppStream, and Secure Browser, and how these products address diverse customer needs. Muneer also delves into the challenges of balancing innovation with cybersecurity and cost management, a common struggle for tech and digital leaders. He shares AWS’s customer-centric approach to problem-solving and provides insights into the role of generative AI in cloud computing. This conversation is packed with practical advice for leaders navigating the complex world of cloud economics, cybersecurity, and technological innovation.

906: The combination of predictive AI and generative AI allows companies to not only anticipate customer behavior, but also deliver a more personalized experience. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Shankar Arumugavelu, Executive Vice President and President of Verizon Global Services. Shankar shares his journey from Chief Information Officer to his new expanded role, overseeing not only IT and data but also supply chain, real estate, and shared services. The conversation delves into Verizon’s innovative use of AI, including generative AI's role in customer service, predictive AI for churn management, and the company’s commitment to scaling these technologies across all functions. Shankar discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in industrializing AI at Verizon and offers insights into the future of technology, particularly the convergence of AI, edge computing, and 5G. Tune in to learn how Verizon is leveraging cutting-edge technologies to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.

905: With Generative AI becoming prevalent across industries, proper data management is also becoming more important than ever. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Graeme Thompson, the Chief Information Officer at Informatica, a leader in AI-powered cloud data management. With over eight years at the helm of Informatica's IT, information security, and data functions, Graeme has overseen the company's digital transformation from a traditional software licensing model to a cloud-first, consumption-driven business. Graeme shares how Informatica empowers its clients to leverage data as a critical asset, driving business outcomes through trusted AI and automation solutions. He discusses the company’s AI initiatives, its hybrid and multi-cloud strategy, and real-world use cases that demonstrate the power of AI in automating processes and improving decision-making. Additionally, Graeme reflects on how peer collaboration within the IT community helps address common challenges, and he explores the future of AI in enterprise automation and beyond.

904: As technical surveillance, AI, and advanced technologies become increasingly ubiquitous, the CIA, as a human intelligence organization, must be equipped to address these challenges. Through public and private collaborations, the agency is integrating critical technologies essential for national security. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Nand Mulchandani, the first-ever Chief Technology Officer at the CIA. Nand discusses his role working closely with Director William Burns to oversee the CIA’s technological advancements. Drawing on his Silicon Valley experience, Nand shares how the agency fosters innovation, builds relationships with tech companies, and adapts to the evolving challenges of great power competition, particularly with China. He explores the transformative role of AI, data analytics, and other technologies in national security while emphasizing the need for cultural change within the agency to tackle future threats. Tune in to hear insights from a leader at the forefront of both national security and cutting-edge technology.

903: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has had a transformative impact on the financial services industry by enhancing decision-making, personalizing customer experiences, and driving innovation. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Shri Santhanam, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Software Platforms and Artificial Intelligence at Experian. Shri delves into Experian's evolution from a credit bureau to a platform company, emphasizing the critical role of Artificial Intelligence in driving this transformation. He discusses the development of the Ascend Technology Platform, AI's impact on financial inclusion, and the importance of AI governance. Shri also shares his passion for credit education and how generative AI is helping consumers better understand and improve their financial health. Tune in to gain insights into the future of data-centric AI and Experian's innovative use of technology to create business and consumer impact.

902: AI is reshaping legal services by streamlining tasks and driving innovation, yet it also challenges firms to navigate complex ethical and security issues. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Mike Lucas, Chief Information Officer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. They discuss the integration of Artificial Intelligence in legal services and how Mike is driving Digital Transformation at one of the world’s leading law firms. Mike shares insights on the firm’s innovative initiatives, including the development of AI tools like the Neuron platform and pilots with ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. He also delves into the challenges of change management and the ethical considerations of adopting AI in a traditional industry like law.

901: As AI and analytics evolve, one constant remains: clean, well-organized data is at the heart of these technologies. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Ajit Jagtap, Chief Information Officer at MODE Global. They discuss the rapid digital transformation in the logistics industry, driven by the pandemic, and how MODE Global is leveraging technology to enhance its services. Ajit shares insights on the importance of a robust data strategy to support AI and machine learning initiatives, the role of IT in integrating MODE’s family of brands, and the future of AI in logistics. The conversation also touches on Ajit's approach to leadership and the significance of a people-centric culture within the IT organization.

900: Recognized as one of the most influential CIOs, Rob Carter of FedEx has had an extraordinary career, driving the company’s digital transformation while reshaping the technology landscape and redefining the CIO role. In this milestone 900th episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Rob to reflect on his remarkable journey and explore the evolving role of technology executives in enterprise leadership. They discuss FedEx’s digital transformation, including the transition from proprietary systems to cloud-based, virtualized environments. Carter shares insights from his early career, the impact of key mentors, and how FedEx leverages data through initiatives like FedEx Dataworks. The conversation underscores the critical role of leadership and technology in modernizing one of the world’s largest logistics companies.

899: Digital transformation goes beyond technology, requiring robust enterprise change management and the implementation of secure, responsible guardrails to drive sustainable innovation. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Dolores Mears, Chief Information Officer at Hensel Phelps. They discuss the company’s comprehensive modernization journey, focusing on digitization, data strategy, and the integration of advanced technologies like AI. Dolores shares her approach to leading enterprise change management, fostering innovation through the AI Council, and evaluating investments in emerging technologies. They also explore how augmented reality is transforming the construction industry. Join us for an insightful conversation on the future of technology in complex project management.

898: Target's decade-long experience with Artificial Intelligence (AI) has primed the company to fully leverage the transformative potential of Generative AI. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Brett Craig, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Target. They discuss the pivotal role of Generative AI in transforming retail and how technology has evolved to become a defining element in enhancing customer and employee experiences. Brett shares his journey from various roles within Target, including merchandising and finance, to his current role as CIO, where he leads the company’s technology strategy. The episode also delves into Target's culture of innovation, highlighting initiatives like demo days, hackathons, and 50 Days of Learning that empower technologists to drive progress. Tune in to learn how Brett and his team are shaping the future of retail technology at Target.

897: Successfully adopting AI within an organization hinges on aligning people and processes first, rather than relying solely on the technology. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Leo Bodden, Group Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at New York-Presbyterian. Leo discusses the transformative journey of the hospital system through strategic digital initiatives, the integration of AI in healthcare, and the balance between centralized and decentralized IT management. With nearly three decades at the organization, Leo offers valuable insights into the evolution of healthcare technology and shares his thoughts on the future trends that will shape the industry.

896: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare and enhancing the patient experience by making it more efficient, predictive, and consumer-friendly. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Rajeev Ronanki, Chief Executive Officer of Lyric, a leading AI-based platform focused on enhancing payment accuracy in healthcare. Rajeev discusses the challenges in modern healthcare and the AI solutions his team is building. He shares his journey from Deloitte to Elevance Health and finally to Lyric, highlighting his passion for healthcare innovation. They explore how AI is automating administrative processes, improving payment accuracy, and providing personalized consumer experiences. Rajeev also shares his vision for the future of Lyric and the broader healthcare industry, emphasizing the importance of consumer-friendly solutions and the potential of AI to simplify healthcare transactions.

895: As the AI landscape continues to expand, cybersecurity remains a top priority for technology executives, creating abundant opportunities for venture capital firms to invest in the cyber space. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Andrei Brasoveanu, Partner at Accel. They discuss the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, highlighting the increasing complexities introduced by cloud computing and AI. Andrei shares Accel's investment strategies, focusing on developer tools, data security, and Web3 technologies. The conversation also delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in cybersecurity and Andrei's journey from Romania to becoming a key figure in Accel's global investment efforts.

894: General Electric (GE) historically has been a powerhouse in the technology world as a bootcamp for some of the most prestigious tech leaders of today. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews David Burns, Chief Information Officer at GE Aerospace. They discuss the company's recent separation from General Electric and its transformation into an independent entity. David shares insights into the challenges of decentralizing IT services, the role of AI and augmented reality in enhancing operations, and the importance of a lean and cloud transformation journey. He also reflects on his extensive career at GE, the lessons learned from crises, and the value of continuous learning and talent development.

893: As the future of work continues to evolve, executives must keep pace with not only technological advancements but also talent strategies, learning to leverage both internal and external talent to succeed as a global enterprise. In this episode, Peter High interviews John Winsor, Executive in Residence at Harvard Business School's Laboratory for Innovation Science and founder and CEO of Open Assembly, about his latest book, 'Open Talent,' and the strategies he has developed for leveraging global talent pools, including freelancers, internal talent clouds, and open innovation contests. John shares his journey from founding an open talent company in the '90s to leading innovation at Havas and exploring the future of work with AI and digital transformation. He offers insights into the challenges large organizations face in adopting new business models and emphasizes the importance of culture in a networked organization. Finally, John looks ahead at how AI and technology, more broadly, can play a role in the framework of 'open talent.'

892: Ascending to the CEO role from a technology background showcases the critical impact of tech expertise in guiding business transformation and growth. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Mike Clifton, Co-Chief Executive Officer at Alorica, about his career journey and how his experience as a technology executive has shaped his perspective as a co-CEO. Mike discusses Alorica's strategic approach to enhancing customer experiences through AI and digital transformation, and provides insights into the company's unique Co-CEO model. He also explains his strategy for investing in startups to curate an ecosystem of partners, keeping the company at the forefront of innovative technologies like noise cancellation and voice translation.

891: Proper cybersecurity practices within a company involve a shared responsibility across the entire enterprise, not just the IT organization, requiring a unified approach that encompasses people, processes, and technology. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Sesh Tirumala, Chief Information Officer of Western Digital, to discuss the company's focus on cybersecurity, employee experience, and engineering excellence. Sesh details his experience handling a major cyber incident at Western Digital and the framework he applied to identify vulnerabilities and establish guardrails to mitigate future cyber incidents. He also talks about his approach to improving operational and engineering excellence at the company and explains the importance of culture in IT. Furthermore, he reflects on his journey across various scaled and fast-growing technology companies and shares the future trends in technology that excite him, such as generative AI and digital twins in manufacturing.

890: During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Postal Service (USPS) had to rapidly set up infrastructure to ship subsidized test kits, scaling their operations within three weeks. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Pritha Mehra, Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of USPS, about this incredible story and the resulting digital transformation. With 34 years at USPS, including more than three and a half as CIO, Pritha discusses the immense technological infrastructure she oversees, including 32,000 network locations and over 930 applications. She highlights USPS’s modernization efforts to stay competitive, their significant role during the pandemic, and initiatives to enhance employee experience and efficiency. Pritha also delves into the implementation of digital twins for tracking packages, the importance of data, AI, and machine learning, and fostering a culture of curiosity and innovation within her team.

889: Venture capital has driven technological advancement from hardware companies like Cisco to software giants like Google. But what does the future hold? In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High talks with Saul Klein, co-founder and managing partner of Phoenix Court, about his insights on a more balanced future for tech VC. They discuss Saul's innovative approach, which includes managing four distinct funds—LocalGlobe, Latitude, Solr, and Basecamp—to strategically support potential unicorns. With experience as a partner at Index Ventures and a non-executive director at the UK's Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Saul shares insights on the European and Israeli tech ecosystems, the historical and social context of innovation, and the need to demystify venture capital. Additionally, he analyzes the impact of Brexit on innovation, regulation, and trade agreements, and delves into the social impact initiatives of Phoenix Court and his perspectives on the future of tech investment.

888: The rapid pace of technological change, particularly with the advent of AI tools, has drastically decreased the average half-life of skills to less than five years, necessitating a focus on continuous learning at every level. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, where Liberty Mutual Global CIO Monica Caldas and WestRock CIDO Amir Kazmi speak with Metis Strategy Partner and East Coast Lead Alex Kraus about future-oriented storytelling, talent upskilling, and innovation processes. Discover how Liberty Mutual leverages its ecosystem of partners to develop the 'Skills to Fuel our Future' strategy, maturing employee skills in data, software, and AI, and how Amir at WestRock emphasizes purpose-driven innovation and a growth mindset. Both executives also share their thoughts on executive storytelling, cultural nuances in approaching different personas, and the importance of metrics for evaluating performance and progress.

887: Peter Zeihan, renowned geopolitical strategist and founder of Zeihan on Geopolitics, wrote in his most recent book, "the seeds of deglobalization were sown decades ago." Since then, the world has seen both demographic and economic shifts that further validate his analysis. In this episode, Peter High interviews Peter Zeihan about his deep insights on topics intersecting demography, economics, energy, politics, technology, and security. The conversation delves into Zeihan's perspectives on Stalin's influence on the global order, the early indicators of deglobalization, and the demographic challenges leading to economic declines. Zeihan provides an in-depth look at the geopolitical futures of major powers like China, Russia, and the United States. He explains the mechanisms driving historic trends, the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, and what might be expected on the world stage in the coming years. Pivoting more locally, Zeihan discusses his predictions for the 2024 US Presidential elections, what each candidate’s win might mean for America’s role on the world stage, and what needs to happen for the US to keep pace with the shifting trends toward deglobalization. Finally, Zeihan gives his thoughts on which other countries might come out on top in the coming years once the dust settles.

886: In high-stakes negotiations, whether for ransom, cyber extortion, or business dealings, emotional self-regulation, empathy, and trust-building, alongside practical stress management techniques, are critical to achieving a successful outcome. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Scott Walker, a former Scotland Yard detective-turned-crisis and risk management consultant about his experience in crisis management and the skills he wishes to pass along to help others in similar situations. With 16 years of experience in serious crime investigation and military intelligence, Scott shares his journey into crisis management, his techniques for negotiation, and the importance of emotional intelligence and resilience. He offers practical advice on how to regulate emotions, build trust through empathy, and manage high-pressure situations, illustrating these with stories from his career. Scott also delves into the parallels between kidnap negotiations and cyber extortion, emphasizing the critical role of time and trust in successful outcomes. His recently published book, 'Order Out of Chaos,' further explores these themes to help readers thrive in adversity and become world-class communicators. For more information about Scott's career and his speaking sessions, you can connect with him on LinkedIn.

885: Organizations navigate a landscape marked by frequent AI interface releases, expanding interaction channels, and heightened expectations for quick, seamless, personalized experiences. Emphasizing responsible customer data use, they strive to balance AI with human touch to enhance both customer and employee engagement. In this episode of Technovation, a panel from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium features Bala Subramanian, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at UPS, and Marty Brodbeck, Chief Technology Officer at Priceline, in conversation with Metis Strategy Co-Head of Research, Media, and Executive Networks Steven Norton about customer experience in the age of AI. Bala discusses UPS's tech-driven improvements in customer and employee experiences and operational efficiency, while Marty outlines Priceline's use of AI tools for enhanced customer care and efficiency. They delve into evolving customer expectations, generative AI applications, and the balance of tech with human touch. Both emphasize leveraging data and innovation for efficiency, effectiveness, and new business models, stressing the importance of robust data infrastructure and foreseeing AI's potential to boost operational productivity and drive future development.

884: Although AI won't fundamentally change the notion of leadership, it challenges business leaders to adopt it to enhance their workforce, fostering innovation and competitive value. In this episode, Peter interviews David De Cremer, Dean of the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and a Professor in Management and Technology. David, with an esteemed career in AI and management studies across global institutions like Cambridge University and the National University of Singapore, discusses his journey into artificial intelligence and its significant impact on business leadership. He delves into his latest book, "The AI-Savvy Leader: Nine Ways to Take Back Control and Make AI Work," and the core leadership skills necessary to harness AI effectively. As a dean, David offers his perspective on AI in education, emphasizing how "outputs have become the inputs" and AI's role in making better decisions post-graduation. The conversation also covers cultural nuances in AI adoption across different continents, the balance between human intelligence and AI, and the role of purpose-driven AI integration in modern businesses. Tune in for profound insights into how AI can augment human capabilities rather than replace them, and the critical leadership qualities needed in the AI era.

883: Innovation can be transformative for companies in terms of internal productivity and efficiency, but there is often even greater potential in advancing that innovation to productize it for external use. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Prasanna Gopalakrishnan, Group Chief Technology Officer at Sky Group, about her perspective on the innovation cycle within the company, from value-driven use cases to potential monetization and productization strategies. Prasanna discusses her role, managing technology across multiple markets, and leading an innovation engineering team focused on future-state technology. She highlights the use of AI and data analytics to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency and considers the potential impact of quantum computing on Sky’s industry. Prasanna also explores the opportunities and challenges of generative AI, particularly in creating personalized sports highlights and addressing IP concerns. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of hyper-personalization in customer engagement and shares insights into Sky's strategies for monetizing technological developments. Prasanna also reflects on her global career journey and experiences serving on the board of Tesco Bank, drawing lessons from her extensive background in financial services.

882: The IT organizations within universities operate similarly to those in the corporate sector, but the role of the technology leader often differs in terms of both authority and responsibility. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Tom Murphy, the Senior Vice President of Information Technology and University Chief Information Officer at the University of Pennsylvania about the innovation he is driving, the obstacles universities are facing, and more. With over a decade of experience at Penn and multiple tenures as a CIO in the private sector, Tom shares his insights on managing the challenges of a highly decentralized IT function, starting with the successful centralization of the email system, and reflects on the lessons learned in serving a diverse set of constituents. Tom also discusses the significant impact generative AI has had on education and why he believes the future lies in embracing this technology and integrating it into the curriculum with appropriate tools to detect plagiarism and enhance the education process. Drawing from his extensive experience as a technology executive in the corporate world, he reflects on the unique challenges faced when transitioning into higher education, the higher levels of collaboration among peer CIOs at other universities, and the influences these experiences have had on his perspective of a career in IT.

881: Fame is often perceived as a pathway to wealth, popularity, and happiness, but its reality is more nuanced than commonly thought. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High hosts Harvard Professor and author Cass Sunstein to discuss his latest book, 'How to Become Famous: Lost Einsteins, Forgotten Superstars, and How the Beatles Came to Be.' Throughout their conversation, Cass explores his method of selecting long-term projects and the creative journey of developing ideas with modest claims to originality into compelling books. He shares insights from his research, including stories of the Beatles' rise to fame, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé as contemporary examples of fame's mechanisms, and the lessons from unrecognized talent. Cass also reflects on The Music Lab Experiment, his tenure at the University of Chicago, and his broader career.

880: Few industries are as knowledge-centric as pharma and healthcare, where groundbreaking innovations can positively impact lives and potentially eradicate diseases. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a discussion from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, where AstraZeneca CDO/CIO Cindy Hoots, Bristol Myers Squibb CDTO Greg Meyers, and Eli Lilly CIDO Diogo Rau explore the profound impact of artificial intelligence on talent management, research and development, and operational efficiencies within the pharma industry. These executives delve into the innovative applications of AI, from improving clinical trials and document generation to enhancing internal workflows and customer service. Discover how these AI pioneers are laying the foundation for a future where AI and human ingenuity drive unprecedented advancements in medicine and patient care.

879: AI can serve as a great enabler of customer experiences and breakthrough innovations, but a lack of preparation and organizational readiness often limits how quickly companies can adopt and leverage AI tools. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Praveen Jonnala, CIO of CommScope, and Tim Dickson, CDIO of Regal Rexnord, speak with Metis Strategy Partner and Central Office Lead Mike Bertha about how organizations can prepare to leverage AI effectively. The panel explores strategies like the 80/20 principle of organizational readiness at CommScope, the creation and implementation of AI playbooks, and the importance of data quality. Learn about practical approaches to upskilling internal teams, leveraging external partners, and focusing on business-driven AI initiatives. 

878: Centuries-old industries like the legal profession and home-building are typically slower to adopt the latest advancements in technology, but even these industries today are taking advantage of the benefits provided by new artificial intelligence tools. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Greg Moore, Chief Information Officer at KB Home, and Michael Lucas, Chief Information Officer at Wilson Sonsini discuss the topic of driving digital innovation ahead of disruption with Metis Strategy Partner and West Coast Lead Chris Davis. Greg shares insights into how KB Home uses technology to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations, while Michael explains Wilson Sonsini's use of AI-driven legal tools to improve service delivery. Both leaders highlight the importance of fostering a culture of continuous learning and adapting to new technologies.

877: Kellogg’s has become a household name in cereals and snack foods. When the company spun off its snack food business as Kellanova in 2023, extensive IT efforts were made to preserve the company's culture and brand identity. In this episode of Technovation, Lesley Salmon, SVP and Chief Digital and Information Officer of Kellanova, joins Peter High to share insights from her 11-year tenure, detail the challenges and innovations involved in the spin-off of Kellanova from Kellogg's, and provide a deeper look at the strategic priorities of the new company. She emphasizes the importance of a unified IT team, leveraging cloud strategy for seamless transitions, the creation of dual IT functions, and the integration of AI and machine learning to drive business value. Lesley also discusses fostering a culture of curiosity and innovation, balancing risk with compliance, and maintaining strong global collaboration despite geographical boundaries. She also talks about the unique talent development program YODA that drives this culture of curiosity and how it embraces new ways of working in a global setting. Finally, Lesley looks ahead at the future trends in digital twins and reflects on the keys to her career success.

876: Despite extensive regulations and public health efforts, 1 billion people still smoke today, prompting companies like Philip Morris International (PMI) to develop better alternatives to continued smoking. In this episode of Technovation, Michael Voegele, the Chief Digital and Information Officer of PMI, joins Peter High to discuss the company’s ambitious journey towards creating a smoke-free future and the innovative role of AI and data in this endeavor. Michael talks about PMI's transformation from a traditional tobacco company to a leader in smoke-free products, driven by significant technological and digital innovations. He shares insights into the role of technology in evolving business models, the importance of data governance in leveraging AI tools, and the people-first approach to fostering a fast-learning organizational culture. Michael also reflects on lessons from his previous experience as Group CIO of Adidas, offers advice on career growth in tech leadership, and looks ahead at trends in AR, VR, and generative AI.

875: Buying a car is often a significant decision for many households, and a process filled with friction only adds to the stress of the customer experience. In this episode of Technovation, Jim Lyski, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at CarMax, joins Peter High to discuss the innovations he is driving to enhance customer experience, address information imbalances in the used car industry, and revolutionize the vehicle purchase process. Jim explores the history of CarMax, his role in shaping the company's direction, and the collaborative culture he fosters within his team. He explains how the company improves customer experiences through its transparent no-haggle pricing model, personalized vehicle recommendations, and virtual showrooms. Jim also emphasizes the importance of responsible AI, detailing the development of an AI Center of Excellence and the necessity of providing accurate data. Finally, Jim discusses the positive impact of a good associate experience on customer satisfaction, looks ahead at future trends in generative AI, and reflects on the keys to his career success.

874: In the realm of payments, integrating an AI assistant can significantly streamline operations and ease the burden on support teams handling common customer inquiries. In this installment of Technovation, Shannon Johnston, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Global Payments, explores the company's focus on enhancing internal capabilities and automating processes. Specifically, she delves into the utilization of chatbots for customer service and co-pilots for development teams. Shannon highlights the benefits of these technologies in boosting performance and improving both customer and employee experiences. Additionally, she outlines the implementation of GenAI tools within her organization, stressing the importance of security and privacy. Looking ahead, Shannon discusses the ongoing evolution and refinement of these initiatives while reflecting on the key factors driving her career success.

873: As demographics shift and alter people's news and media consumption habits, companies such as the Washington Post are implementing significant changes in how they engage with their readers, adopting new technologies internally to stay abreast of new trends. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High is joined in conversation by Vineet Khosla, CTO of The Washington Post, and they explore the transformative changes in technology and innovation at this iconic news organization. Vineet shares insights into his role, the integration of AI throughout the company, and the omnichannel approach to delivering news. Vineet also discusses how his team leverages data, analytics, and AI to enhance the reader experience and adapt to the changing media landscape. He also details his journey from roles at Uber and Apple to leading The Post's tech team, his views on the future of news, and the exciting potential of quantum computing.

872: Deploying AI or any new technology across an enterprise can quickly become time-consuming and expensive if not approached with a plan in mind. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Deepika Rayala, the Chief Digital and Information Officer at Cornerstone OnDemand, and speaks with her about her ‘frugal IT’ approach and how she thinks about AI deployment at the company. Deepika shares insights into her role, focusing on IT operations, data, corporate security, and the implementation of Generative AI. She highlights key initiatives like the North Star program, which integrated multiple acquisitions through advanced IT infrastructure, and the AI innovation her team has deployed to enhance productivity across the company. Additionally, she covers the digital academy that she has helped develop to upskill and train employees on skills for the future. Deepika also touches on the future of hybrid work, the impact of generative AI and quantum computing, and her personal leadership philosophy characterized by authenticity, empathy, situational leadership, and resilience.

871: In the age of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity has become of utmost importance to protect private information and customer data. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Gafnit Amiga, leader of the security research group at Outshift by Cisco, where they delve into the evolving landscape of cloud and artificial intelligence security. Gafnit, having a substantial background in application and cloud security, shares her journey from Lightspin to Cisco, highlighting her team's focus on identifying and mitigating potential security vulnerabilities in cloud services, Kubernetes, software supply chains, and AI. She shares insights on the unique challenges AI presents to security, the importance of observability, and the continuous game of staying ahead of threats. Gafnit also discusses the diversity and approach of her research team in tackling security challenges, reflecting on the transition from a startup to being part of Cisco, and offers advice to CIOs and CISOs on safeguarding against emerging security threats.

870: Innovation is key to becoming a nimble enterprise, and an important way to foster a culture of innovation is to ensure employees have the ability and the forum to share their ideas. In this episode of Technovation, Brett Lansing, Chief Information Officer of AccentCare, shares his insight into how technology, particularly innovations like generative AI, plays a crucial role in enhancing patient services and alleviating the administrative burden on clinicians, and the process behind driving that innovation at the company. He discusses the importance of aligning technology with business strategy, challenging the status quo, and fostering a culture of innovation and employee satisfaction. Brett dives into the Quarterly Ideas Forum he has developed to amplify voices across AccentCare and ensure the company isn't resting on its laurels. Brett also highlights the significance of cybersecurity in healthcare and shares his experiences and benefits of working in a private equity-owned company. Finally, Brett concludes with the keys to his success and recounts the career development philosophies passed down to him, offering valuable guidance for increasing marketability and succeeding in leadership roles.

869: The new digital tools available to logistics providers have allowed these companies to reimagine what the network of the future looks like. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Bala Subramanian, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at UPS, about how they are using these new tools to become a ‘logistics orchestrator’. They discuss UPS's role in global logistics and its digital transformation efforts aimed at enhancing customer and employee experiences, and improving organizational agility. Bala shares insights into his background, including his stint as Chief Digital Officer at AT&T, and delves into UPS's initiatives like creating a digital twin of the network, expanding the use of RFID for package tracking, and developing UPS's DeliveryDefense to protect against fraud. Additionally, Bala and Peter cover the importance of digital and data fluency, the concept of logistics as a service, and the vision for a network of the future that mimics an IP network's flexibility. Bala also reflects on the cultural and leadership aspects key to successful digital transformation and other lessons he has learned across his career.

868: As data becomes increasingly valuable, technology executives have the important task of ensuring the company’s data infrastructure allows for efficiency and scalability. In this episode of Technovation, James Rhodes, President of Morningstar Data Research and Enterprise Solutions and the company’s Chief Technology Officer, joins Peter High in a discussion about modernizing the company’s enterprise architecture and enhancing the client experience with improved personalization. James elaborates on the three hats he wears in his current role at the company and the approach he is taking to modernize legacy systems for scalability and efficiency. He shares insights on driving customer personalization at scale, leveraging AI for better financial advice, and establishing a Responsible AI Council to ensure the company retains its transparency and client trust. James also describes the evolution of their AI-driven digital assistant 'Mo' and how it will augment, but not replace, the financial advisor. Finally, James shares the technology trends on his radar including digital avatars for enhancing customer engagement and the advancement of cybersecurity measures, and the keys to success that he’s learned across his career.

867: In a global organization, an enterprise architecture that links technology to its everyday users enables IT to better identify and deliver value-added opportunities. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Jonathan Webster, the senior managing director and chief operating officer of CPP Investments. Jon discusses his career journey, his experience at Boston Consulting Group and Lloyds Banking Group, and the transition from the CIO role into the COO role. Jon talks about the strategic importance of technology and data in driving investment strategies, the shift towards a product-based technology delivery model, the implementation of a modular architecture, and the potential of generative AI to revolutionize workflows. Jon emphasizes the significance of being software-defined for security, integrating user-centric design, and the necessity of fostering a culture of curiosity, dissatisfaction with the status quo, and thorough understanding within his team. Finally, Jon reflects on the kets to his career success and looks ahead at the trends in generative AI and other technologies.

866: The role of IT within companies is constantly evolving, driven forward by tech sector companies as they propel it into the future. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Intel’s CIO, Motti Finkelstein, about the future of IT and his strategies for preparing the IT organization within Intel to lead this industry-wide evolution. Having transitioned into his role roughly six months ago from serving as the company’s Digital Transformation Officer, Motti elaborates on the various organizations within the broader Intel Corporation and outlines his current focal points, including cloud computing, data center innovations, the Internet of Things, and PC solutions. He shares insights into Intel's distinctive position as both a product designer and manufacturer and delves into the complexities of his role as a tech-sector CIO. With the recent release of Intel’s IT Annual Report titled 'The Next Evolution of IT,' Motti highlights key points from the report, such as the significant role artificial intelligence plays in improving the company’s operational efficiency and the emphasis placed on enhancing the customer experience. The conversation also encompasses Intel’s strides in integrating sustainability into its product design and how sustainability is emerging as a critical focus for IT leaders across sectors. Finally, Motti reflects on his career journey, his motivations for joining Intel at a pivotal moment in its history, and the noteworthy trend of integrating security into software products.

865: CEOs of major companies serve as both the public face of the organization and pivotal leaders responsible for shaping its strategy and upholding internal values through their actions. In this episode of Technovation, Jim Kavanaugh, co-founder and CEO of World Wide Technology, joins Peter High in a conversation regarding his 34-year leadership tenure at the company and the career path that culminated in his current position. Jim shares his early career journey, playing professional soccer and representing the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and what led him to pivot into technology and co-found WWT in 1990. He reflects on the transition from athlete to entrepreneur, the influence of his upbringing, and the foundational values that have guided his leadership and WWT's culture. Jim also gives his assessment of the evolution of technology since starting WWT, the strategic pivots the company has made to stay ahead in the industry, and the importance of culture, teamwork, and continuous learning in driving success. Given the rise and current significance of generative AI as a transformative technology, Jim talks about the role this technology plays at the company and how WWT's Advanced Technology Center explores future tech advancements. Finally, he recounts the lessons he has learned from his remarkable career and offers valuable advice for individuals seeking to level up their leadership within their organizations.

864: In many cases, companies develop systems with a primary focus on efficiency and begin to address their impacts on the customer late in the process. At BJ’s Wholesale Club, CIO Anjana Harve looks to flip this around with the customer experience in mind at the beginning and end of the process. In this episode of Technovation, Anjana joins Peter in a discussion on improving the digital customer experience at BJ’s Wholesale, optimizing revenue, and boosting efficiency. With extensive experience as a CIO in the healthcare industry, Anjana brings a unique perspective to the retail sector, focusing on customer centricity and the application of technology to serve and improve the member experience at BJ’s. She delves into her strategy for a member-centric architecture that provides a 360-degree view of the customer and fosters hyper-personalization at scale. Finally, Anjana shares her perspective on how companies can uplift and support women in tech, the trends and intersections in technology she keeps her eye on, and the secrets to her continued career success.

863: In the Digital Age, customers rarely distinguish between digital and physical when evaluating the experiences provided by companies. In this episode of Technovation, Tilak Mandadi, Executive Vice President of Ventures and Chief Digital, Data, Analytics, and Technology Officer at CVS Health, joins Peter High in a discussion about how he is driving a consistent and accurate omnichannel experience for customers. Tilak discusses the evolution and current scope of CVS Health, detailing the company’s extensive reach and current integration of physical and digital healthcare services. He reflects on his career journey from MGM Resorts International and Disney to CVS Health and how his prior experiences have informed his view on digital innovation, customer-centricity, and healthcare accessibility. Tilak talks about leading CVS Health Ventures and the organization’s role in fostering innovation and investments in healthcare technology, keeping CVS Health abreast of industry trends, and providing critical assistance to startups through the company’s scale and expertise. Finally, Tilak explains why a one-company mentality is essential for creating better customer experiences, looks ahead at broader technology trends in AI and digital accessibility, and speaks about the personal principles that have guided his career success.

862: Tomorrow's banking will be unrecognizable to past generations, driven by rapid technological and digital advances in the financial services industry. In this episode of Technovation, Ather Williams III, the Senior EVP and Head of Strategy, Digital, Innovation & Enterprise Payments at Wells Fargo, returns to the broadcast to discuss the progress being made towards providing a comprehensive digital customer experience and the exciting innovations he is driving which leverage the latest tools in artificial intelligence (AI). Ather shares the recent expansion of his role to include the head of enterprise payments and the organizational rationale behind it. He delves into the strategic focus on delivering seamless digital experiences through new digital platforms highlighting initiatives such as the development of Vantage, the bank's new digital banking platform; the adoption of Fargo, the digital assistant powered by AI; and the deployment of LifeSync, the digital financial advice and planning tool. The conversation also covers Ather’s three major predictions for the future of banking, the company’s strategic approach to digital transformation, and the anticipation of significant generational wealth transfers. Finally, Ather shares insights into his career success, emphasizing the importance of being data-driven, staying customer-focused, and fostering a curious mentality.

861: Kara Swisher has established herself as one of the tech world’s most influential, recognizable, and ‘feared-but-revered’ journalists. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Kara about her remarkable career journey and highlights from her recent book “Burn Book”. Kara reflects on the events from her early life that instilled a sense of resilience and toughness and the impacts they had on her career success. She touches on her military ambitions, the early realization of the limitations imposed on her by her sexual orientation, and how that inspired her to instead pursue journalism. Kara then shares her experiences from her decorated career as a tech journalist interviewing tech giants, developing a critical view of Silicon Valley's leadership, and learning the role of technology, media, and government regulation in society. Throughout the conversation, Kara sheds light on the impact of technology on societal progression and the continual need for innovation in media.

860: Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a larger role than ever in every aspect of our lives. From businesses to academia, technology leaders must not only learn how to wield these tools but also how to collaborate with them. In this episode of Technovation, Ethan Mollick, Associate Professor of Management at The Wharton School, discusses insights from his latest book “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI” and focuses the conversation around the dynamic interplay between humans and artificial intelligence. Ethan begins by reflecting on his early entrepreneurship journey during the internet boom and his eventual pivot into academia pioneering educational methods using AI and simulations at Wharton Interactive. He shares his research on the implications of AI on work and creativity, demystifies common myths around entrepreneurship, and provides a glimpse into an AI-driven future of entrepreneurship. Furthermore, Ethan delves into the ‘Four Rules of Co-Intelligence' explained in his book, talks through the variety of roles that AI can play ranging from a co-founder to a tutor, and emphasizes the importance of a proactive and experiential approach to integrating AI into educational and professional environments citing its potential challenges and opportunities.

859: As the digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, executives are quick to understand that doing the same thing they did before isn't going to get them where they need to go in the future. In a panel from our February 2024 Metis Strategy Symposium, Sunbelt Rentals CDTO JP Saini and Grainger CTO Jonny LeRoy join Metis Strategy Co-Head of Research, Media, and Executive Networks Steven Norton in a discussion about digital as an enabler of scale and how these executives are evolving their organizations’ business practices through the integration of technology and people to achieve growth and efficiency. JP and Jonny share insights on their companies' journeys toward digital transformation, focusing on scaling operations, enhancing customer experiences, and improving predictive maintenance and service quality. These executives also cover the significance of culture, value alignment, and leadership in driving innovation and operational change. The discussion also covers the role of AI in enhancing productivity and decision-making highlighting the practical applications both JP and Jonny have identified and the challenges they’ve encountered in managing the costs of emerging technology. Finally, both technology leaders conclude with strategies they’ve implemented within their organizations for maintaining a forward-looking mindset and inspiring teams to navigate the dynamic landscape of technology and business.

858: The world of travel today is defined by digital experiences and powered by technology. At Marriott, CTO Naveen Manga is leading a digital transformation across the company’s 30 brands to bring guests the digital experiences they desire and transform the hospitality industry as a whole. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Naveen about technology transformation and Marriott’s new tech-enabled headquarters, which serves as a symbol of how the company has embraced technology in its corporate strategy. Naveen provides insight into the new technology capabilities his team has delivered, including a revolutionary composable architecture, and a range of other initiatives. Finally, Naveen looks ahead at trends in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies and shares how he has fostered a culture of innovation in his team to be able to act upon these trends quickly.

857: In the last decade, companies across a variety of industries have experienced the ascent of the as-a-service model. At Nile Secure, Co-Founder and CEO Pankaj Patel has pioneered the category of network-as-a-service featuring built-in security, automation, and continuous monitoring for maximum performance. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Pankaj about this category of network-as-a-service and the broader mission of Nile. Pankaj reflects on his early career at Cisco, the challenges he saw in the IT landscape, and how the partnership with Cisco’s former CEO John Chambers led to the eventual establishment of Nile Secure. He also details the market transitions that influenced the company’s founding, the impact of AI and automation in network engineering, and what the future ahead looks like for the industry. Finally, Pankaj looks back on starting a company as a grandfather, balancing family life with work, and the secrets to his career success including early customer interaction and emphasis on team building.

856: With a wide range of levers at their disposal, technology and operational executives are strategically positioned to be masters of speed within their respective organizations. In this episode, we feature a panel from our February 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Jen Felch, Chief Digital Officer and Chief Information Officer of Dell, and Mojgan Lefebvre, Chief Technology and Operations Officer of Travelers speak with Peter High about how they drive speed and agility at their companies. Both executives discuss cultivating a culture of speed and innovation on their team, leading the change management associated with the mindset shift toward agility, and the methods they use to accelerate and automate processes within the organization. Jen and Mojgan also dive deeper into the types of technology they are using today and the emerging technologies like advancements in artificial intelligence that are on their radar for the future.

855: As digital capabilities become more important to competitive positioning, companies have begun to rethink the composition of their digital and IT workforces. In a panel from our February 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Brink’s Global CIO Neelu Sethi and Zurich North America COO Barry Perkins join Metis Strategy Partner and Central Office Lead Michael Bertha in a conversation about optimizing workforce composition for digital maturity. Tune in to the discussion to hear these executives speak about shifting workforce compositions within their organizations, focusing on storytelling when driving the mindset shift, and the cultural implications of the new composition.

854: The pandemic has caused executives from across industries to think through how to best prepare their organizations for times of uncertainty and develop a digital strategy that fosters resilience. In a panel discussion moderated by Metis Strategy Partner and West Coast Lead Chris Davis, Shobie Ramakrishnan, CDTO of GSK, and Diego Silva, CIO of Gates Corporation, discuss building resilience through technology amid disruption. Shobie, hailing from a long-standing science and pharmaceutical company, emphasizes the importance of innovation and the dual approach of playing offense and defense in digital and technological implementations to impact global health positively. Diego shares insights from Gates Corporation's manufacturing and materials science advancements, highlighting how investing during downturns can prepare a company for future success. Both executives explore the significance of cybersecurity, AI responsibility, and supply chain management in maintaining a resilient organization and underscore the need to balance investment in innovation with risk management to navigate uncertain times effectively.

854: Advancing and maintaining digital capabilities can be a tall task especially if for organizations that are not digitally native, or those that have been in existence and operating before the onset of the Digital Age. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our February 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium with FM Global Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer Srini Krishnamurthy and Northrop Grumman Chief Information Officer John Russell speaking on the topic of advancing digital capabilities in non-digital-native organizations. Both executives discuss their digital strategies, automating processes within their organizations, and the role technology overall plays in the broader corporate strategy. Additionally, these executives share their forward-looking perspectives on the advancement of artificial intelligence, the opportunities it will present, and the challenges that will be faced.

852: Technology executives within an organization are no longer solely regarded as a support function having had their responsibilities grow into key business decision-makers with a seat at the table. According to Total Quality Logistics (TQL) CIO Ryan Kean, tech execs are “business leaders first and technology leaders second.” In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Ryan about the massive growth TQL has experienced over the past few years and the elements of his strategy that have helped facilitate that growth. Ryan discusses the broader modernization of the logistics industry, the focus he has placed on people and talent development, and the importance of having a sound data strategy. He also shares the work being done to improve the business user experience for the clients TQL serves, the company’s shift toward a product-oriented approach, and the interplay between automation and process innovation at the company. Ryan dives deeper into the Hackathons TQL hosts to bring about innovative ideas within the company, the advancements in AI that have come from those events, and the emphasis placed on celebrating the successes of talent within the company. Finally, Ryan looks ahead at the broader impacts of trends in emerging technologies and reflects on the keys to his career success.

851: Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, companies operating within the biopharmaceutical space are seeing an increased need to stay ahead of technology trends and keep pace with the speed at which digital technology is evolving. At Danaher, the leading producer of technology and services for biopharma companies, CTO James Ross is leading a digital transformation that sets the foundation for future agility and “innovation at the speed of life.” In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with James about the company’s transformation, the strategic areas of focus for his team, and how he is shifting away from the legacy OpCo model towards an IT-centric model. James also discusses the importance of Danaher’s Data and Analytics Strategy, their exploration of AI tools, and other areas of innovation. Finally, James looks ahead at the trends in technology, reaffirms the growing popularization of the metaverse, and reflects on the keys to success from his career journey.

850: With patient care being the top priority for healthcare providers, offering digital experiences for clients and associates and integrating technology into every aspect of operations is crucial in staying ahead of the competition. In this episode of Technovation, Jane Moran, the Chief Information and Digital Officer at Mass General Brigham, discusses the impact of integrating technology in healthcare. Jane shares her experiences transitioning into the non-profit healthcare sector, the strategic unification of technological operations within Mass General Brigham, and the emphasis on improving patient care through digital innovation. She notes the catalytic effect the pandemic had on digital innovation across industries, explains the advancements that her team has made in identifying use cases for AI tools, and provides a deeper look at the newly founded digital research operations team at the company. Jane also delves into her passion for fostering greater health equity and championing diversity. Finally, she shares her insights on the technology trends that are on her radar and reflects on the keys to her career success.

849: In a world of work defined by remote employees, management skills are crucial for executives to retain talent, develop culture, and achieve success. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews David Dodson, a seasoned entrepreneur, author, and academic at Stanford Graduate School of Business, to discuss Dodson's career journey, from his initial foray into investment vehicles called search funds to his ongoing involvement in over 40 businesses. Dodson highlights the importance of entrepreneurship through acquisition and shares the strategy behind the notable success of companies like Apple and Amazon. He also offers in-depth insight on critical skills for a leader gleaned from his book 'The Manager's Handbook: Five Simple Steps to Build a Team, Stay Focused, Make Better Decisions, and Crush Your Competition'. These skills include building teams, managing time, using advisors, sticking to priorities, and obsessing over quality. With real-world examples, Dodson highlights how these skills contribute to successful execution and, ultimately, business success.

848: The experience a company delivers to its customers is critical to its success, making it the number one priority for many technology and digital leaders. As such, a paradigm shift is beginning to emerge transitioning from being product-oriented to being experience-oriented. In this episode of Technovation, Ally’s President of Consumer & Commercial Banking Diane Morais and Chief Information, Data, & Digital Officer Sathish Muthukrishnan jointly discuss the digital financial institution’s journey and its focus on being experience-oriented. Throughout the conversation, both executives expand on the company’s digital capabilities they’ve developed and explain how the Ally Technology Operating Model (ATOM) was the answer to creating a better banking experience. Similarly, both Sathish and Diane share details around the One Ally initiative which aims to bring the company’s multiple customer experiences to a single platform powered by data and artificial intelligence. Finally, both executives reflect on the opportunities that have come from challenging times, the innovation process they’ve developed, and the culture of collaboration they’ve fostered to drive forward this experience-oriented mindset.

847: The digital experiences for both customers and employees are experiencing an overhaul thanks to new artificial intelligence tools at executives’ disposal. But what value do these tools provide? In this episode of Technovation, Munir Hafez, CIO of TransUnion, discusses the role that AI is playing at the company and how it is improving the digital experiences the company provides. He explains how he leverages AI tools in business operations, developer workflows, and the overall employee experience. Munir also talks about how he integrates security into the innovation process and how he manages the multitude of integrations coming from the company’s M&A activities. Finally, Munir looks ahead at the trends in technology that he is keeping an eye on and reflects on the keys to his career success.

846: Enterprises are rapidly accelerating their artificial intelligence strategies as new tools emerge, and the executives at these companies are constantly looking for ways AI can solve big problems that have plagued them for decades. Seeing this niche as an opportunity, Gustavo Sapoznik, the founder and CEO of ASAPP, has led the company toward building products that leverage AI/ML tools to solve the world's most difficult problems. In this interview, Gustavo sits down with Peter High to describe the journey he went through starting up ASAPP, the value it provides companies, and what inspired him to start down the path of entrepreneurship. Throughout his career, Gustavo has gathered many unique insights on the evolution and potential of artificial intelligence and shares some of what he has learned throughout the conversation. More broadly, Gustavo discusses his personal entrepreneurship journey and his advice for those looking to follow in his footsteps.

845: As with most industries, artificial intelligence has had an immeasurable impact on the entrepreneurial journey and the types of offerings being provided to enterprises from start-ups. In this episode of Technovation, Samsara co-founders Sanjit Biswas and John Bicket join Peter High in a conversation about the genesis story behind the company, its rationale for selling into physical operations, and how artificial intelligence is changing the start-up landscape. Both executives explain the role of AI at the company, the convergence of IT and OT within the industrial sector, and how they came to focus on the industrial sector when starting Samsara. They share how they overcame the learning curve associated with operating in an unfamiliar industry, the evolution of generative AI applications within the industrial sector, and how they’ve built their team with the right skills in technology. Finally, they share their lessons from scaling the business to become a publicly traded company, the trends in technology that are on their radar for the future, and the learnings they’ve taken away from their entrepreneurial journey.

844: The railway industry has gone through a number of technological transformations since its inception, and is again transforming to take full advantage of the latest tools available to rail companies. In this episode of Technovation, Judith Apshago, CDO at Amtrak, joins Peter High in a discussion about her team’s efforts in modernizing the company’s legacy systems. Judith explains the method of bringing mobile technology to employees as a way of improving efficiency and productivity as well as implementing sensors and AI tools into newly manufactured fleets in order to ensure safety and security. She also talks about her focus on sustainability and reducing emissions over the next few years. Finally, Judith reflects on her career journey and provides advice for executives looking to grow into a similar role as hers.

843: The introduction of DevOps and Agile practices revolutionized organizational management, but while these practices helped organizations tackle once-daunting challenges, other problems still remained. In order to help these companies develop better mechanisms for problem-solving and create high-performance teams, award-winning CTO Gene Kim along with his co-author Dr. Steven J. Spear wrote Wiring the Winning Organization with a groundbreaking new theory of organizational management. In this episode, Gene joins Peter in a conversation about this theory and how organizations can win by using three key approaches: slowification, simplification, and amplification. Throughout the conversation, Gene explains each of these three approaches, describes in detail the research he conducted on their benefits, and exemplifies what a successful adoption of that approach looks like. Finally, Gene shares his broader perspective on the evolution of IT, leadership, and organizational management.

842: Software development, like the tech landscape as a whole, is constantly evolving, and the pace of change is faster than ever. Now, with the advent of generative AI and ChatGPT, a significant paradigm shift is occurring. Varun Mohan, co-founder and CEO of the code acceleration toolkit Codeium, joins Peter High on the broadcast to explain this shift and how generative AI is being leveraged to accelerate coding and the software development lifecycle. Varun shares the genesis story of Codeium, the benefit his infrastructure background had on building the company, and the trends he noticed signaling the impact of artificial intelligence on software development. He shares the future ahead for generative AI as a whole, the value proposition that Codeium’s generative AI toolkit offers its customers and the best practices that executives should follow when partnering with generative AI vendors. Finally, Varun talks about how Codeium competes with larger-scale organizations, the company's plans with its new Series B investment, and the lessons he learned from his career.

841: The product development lifecycle includes a list of many disparate stakeholders that if not aligned properly, can result in disagreements, delays, and potential negative financial impacts. At Northrop Grumman, CIO John Russell has developed a “digital thread” that brings every stakeholder together to align the team before the product hits production. In this interview, John discusses the concept behind the “digital thread” and other methods he has adopted to create a more efficient enterprise. He explains the sanctity of data in a highly sensitive industry, the advantages of implementing automation across the organization, the implications of AI on talent development, and the critical process of including cybersecurity early in the product development process. Finally, John looks ahead at trends in AI and remote collaboration and reflects on the key elements of his career ascension.

840: Adopting a customer-focused culture requires the implementation of internal processes that allow the organization to quickly deliver improvements to the client experience. In this interview, Michael Hicks, CIO at Jackson, shares how he has fostered a customer-oriented culture by understanding the customer journey and setting up an agile architecture with the customer at the center. Michael underlines Jackson's commitment to customer service and a strong technology strategy that includes data, AI, portfolio management, and more. He speaks about the rationale behind centralizing IT across the organization, separating the CIO and CTO responsibilities, and adopting agile practices on his team. Given his diverse set of leadership experiences, Michael shares how his non-IT background prepared him for the CIO role and what lessons he has brought to his current role. Finally, Michael looks ahead at trends in APIs, AI, and digital experiences that continue to shape the financial industry.

839: The healthcare industry is constantly evolving and finding uses for new and emerging technologies. Zeeshan Tariq, CIO at Zimmer Biomet, shares his experience exploring the use cases of AI in this latest episode and explains his metrics-based approach to driving that transformation internally. Zeeshan describes the company’s transition from purely medical devices to a full healthcare solutions provider and what new operating models came along with that transition. He details the company’s adoption of KPIs for every facet of performance and why it has led to immense success in benchmarking over the last few years. Zeeshan also discusses the value of artificial intelligence, the advantages of collaborating with strategic partners, and the challenges of collaborating with a global team. Finally, Zeeshan looks ahead at the trends in emerging technologies that are on his radar and the advice he has for those early in their careers.

838: There’s no shame in being called a “geek”. In fact, according to Andrew McAfee, it’s actually a compliment. In this episode, Andrew, co-founder of MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy, shares insight into the research he’s conducted while writing his latest book “The Geek Way”. He explains the ‘Four Norms’ of geeks; science, ownership, speed, & openness; and how companies can foster and navigate a culture that follows ‘the geek way’. Andrew discusses what it means to adopt Agile, how to leverage Agile practices to accelerate the pace of innovation, and why companies often get trapped in planning-heavy processes. Finally, Andrew looks back on his career and the learnings he has drawn from his writing process.

The media and publishing industry has undergone a massive evolution over the years as more and more readers prefer a digital experience. To talk about this shift in customer expectations towards digital, Sanjay Bhakta, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Condé Nast, joins Peter High on the broadcast and speaks about the company’s digital-first strategy. He begins with an overview of his role that combines product and technology and explains the rationale behind having a single executive focused on both. He shares his insights on centralizing the IT function across his global team, building offshore capabilities like the Condé Nast Technology Lab in India, and his transition from traditional IT to broader engineering responsibilities. Finally, Sanjay talks about the trends on his radar for the coming years, the ethics behind generative AI in media, and his reflections from across his career.

836: The world of technology is increasingly becoming more and more connected offering valuable data to enterprises offering such products. At Textron, this data provides critical insight into product usage and allows the company to offer true value-added services to its customers. On this episode of Technovation, Global CIO Todd Kackley explains how he has built a better-connected business and aligned the IT function that reports to him. He discusses the collaboration between the Divisional CIOs, ascending to the Global CIO post, and the North Star Strategy he follows to foster this alignment. Todd also talks about the technology he uses including the adoption of generative AI tools, the advantages of digital twins, and the necessity of connected products. Finally, Todd covers his talent strategy, succession planning, and the trends in technology that are on his radar for the future.

835: No matter what the latest technology is that’s available to IT organizations, the need for talent and a seamless digital employee experience is a constant for organizations to compete in the digital age. This episode of Technovation features a panel from our December 2023 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Munir Hafez, CIO of TransUnion, and Muru Murugappan, CIO of BNSF Railway, spoke with Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton on optimizing the digital employee experience. Muru shares insights from the company’s digital transformation and how it has impacted the employee experience, speaks to the impact AI has had on improving safety for employees, and explains how AI tools have increased internal productivity for the organization. Munir makes the case for the digital experience citing the importance of that experience being “human-centric” and details the way he has optimized the developer experience balancing efficiency with security. Finally, both panelists provide their strongest piece of advice for other executives looking to drive a digital employee experience transformation at their enterprise.

834: The introduction of ChatGPT and generative AI this past year has pivoted the conversation around AI in terms of how this new technology fits into a company’s broader transformation strategy. In a panel from our December 2023 Metis Strategy Symposium, Vishal Gupta, CITO of Lexmark, and Sumedh Mehta, CIO of Putnam Investments, join Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton in a conversation about driving an enterprise AI mindset and the implications the new technology has across the business. Vishal adds color to his role and team structure at Lexmark, the value he aims to deliver with new AI capabilities, and the importance that trust holds when driving a mindset shift. Sumedh expands on this with details on how he breaks down the silos present between teams at Putnam, collaborates with strategic partners to deliver AI capabilities, and brings talent into the organization to realize a successful AI strategy.

833: The advent of artificial intelligence comes with a host of new cybersecurity risks that technology and business leaders alike must consider when adopting these tools. In a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Peter High spoke with Martin Stanley, Chief of the Strategic Technology Branch at the US Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to discuss the ways executives can prepare for these risks and the work he is doing to stay ahead of bad actors in the space. Martin explains the relationship between CISA and NIST and the basis behind their collaboration on the AI Risk Management Framework. Finally, Martin shares the advantages of collaboration with both private and public sector organizations on AI cybersecurity and what the path ahead looks like for cybersecurity innovation.

832: As AI tools become more prevalent across companies, executives are putting more emphasis on refining processes and implementing new technology to compete in a future defined by data. In a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Vish Narendra, CIO & SVP of Global Business Services at Graphic Packaging, and Filippo Catalano, CIDO at Reckitt, join Metis Strategy’s Alex Kraus on the virtual stage to discuss how they are leading the transformation in preparation for the data-driven future and the key ingredients necessary to ensure success. Throughout the discussion, both executives explain the importance of data hygiene and proper data governance as a part of a company’s data strategy and what it looks like to operationalize these new AI tools available to them. Vish and Filippo also touch on the impact AI will have on business including the value they hope to see from the use cases they’ve explored, the implications the technology will have on talent strategy, and generally what the art of the possible looks like. Finally, each panelist shares their perspective on the challenges they are facing when it comes to AI and their strategies for hedging their bets.

831: Once executives implement the much-talked-about AI and GenAI tools into their company’s operating models, the next step in their AI journey is scaling those tools. In a panel from our December Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Yasir Anwar, CTO/CDO of Williams-Sonoma, and Cisco Sanchez, CIO of Qualcomm, join Metis Strategy Partner and West Coast Lead Chris Davis in a discussion about how they’ve scaled their respective AI-first operating models and the impact they’ve seen on AI tools on their business. Yasir talks about beginning the journey with a moonshot idea and tracking the evolution of AI within the company’s operating model. Cisco shares details about Qualcomm’s Imagine platform used to explore the art of the possible with GenAI and the impact it has had on the overall AI journey. Finally, both executives discuss challenges, risks, and future ambitions when it comes to implementing AI into more of their business models.

830: A primary focus of the CIO is increasing the pace at which IT operates. To Marsh McLennan’s CIO Paul Beswick, a fundamental part of his role is what he describes as increasing the velocity of IT. In this interview, Paul shares the methods by which he accomplishes this which includes forging the right culture, creating central capabilities, and enabling efficiency. He also talks about exploring the art of the possible through innovation, organization, and driving business value. Specifically, Paul explains the inception of the company’s in-house generative AI tool “LenAI”, the process he went through to adopt GenAI internally, and how GenAI might impact IT more generally. Finally, Paul reflects on the keys to success across his unique career path, provides advice on ascending to leadership positions, and looks ahead at the trends that are on his radar for the future.

829: As a technology leader within a tech company, an important advantage is acting as the first customer of its products to test them before offering them to customers. Salesforce, often cited as the first SaaS company, is no different. In this conversation, Juan Perez, CIO of Salesforce, shares his thoughts on serving peer CIOs in his role at the company and discusses the key priorities that have remained constant throughout his career. He delves into Salesforce's mission in building technology to help customers succeed and highlights the potential applications of generative AI. In addition, he discusses the importance of maintaining technological modernity, cybersecurity, and people development. Juan also details his board responsibilities at The Hershey Company and shares valuable advice for aspiring board members. Finally, Juan reflects on his methods for championing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the firm, the critical leadership skills he learned at UPS, and the exciting trends in technology that have been on his roadmap for the future.

828: In order for the technology organization within an enterprise to function properly, there must be a deliberate focus on talent and collaboration. According to W.W. Grainger CTO Jonny LeRoy, “technology is a team sport.” In this interview, Jonny discusses how he fosters this collaboration within his technology team and how this focus on talent is a key part to the company’s overall strategy. Jonny explains the three major components of talent development, the approach he takes to in-person versus remote work environments, and what it means to make the workplace a magnet rather than a mandate. He also talks about the process of modernizing the nearly 100-year-old company, efforts to adopt automation, and the company’s overall data strategy inclusive of cybersecurity. Finally, Jonny looks ahead at the future of generative AI, identifies the methods of finding focus areas for customer interactions, and reflects on his unique career path into technology.

827: For the past three decades, WIRED co-founder Kevin Kelly has published multiple pieces of work ranging from tool reviews to long-form books. In his latest book, Excellent Advice for Living, Kevin takes his learnings from his life and shares the advice he wished he had learned when he was younger. In this interview, Kevin discusses some of these insights from his book including his recommendation of “being the only,” the concept of prototyping your life, and the importance of time and experiences. He discusses his source of ‘radical optimism’, the lesson that the best things happen slowly, and the ‘better delusion’ which he calls ‘pronoia’. Finally, Kevin turns the conversation towards his view of technology, specifically on the future of artificial intelligence, its impact on humans, and why it will become more of a partnership between AI and humans than a total replacement.

826: Companies often serve a variety of clients ranging from individual consumers to large-scale organizations. When delivering experiences for each of these clients, Jen Felch, CIO and CDO at Dell, believes they are one and the same. In this interview, Jen explains the interplay between these two types of experiences her team delivers and the customer-centric mindset she fosters at the company. She describes the benefits and challenges of being customer zero for the company’s products, the management of the organization’s modernization efforts, and what having a magnetic and transformative culture looks like. Similarly, Jen talks about the culture of risk-taking when it comes to innovation, her approach to generative AI and AI more generally, and the necessity of weaving together cybersecurity with these innovative technologies and methods of experimentation. Finally, Jen reflects on the keys to her success and looks ahead at the trends in technology that are on her radar.

825: Creating high-performing teams is increasingly important in a world defined by hybrid working environments. In this episode, Keith Ferrazzi, Chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight and bestselling author of Competing in the New World of Work, delves into the world of high-performing teams and the creation of a sense of bonding among team members. Keith explains his process of diagnosing team issues, emphasizing the importance of cross-divisional teamwork and a concept he coined as 'co-elevation.' In a profound meditation on evolving work culture, Peter and Keith discuss implementing methods that encourage mutual trust and promote psychological safety in the shifting landscape of hybrid work. They also shed light on re-engineering collaborations and emphasize making the best of face-to-face interactions. Keith also describes his perspective on the implications of generative AI and how to ‘future-proof’ oneself. Finally, Keith reminisces about his transformative journey from being a CMO to becoming a thought leader and shares insightful reflections on leading without authority, the significance of relationships, and the potential for creating high-performing teams in IT.

824: Behind every successful digital transformation is a well-defined mission that drives the enterprise toward a common goal. At Collins Aerospace, CIO Mona Bates leads her team with the company's mission in mind and ensures everyone feels that tie to the business and the customers they serve. In this interview, Mona talks about the strategy behind Collins' digital transformation, the four pillars that make up that strategy, and how the company's mission connects her globally distributed team. She emphasizes the importance of building digital literacy in talent beyond IT, defines the process of digitizing the product lifecycle, and explains her methods of collaborating with the other business units within the broader organization of RTX. Finally, Mona describes her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion; reflects on the keys to her career success; and looks ahead at the trends in technology and beyond.

823: The role of the technology executive has expanded beyond the help desk capacity and into being a partner to the business. In this episode, Subha Tatavarti, CTO of Wipro, joins us to speak about how she is planning for the future and growing the core capabilities of Wipro in her role at the company. Through a combination of creating compelling solutions, building the right infrastructure, and exploring the art of the possible, Subha aims to grow the company as well as improve its efficiency internally. She explains the organization of her team, the interplay with the company’s think tank Lab45, and the internal training and skill credentialing platform DICE ID. Subha also talks about engaging with technologist clients as a CTO, curating an ecosystem of partners, and experimenting with various use cases for generative AI. Finally, Subha shares the secrets to her career success and the advice she has for other aspiring technology executives.

822: The last decade is referred to as the Age of the Customer due to the digital capabilities that have unlocked the customer experience and increased personalization. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Fahim Siddiqui, CIO of the Home Depot, and Kristie Grinnell, CIO of DXC Technology, discuss the future of the digital customer experience with Metis Strategy Partner and East Coast Lead Alex Kraus. Throughout the session, these two executives share how technology has improved the value streams and end-to-end process behind the customer and employee experiences, how data has allowed them to measure the user experience and take corrective action, and how that same data is at the center of the relationship between the customer and the employee. Finally, these executives speak about the culture of learning they foster to stay ahead of trends, the office of AI that was set up to manage risk, and the role leadership plays in shepherding cultural change at the company.

821: The topic of generative AI needs no introduction, however, that doesn't mean that it is easy to move fast on the journey towards developing and scaling it within an organization. On a panel from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Salumeh Companieh, Chief Digital & Information Officer of Cushman & Wakefield, and Dak Liyanearachchi, Head of Data & Technology at NRG Energy, speak about their approaches to AI and how they prepared their organizations to leverage it effectively. Both executives share the challenges they face in educating their teams, tackling practical problems with AI adoption, and prioritizing the use cases to experiment. They also discuss how it is shaping their respective industries, the what opportunities it presents, and how they balance innovation and risk management.

820: Client-centricity is the key to delivering an excellent digital experience, and TIAA looks to take that a step further. In this episode, we’re joined by Jessica Austin Barker, Chief Digital and Client Experience Officer at TIAA where she explains how she is pivoting the culture of her team towards ‘customer obsession’ to deliver a ‘digital-first client experience’. Jessica shares her early career experience in customer experience and how it has informed her perspective in her current role. She talks about the art of designing products that simplify complexity for the customer, the critical role analytics plays in the client experience, and the future skills shaping talent development in Jessica's team. Jessica also describes the collaboration she engages in to leverage broader expertise, the metrics she uses to measure quantitative progress toward customer satisfaction, and the importance of retaining the empathy component to customer interactions. Finally, Jessica shares the trends she is seeing in customer experience and the key difference-makers she has noted across her career.

819: When the infamous motto “Move fast and break things” was informally embraced by Facebook years ago, it fueled the idea that there was a trade-off between the pace of transformation and building a great company. Bestselling authors Frances Frei and Anne Morriss assert otherwise. Join us in this episode of Technovation where the renowned authors and co-hosts of TED podcast ‘Fixable’ share valuable insights on leading change management with both speed and excellence from their latest book, "Move Fast & Fix Things: The Trusted Leaders Guide to Solving Hard Problems". Frances and Anne both draw from their expertise in leadership coaching and provide actionable strategies to build trust through authenticity, logic, and empathy; lead effective change management; and achieve excellence through radical prioritization. Tune in as we explore the importance of storytelling, the advantage of failures, and other key takeaways from their book.

818: Lakshman Nathan, CIO of Paramount, and Shubham Mehrish, Global VP of Mars, join Metis Strategy Co-Head of Research, Media, and Executive Networks Steven Norton on a panel at our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium to discuss the topic of talent strategy in the age of artificial intelligence. Both executives give their perspectives on the general evolution of the talent landscape, the impacts that AI is having on the skills they are hiring for, and use cases for generative AI on internal learning. Each shares his view on the financial component of talent and AI strategies, in-house solutions on cost control, and other opportunities and challenges that AI poses on a company’s talent management strategy.

817: Andrew Brock, President of Digital & Technology Services and Global CIO of Associa, joins the broadcast to speak about the future of real estate innovation and how he has paved the way for Associa to become a technology company at its core. Andrew shares his journey in the company, the unique approach Associa takes with its entrepreneurial culture and acquisition strategy, and the vision he brings to Associa’s digital transformation. He also explains his purview as President and CEO of HOAM Ventures, the team he has curated there, and how he manages his expansive responsibilities across these roles. Finally, Andrew shares the exciting trends in AI and data that are on his radar for the future and details the secrets to his career success.

816: Michael Lewis joins Peter High in a discussion about his latest book, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, and the insights he gleaned from his research into FTX and the disgraced founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. He shares how the topic stumbled into his lap, what interested him about the story, and why luck played a role in the story’s success. Michael Lewis pulls anecdotes from his book and talks about getting to know the crypto tycoon, learning about his upbringing, and understanding how the concept of ‘effective altruism’ set SBF on his eventual path. He talks about the unconventional business structure of FTX, the skepticism he has around cryptocurrency in general, and his unique perspective on whether or not the crypto startup founder is criminally crooked or just chaotically disorganized.

815: Papi Menon, Vice President and Chief Product Officer of Cisco’s incubation engine Outshift, discusses the innovation he is leading at the company and the process by which his team is scaling that innovation. He explains the skills he has on his team at Outshift and how he is developing that talent internally. Papi also describes the focus on cloud security, the platforms his team has built to help companies secure their cloud infrastructure, and the core pillars of these products. Finally, Papi touches on the cultural component of innovation, exploring use cases for artificial intelligence, and the secrets to his career success.

814: Rajan Kumar, CIO of Intuit, and Sesh Tirumala, CIO of Western Digital, join Metis Strategy Partner and West Coast Lead Chris Davis on a panel at our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium to discuss the topic of data and AI strategy as enterprise change agents. Rajan shares insights about Intuit’s AI platform, how it drives new customer experiences, and its use in running and scaling business operations within the company. Sesh describes the main components of Western Digital’s AI strategy, his perspective on the change management part of the equation, and the importance of risk management and data governance. Finally, both executives talk about how they approach the adoption of AI and the most critical elements to keep in mind throughout the implementation process.

813: Douglas Lindemann, CIO at ArcBest Technologies, discusses his experience joining ArcBest through acquisition and how those lessons have helped him in his current role. Douglas covers the improvements he has helped facilitate in the supply chain, the new business model he has helped launch, and why launching this new business model was necessary at the legacy enterprise. He also talks about how he applies the lessons learned from his M&A experience to this new business model implementation. Finally, Douglas explains the tech trends in generative AI and sustainability that are on his radar and the keys to his career success.

812: Amy Brady, CIO at KeyBank, and Ryan Kean, CIO of Total Quality Logistics, join Peter High on the virtual stage at our September 2023 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium to speak about strategic automation across the enterprise. Both executives talk about the opportunities for automation within their enterprises, the impact generative AI has had on the organization, and how automation fits into the long-term strategy for the firm. They also discuss the talent component of the equation, how they train employees in the relevant skills, and how they communicate the value of automation in their respective teams. Finally, the panelists cover the best practices for adopting automation, sources of insight for professional education, and the trends in automation that they both have on their radars.

811: Marcia Calleja-Matsko, CIO at OneDigital, discusses the elements behind the remarkable growth of the company throughout her tenure. Marcia explains the way she typifies culture at OneDigital, how it’s impacted the process of integrating the technology functions of the company’s various acquisitions, and how she manages this rapid growth in a responsible and sustainable manner. She also talks about the company’s data strategy and the use cases she has identified for generative AI technology. Finally, Marcia reflects on the keys to her career success, the progress being made to bring more women into STEM professions, and the trends in technology that she has kept abreast of in recent months.

810: Filippo Catalano, Chief Information and Digitisation Officer of Reckitt Benckiser Group, discusses the foundational elements of a resilient and intentional IT and digital strategy. He explains his vision behind rebranding IT internally to include digital and what impacts that has had on the make-up of his team. Filippo also touches on the elements of a sound data strategy, what the future of data and AI looks like at Reckitt, and how AAA Architecture is the key to a successful IT strategy. He talks about fostering resilience during COVID, collaborating with startup founders and venture-backed companies, and trends in technology that he is staying educated on for the future. Finally, Filippo reflects on his career and gives advice for others to follow in his footsteps.

809: Lakshman Nathan, CIO of Paramount, joins our host Peter High in a conversation about the catalyzing factors behind the company’s cloud transformation and the strategic alignment he aims to achieve between the IT organization and the rest of the business. Laksh explains his expanded purview as he has moved into a global role within the company, the evolving team composition as a result, and the changing skillsets needed along with the process of upskilling the talent on his team. He also goes into the M&A integration process, how it has helped push forward the cloud-first adoption, and how collaboration has been impacted by the move toward a more remote workplace environment. Finally, Laksh talks about the trends in generative AI, the experimentation with the new technology on the horizon, and the secrets to his career success.

808: Sumedh Mehta, CIO at Putnam Investments, discusses the key elements of the company’s digital transformation and aligning the organization to the overall business strategy. Sumedh describes the methods behind this transformation, the ways in which he thinks about connecting the dots across the enterprise to engage multiple business units, and the role that technology plays in the company’s consumer products. He also shares how he approaches the transformation from a change management perspective and how trust and diversity are foundational components of the underlying culture. Finally, Sumedh reflects on the keys to his career success and looks ahead at the trends in technology such as blockchain and generative AI.

807: Gili Raanan, venture capitalist and co-founder of Cyberstarts, discusses his entrepreneurial roots, his pivot into venture capital, and cybersecurity more generally. Gili begins with explaining the concept of the ‘sunrise process’ which he uses to identify product-market fit and dives into his experience with starting up a cybersecurity company early in his career. He discusses the cybersecurity threats on the horizon, the constantly changing nature of cybersecurity, and the positive outlook he has for the industry. Gili also talks about how he finds talent worth investing in, the characteristics of great entrepreneurs, and why talent matters more than investing in new trends or technologies.

806: Naveen Zutshi, the first CIO to be named at the data lake-house architecture company Databricks, joins Peter High in a conversation about the foundational technology strategy that he has helped set up to foster greater enterprise growth. He explains what it’s like to run IT within a tech-centric organization and how the company’s Databricks-on-Databricks customer zero program helps to develop better product offerings for customers. Naveen provides insight into his perspective on generative AI, the value it poses to executives, and the necessity of creating a sound data strategy in order to fuel AI. Finally, Naveen shares learnings from across his career, the keys to his success, and the trends that are on his radar for the future.

805: Ravi Malick, CIO at Box, discusses his role as a CIO within a scaled technology organization and how he interacts with the CIO-level clients that the company serves. He explains the focus areas he prioritized when he joined the company including scalability, agility, and execution. He also describes the company’s Box-on-Box program where they pilot offerings internally as ‘customer zero’ and how this helps deliver better products and services for their clients. Finally, Ravi reflects on the keys to his career success, recounts his pathway into technology, and looks ahead at the trends in AI and cybersecurity.

804: Vijay Sankaran, CTO of Johnson Controls, discusses the future of work, the growing impact of AI, and its downstream effects on real estate. Vijay explains the critical role the digital customer experience plays in real estate, the way workspaces have evolved in recent years, and technology’s impact on how companies leverage their physical workspaces. He also reviews the company’s acquisitions in recent years and the effort to bring digital capabilities like cyber, data, AI, and more in-house. Finally, Vijay covers the generational differences in perspectives on hybrid and remote work environments, looks ahead at other trends in technology that he has on his radar, and reflects on the major keys to success from across his career.

803: Moti Gyamlani, SVP and Chief Operations Officer of Ericsson, joins our host Peter High in a conversation about creating a world-class supply chain and developing a digital customer and employee experience at the company. He explains how his global team is organized and the ways he collaborates with the broadly distributed executive team. Moti talks about the transformation of the 150-year-old company, the responsibility he holds in supply chain management, and his perspective on the future of work and its impact on real estate. Finally, Moti looks ahead at the trends in 6G and other technologies on the horizon and reflects on the secrets to his career success.

802: Thomas Benjamin; EVP, CTO, and Head of Platform & Analytics R&D at National Instruments (NI); discusses the innovation he is leading at the company focused on what he calls ‘Horizon 3’ technologies and the preparation needed to take advantage of these technologies down the road. He shares how his team is organized across the diverse segments that are a part of the broader business and the ways in which these segments interact and collaborate with the IT organization. Thomas also gives an in-depth overview of the innovation labs he leads, the potential value that generative AI can bring to NI, and the skills that will be necessary to leverage these emerging technologies. Finally, he reflects on the lessons he has learned across his diversified career path, explains the benefit of being a hands-on leader, and looks ahead at the trends in technology that he believes will change the game.

801: Srini Krishnamurthy, Chief Strategy and Information Officer of FM Global, talks about the transformation he is leading within the company and the art of change management behind the transformation. He discusses his unique title and why it made sense to blend strategy with the CIO’s responsibilities and sheds light on the strategic planning that takes place within the large-scale insurance organization. Srini delves into the innovative use of digital and data in assessing property risks coming from climate as well as other areas and expands on that use of data with a background on the company’s experimentation with generative AI. Additionally, Srini elaborates on the importance of developing his team's skill set to prepare for the future, being a force for change management, and using the lessons from his experience in human resources to drive this talent strategy. Finally, he reflects on the secrets to his success and looks ahead at trends in InsureTech, AI, and more.

800: Mustafa Suleyman, Co-Founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, discusses his career journey, the future of artificial intelligence, and his latest book; The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the 21st Century's Greatest Dilemma. Mustafa describes his entrepreneurial background as a pioneer of the AI and Deep Learning space from studying philosophy at Oxford to his eventual founding of DeepMind and subsequently Inflection AI. He recounts the inception of groundbreaking AI concepts, Google's acquisition of DeepMind, and the importance of ethics in AI. In his book, Mustafa proposes the idea of a modern Turing Test to mitigate the spread of misinformation, AI's paradoxical impact on productivity and stability, and the vision of a fully digital ‘Chief of Staff’ called Pi.

799: Nitin Tandon, Global CIO at Vanguard, discusses the customer-facing technology that he oversees and how his team remains innovative and up-to-date on trends despite the company’s massive size. He emphasizes the company’s push towards automation and personalization when it comes to the digital customer experience and how he drives cross-functional collaboration to align this experience with the overall business strategy. Nitin talks about his “fast follower” approach to experimenting and piloting emerging technologies, the cybersecurity implications that must be considered, and how he views the business from the perspective of the customer. Finally, Nitin explains the culture that brought him to the company, the secrets to success over the course of his career, and the technology trends that are on his radar for the future.

798: Shubham Mehrish, Global Vice President at Mars, discusses how he is developing a digital, technology, and associate strategy based on a modular architecture approach that is focused on microservices, API-driven, Cloud-native, and Headless. Discover how Shubham builds an ecosystem of talent internally and externally, applies data and AI to differentiate the business, and embraces design thinking and collaboration across the firm all with the aim of developing a digital customer experience to enhance the traditional tactile experience. Shubham also talks more broadly about how he pushes his team to learn from experiences regardless of their success and approach challenges with what notes as a comp[any-wide collective confidence. This translates more specifically to how his team is experimenting with generative AI and the other technology trends that are on his radar. Finally, Shubham describes the mental models he has applied in his role and recommends a few critical readings that he has found helpful in his career. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith Build by Tony Fadell

797: Josh Goode, CIO at SCAN Health Plan, discusses the tremendous growth of the company throughout his tenure and the areas he has focused on to achieve that growth. He explains the pivotal role the CIO plays in shaping the digital customer experience and dives deep into the progress of the company’s overall modernization journey. Following the company’s acquisition of CareOregon, Josh explains the process behind integrating acquisitions from a digital and technology perspective and how this helps to grow the company in addition to the organic growth and expansion efforts. Josh also talks about the strong technology culture at SCAN, facets of its data strategy, and the Emerging Technology Operating Model he developed to address the emergence of artificial intelligence and find its use cases. Finally, Josh looks ahead at the trends in technology on his radar and reflects on his career path including his pivot to the not-for-profit space as well as the keys to his career success.

796: Daron Acemoglu, Elizabeth & James Killian Professor of Economics at MIT and author, joins the broadcast to speak about his latest book, Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, and his perspective on techno-optimism in the era of artificial intelligence. Daron issues a warning about blind optimism during this pivotal moment in technology and draws on the key themes of power dynamics, techno-optimism, and effective regulation strategies from his book to explain the balance between power and progress and ways to counteract the accrual of power to a select few. He explains the three countervailing forces of democracy, worker voice, and regulation; the two key problems with regulations surrounding generative artificial intelligence; and what this future of AI regulation means on a global scale. Finally, as a writer himself, Daron talks about the ongoing Writer’s Strike as a defense against Generative AI, the potential benefits generative AI will have for writers of the future, and why he is optimistic about generative AI being a “job helper”.

795: Alina Parast, CIO at ChampionX, discusses the future of innovation, cybersecurity, and IT in general. With her extensive experience as CIO for over three years, Alina delves into the company's strategy around artificial intelligence, its robust cybersecurity practices, and its commitment to data protection. When it comes to innovation, she speaks to the partnership with R&D for groundbreaking initiatives and areas to revolutionize while introducing continuous improvement and automation to a field of R&D. Alina also talks about the implementation of training and upskilling policies around cybersecurity. Finally, Alina looks ahead at the latest trends in technology and reflects on the key drivers of her career success.

794: Vishal Gupta, SVP of Connected Technology and Chief Information & Technology Officer of Lexmark, joins the broadcast to explain the elements behind his broad purview in corporate and IT strategy. Vishal explains the structure of his relatively new team and how he trains the talent he hires through Lexmark's Cohort Training Program. Vishal talks about overseeing the company's overarching corporate strategy, the innovation he is driving, and the security implications that come with what he and his team are developing. Of the innovation discussed, Vishal specifically dives deep into his perspective on the potential of AI and Generative AI within the firm. Finally, he reflects on the keys to his success and looks ahead at the trends in technology that excite him.

793: Jeff Sippel, CIO of Northwestern Mutual, joins the broadcast to describe why he believes technology strategy should be viewed as a ‘peer’ to corporate strategy, focusing on client-centricity. He explains the importance of cybersecurity as a core capability and driver of trust within the financial services industry, the advantage of data as a key element in developing a perspective on customer experience, and the criticality of incorporating AI/ML for automation and productivity enhancement. Jeff also explains the modernization process at Northwestern Mutual, the culture that helps with the change management behind that modernization, and how his past roles in customer experience helped inform his view as CIO. Finally, Jeff looks ahead at the trends in technology on the horizon and reflects on the keys to his career success.

792: Shobie Ramakrishnan, Chief Digital and Technology Officer of GSK, shares insights with our host Peter High about developing a cohesive technology strategy that focuses on intersections within the organization. Shobie shares how she orchestrates her team's collaboration across departments, crafting a strategy with a clearly communicated vision, and plays both defense and offense with technology and data. She explains GSK's forward-thinking approach to AI, maturation of cybersecurity practices, and efforts to supercharge R&D with data. Shobie also dives into the tech-centric culture of the firm, the talent training strategy it has developed, and the skills that are necessary to drive the business forward. Finally, Shobie looks ahead at trends in technology that are on her radar and reflects on the keys to her career success.

791: Damu Bashyam, EVP and Chief Information & Innovation Officer of Berkadia, sits down with our host Peter High to discuss the various ways he approaches innovation to drive growth, efficiency, and improvements to the digital customer experience. Damu explains the idea behind Berkadia's Startup Accelerator program BeEngaged and its role in keeping his team on top of emerging trends, building innovative solutions, and integrating new platforms like Blue Suit AI into its ecosystem. Similarly, Damu shares his experience leading the redIQ software business at the company and the way the cloud-based platform leverages AI/ML to help clients visualize data. He also talks about balancing the priorities of both IT and the broader business, building a data strategy, and driving internal technology adoption. Finally, Damu reflects on the three C’s to his career success and looks ahead at the trends in technology that he is excited about.

expertise in leading technology and digital initiatives at GPC, ensuring alignment with the company's strategic roadmap, and driving innovation to prepare for a future of electric vehicles (EV). Naveen delves into the topic of creating a frictionless digital customer experience, leveraging technology to optimize supply chains, and driving innovation and emerging tech exploration within the company. He goes over the rationale behind GPC's strategic investment in the EV sector as it prepares for the transition to an EV future. Finally, Naveen looks back on the keys to success across his career and explains the top trends in technology that are on his radar.

789: Shanthi Iyer, CIO of DocuSign, shares her remarkable journey in scaling the organization and developing a sound data strategy. Shanthi describes how she and her team have elevated employee experience, focused on the customer experience, and streamlined internal processes through strategic automation. She also discusses how she is crafting a robust data strategy for DocuSign and exploring potential use cases for Generative AI to unlock a realm of future value. Finally, Shanthi provides an update on the state of women in technology, looks ahead at the latest trends in technology, and reflects on the keys to her career success.

788: Laura Miller, CIO of Macy's, discusses the modernization efforts that she is helping to drive at the company. She provides insights on aligning IT with business objectives, the democratization of data, and the development of a comprehensive 360-degree view of the customer. Laura talks through the five pillars of growth as a part of Macy’s modernization and the company’s approach to personalized customer experiences which includes leveraging data and AI/ML. Finally, she reflects on her pathway to board membership, the keys to her career success, and the trends in technology that are on her radar.

787: Ramesh Babu, CIO of DigiKey Electronics, discusses the modernization efforts at the company and the AI journey he has led. Ramesh has driven a remarkable transformation and instilled a positive, driven mindset across the organization. In this insightful conversation, we explore the company's thriving AI journey, its participation in the surrounding community, and the cultural shifts that accompanied its modernization efforts. Discover Ramesh's keys to success and the tech trends that are shaping the future of the industry.

786: Pegah Ebrahimi, co-founder and managing partner of FPV Ventures, joins the broadcast to speak about investing in mission-driven founders and leveraging her experience as a former CIO and COO to bring a wealth of go-to-market expertise to the companies she invests in. We delve into FPV Ventures' business overview as well as the company’s emphasis on life sciences and what attracted Pegah and her co-founder to that area. Pegah also explains her journey to the CIO post, her journey to the COO post, and how these experiences have uniquely equipped her for success in the world of venture capital. Finally, she shares valuable insights into investing during uncertain times, the tech trends that are on her radar, and the keys to her career success.

785: Steve Bandrowczak, CEO of Xerox, discusses the future of the company, the role of technology in driving strategy, and how Xerox is leveraging emerging technology to reinvent the service industry. He highlights the importance of using this cutting-edge technology, such as AI, robotics, and augmented reality, to drive productivity in the office and serve the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Steve also emphasizes the value of data and the impact of edge computing and quantum computing on the future of technology. Finally, he shares insights from his experience as a CIO and the importance of taking risks and seeking diverse leadership opportunities to advance your career.

784: Greg Brown, Chief Customer Service Officer at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), joins the broadcast to speak about being a customer-focused organization and leveraging technology to drive a proactive, predictive, and personalized customer experience. He emphasizes the value of a positive attitude, positive habits, and continuous improvement in achieving success in customer service and why he looks for humility, emotional intelligence, accountability, and learning agility when recruiting talent for his team. Finally, Greg talks about the trends in technology that are on his radar, how those trends aim to impact the customer experience, and the keys to success that have helped him throughout his career.

783: Tracy Kerrins, Senior EVP and Head of Technology at Wells Fargo, joins the broadcast to discuss the company's efforts in becoming digital-first and the new technology and innovations she is helping to drive. She highlights the introduction of Fargo, the company's first customer-facing AI virtual assistant, and dives into the broader use of artificial intelligence to improve customer service and experiences. Tracy also emphasizes the criticality of data and the organization's cloud strategy as well as the importance of empowering employees and creating a positive culture of collaboration. Finally, she looks ahead at other trends in technology and reflects on the keys to her career success.

782: Mojgan Lefebvre, EVP and Chief Technology & Operations Officer of Travelers, joins Peter in the latest episode to cover the intersection of technology and operations within her purview and the alignment she drives between her team and the broader business. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the business and customer needs in order to drive technology strategy and highlights the company's focus on creating great experiences for customers, modernizing technology infrastructure, leveraging data and analytics, and protecting the organization from cyber threats. Mojgan shares examples of how machine learning and AI are being used to enhance employee and customer experiences, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in driving innovation and success within the organization, and creating a culture of digital fluency through employee training programs. Finally, Mojgan looks ahead at trends in technology that are on her radar and reflects on the keys to her career success.

781: Martin Brodbeck, CTO of Priceline, joins Peter in a discussion on how he has developed his team and the new platforms and capabilities that he has driven across the company. He highlights the use cases for AI and ML technologies in areas such as personalization, recommendation, and marketing as well as emphasizes the importance of developer productivity and the automation of software engineering tasks. He shares insights on fostering resilience and scalability within the organization, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on the travel industry. Finally, he touches on future trends in self-service analytics and quantum computing, reflects on the keys to his career success, and looks ahead at the potential use cases for generative AI at the company and beyond.

780: Jared Cohen and George Lee, the Co-Heads of the Office of Applied Innovation at Goldman Sachs, delve into the intersections between global affairs, geopolitics, and cutting-edge technology such as generative AI. As leaders in the financial services industry and technology space, both executives provide valuable insights into the significance of geopolitical swing states and the current state of global affairs, as well as the rapid rise of generative AI, and the role government regulation plays in technological advancements.

779: Tom Davenport, bestselling author and distinguished professor at Babson College, joins us to discuss insights from his latest book, All-in on AI, and give his perspective on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on businesses. From his sociology background to becoming a seasoned technology academic, Tom shares reflections on his career path and the evolving landscape of analytics and the birth of AI. Listen to his explanation of the three eras of analytics, culminating in the rise of "Analytics 4.0" powered by AI. As an AI optimist, Tom shares concerns and opportunities associated with AI, including its potential impact on jobs and the declining automation costs. Gain valuable insights into how companies successfully explore AI tools, allocate organizational resources to its experimentation, and strategize its adoption in order to “win big with AI”. Tom also provides his outlook on the future of AI, its influence on consulting, and practical career advice for young professionals in this transformative era.

778: In this episode, Rackspace Technology’s President of Private Cloud, Brian Lillie, speaks about the keys to successful cloud adoption and the benefits of a multi-cloud architecture. Throughout this conversation, we dive into Rackspace’s business, explore Brian's purview within Private Cloud, and discuss the shared and differing responsibilities with his counterpart in Public Cloud. Brian explains how having a CIO background has been advantageous to him when partnering with the current CIO and the IT organization. With a breadth of experience across companies, disciplines, and industries, Brian shares insights into his thoughtful leadership style shaped by his core values, walks us through his career path, and talks about the impact that both his military experience and his pursuit of higher education has had on his professional career. Finally, Brian covers the advantages of having technologists on a board of directors, looks ahead at the latest trends in technology, and reflects on the secrets to his career success.

777: Cal Newport, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University and bestselling author, joins Peter in conversation to dive into the world of productivity, focus, and intentional living. Cal reflects on his journey as a writer, the impact that professional advice had on his strategies for developing longevity in the field, and why he avoided social media during the age of Facebook. He explains the major themes of his books including time management and the power of "slow productivity" for success, as well as the role that COVID-19 played in influencing these topics. Cal talks about the concept of living a "values-driven lifestyle", his experience with the "30-Day Declutter" project, and helping young people train their focus. Finally, the conversation uncovers the surprising effects of efficiency and delves into the risks and uncertainties of generative AI and its future.

776: Monica Caldas, the Global CIO of Liberty Mutual, joins Peter for a conversation focused on the digital transformation journey of this century-old firm and developing it into a tech-forward insurance company. Monica describes how her team is driving the modernization program focused on creating a sound data strategy and improving data literacy across the organization. She dives into the process of digitization, collaboration with internal and external constituent groups, and the optimization of the individual experience. Monica provides insights into maintaining technological literacy through training programs and balancing IT resource allocation for operational efficiency and differentiation. Additionally, she covers topics such as cloud migration, the development of an architecture community, and the exploration of generative artificial intelligence and its diverse use cases. Lastly, Monica explores the emerging technology trends in quantum computing and reflects on the keys to her career success.

775: Lori Beer, Global CIO of JPMorgan Chase, joins us for a conversation about how her team explores use cases for emerging technologies to add value to the business. She explains the process behind the company’s cloud-based core system modernization and also dives deep into the potential value-add coming from advancements in generative AI, quantum computing, augmented reality, and blockchain in banking. Lori also walks through the cycle of innovation within the company and how she partners with the rest of the business to bring these innovations to life and develop an internal ecosystem of sorts. Finally, Lori covers the progress she is helping to drive in improving the state of women in tech and STEM fields, reflects on her own career path and the keys to her success, and looks ahead at the trends in technology that are on the horizon for the company.

774: Steve Yates, a storied former head of technology, joins Peter to talk about his remarkable journey as a renowned early version of the CIO across multiple companies and how the role has evolved over the course of his career. He discusses how he developed his IT department from scratch early in his career, carved out the purview for the modern-day CIO, and pioneered the convergence of technology and business. Steve gives insight into major learnings from his roles at Rockwell, USAA, and KeyBank as well as what that pathway into each role looked like. He also describes his pathway to board membership and the value he added as one of the first technologists to join a scaled company’s board. Finally, Steve discusses his plans for the future, and how he continues to stay up-to-date on emerging trends in technology, politics, economics, and more.

773: May Yap, the Chief Information Officer of Jabil, talks about the remarkable modernization and transformation journey she has led within the company. With May based in Singapore, May leads a truly global team with tech centers worldwide and shares her insights into managing this diverse and distributed workforce. She describes the process and benefits of modernization, how digitalization leads to better organization throughout IT, and how her team tests new technologies for potential implementation. May describes the advantages of having a long tenure as CIO, the latest tech trends shaping the industry, and the keys to her career success.

772: Eswar Veluri, Chief Technology Officer of Equinox, explores how data and artificial intelligence are transforming the high-performance lifestyle industry and helping customers to achieve their macro and micro health goals. With over a decade of experience at Equinox, Eswar shares his remarkable career journey, discusses the pivotal role of technology in improving customer engagement, and details the types of innovation his team is driving within the company. We delve into Equinox's comprehensive data strategy, emerging tech trends, and the keys to Eswar's career success.

771: Sunny Bedi, CIO and CDO of Snowflake, shares an overview of Snowflake’s business and what his purview encompasses at the company. Sunny embodies a customer-centric mindset in his role, spending a remarkable 70% of his time directly engaging with customers, and shares how he has built his team to allow him the bandwidth to do so. He explains how he has managed IT during a period of massive growth, built a strong culture in a remote working environment, and drove innovation in the evolving landscape of data. Sunny explains the key differentiators he has seen of successful data leaders and companies that have leveraged data effectively. He also dives into the importance of platform solutions and why he focuses on investing and building platforms at Snowflake. Additionally, he shares the value derived from his board experience, highlights the latest tech trends shaping the industry, and reflects on the keys to his career success.

770: Our latest episode features a panel from our Metis Strategy Digital Symposium in May 2023 where Rajan Mohan, the Chief Digital Officer of Ascension, and Eben Hewitt, the Chief Information Officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, share their experiences applying a product mindset to advance digital and technology capabilities at their organizations. Rajan explains the project-to-product transformation at Ascension, the shifting customer expectations around digital interactions, and the metrics he uses to measure the success of the company’s customer-centric culture. Eben expands on the role technology plays in customer care at Hyatt, the agile and data-focused culture at the company, and driving the long-term strategic mission through the day-to-day empowerment of teams. Finally, both executives speak on the organizational impacts of moving to a customer-centric mindset, the workflow changes as a result of that mindset shift, and the partnership between the CDO and CIO to advance digital within the company.

769: Our latest episode features a panel from our Metis Strategy Digital Symposium in May 2023 where Michael Newcity, the Chief Innovation Officer of ArcBest & President of ArcBest Technologies, and Rob Krugman, the Chief Digital Officer of Broadridge, discuss the topic of design thinking in ecosystem business models. Michael explains how he brings design thinking into ArcBest as a mechanism to drive innovation and the role ArcBest Technologies plays in ArcBest’s innovation ecosystem. Rob details the innovation cycle within Broadridge and how he brings the customer’s voice into that cycle to ensure continuous value is getting delivered. Finally, both executives speak on driving centralized innovation within their ecosystems and deploying those innovations to internal and external customers.

768: Our latest episode features a panel from our Metis Strategy Digital Symposium in May 2023 where Kathy Kay, CIO of Principal Financial Group, and Josh McLean, CIO of World Fuel Services, discuss the topic of sustaining a high-performance culture in times of change. Kathy describes the culture of Principal when she joined the company remotely during the pandemic, explains the necessity of leadership driving the cultural transformation, and speaks to the way she responds to misalignments in the culture of the company. Josh covers the elements of World Fuel’s cultural transformation, how he quantifies and measure culture, and how he communicates constructive feedback to his organization. Finally, both executives look ahead at how hybrid work environments, generative AI, and more will impact the practices around culture at their companies.

767: Ramesh Babu, CIO of Digi-Key Electronics, and Allen Smith, CIO of Baker Tilly, speak at our Metis Strategy Digital Symposium in May 2023 on the topic of driving practical progress on your AI journey. Ramesh explains his methods to educate talent within the company on the latest advancements in AI, measuring the value of AI use cases, and reigning in the bespoke AI applications across the company into a single vision or strategy around artificial intelligence. Allen shares how he cuts through the noise and the hype around AI to pursue practical applications of the technology, leverages AI to navigate talent shortages, and focuses on understanding the foundational data being fed into the AI model.

766: Rob Krugman, Chief Digital Officer of Broadridge, discusses the concept of intrapreneurship, bringing an entrepreneurship mindset to within the organization, and how this concept has helped drive innovation at the company. He talks about the innovation teams he has built, the design thinking and storytelling they bring to the innovation process, and how they collaborate with the rest of the business. Finally, Rob looks ahead at the value potential of emerging tech trends like ChatGPT and generative AI as well as reflects on the keys to his success.

765: Cisco Sanchez, the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Qualcomm, joins Peter to speak about transforming Qualcomm into an intelligent company across hardware and software. Cisco shares his insights on Qualcomm's future roadmap and the role of partnerships in the company’s broader ecosystem. We also explore how Cisco's team is developing a solid foundation to foster growth, how culture facilitates successful change management, and why a high-functioning IT organization should act as guardrails for the rest of the organization. Finally, Cisco shares his views on how he stays ahead of the curve of emerging technology, the trends on his radar, and how he trains his team members in new skills for the future.

764: Asif Hasan, co-founder and President of Quantiphi, discusses the evolution of the company and how it reflects the evolution of artificial intelligence more generally. Asif shares his pathway into AI and data science, the genesis story of Quantiphi, and why he decided not to seek outside capital in the early stages of the company's growth. We also cover the various phases of the company’s history including finding the company’s product market fit, specialization, verticalization, and finally the latest phase of exploring and leveraging generative AI. Asif shares his perspectives on how companies have successfully harnessed the power of AI, the potential disruptions coming from ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms, and the future ahead for AI in general. Finally, Asif shares the two key pieces of advice that he believes facilitated his career success and will continue to help him in the future.

763: Tony Thomas, Chief Digital and Information Officer of Signify, discusses the remarkable transformation he led at the company focused on rethinking the digital customer experience and fostering an agile culture with a digital mindset. We explore Signify’s five-frontier strategy and how digital plays in each frontier. We also delve into how the company is digitalizing offers, co-innovating with business partners, and refiguring the business from the perspective of the customer. Tony shares his reflections on his career experience and the tech trends on his radar that are shaping the future of lighting.

762: Hasmukh Ranjan, CIO of AMD, discusses his experience in the CIO role at AMD and how his team thinks about sustainability, innovation, and artificial intelligence within the context of the semiconductor industry. Hasmukh talks about driving AMD's talent strategy, advocating for the customer's needs through the customer zero program, and leading M&A in the CIO role. Additionally, he talks about the overall evolution of the semiconductor industry, looks ahead at trends in AI on the horizon, and reflects on the keys to his career success.

761: Uri Levine, co-founder and former President of Waze, joins Peter High in our latest episode to discuss his experience founding the company and the insights from his latest book, Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs. He describes his calling as being a teacher of others and shares what he sees as the common denominator across his career journey. From founding to the company’s eventual acquisition, Uri tells the story of Waze’s evolution, its collaboration and competition with tech giants like Google and Microsoft, and how Waze exemplifies disruptive innovation. He also shares the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, why the process of firing an employee is more important than hiring, and the three main categories of “users”, among other topics from his book. Finally, Uri looks ahead at the future of disruptive technology trends and what he is keeping an eye on in the market.

760: Our broadcast today comes from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Michelle Greene, Chief Information Officer of Cardinal Health, and Marco Argenti, Chief Information Officer of Goldman Sachs, speak with Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton about cultivating an enterprise mindset. Tune in to hear how both executives drive enterprise alignment, recruit talent with an enterprise mindset, and develop that talent through reskilling and upskilling efforts.

759: Shannon Miller, EVP and President of Divergent Solutions at Jacobs Solutions, discusses the business unit she leads and how it acts as a start-up within a large company like Jacobs Solutions. She covers the company’s talent strategy balancing new and legacy talent within her team and how her team works with clients to anticipate and respond to changing needs. Shannon also talks about the innovations in sustainability her team is driving, the collaboration she engages in with other business units within the company, and how her team’s ‘cyber-centricity’ has led to developing stronger cyber products for clients across the business. Finally, she reflects on the keys to her career success and looks ahead at trends in data and computing that are on her radar.

758: Our latest episode comes from our February Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of becoming an AI company with Katia Walsh, Chief Global Strategy and Artificial Intelligence Officer of Levi Strauss & Co., and George Brady, Chief Information Officer of loanDepot. Katia describes the strategies she used to introduce the mindset of artificial intelligence at Levi’s and how she deployed the technology at the company. George similarly describes how he deployed AI at his organization, the use cases he sees for ChatGPT, and how he reskilled talent at Capital One to accommodate AI initiatives.

757: In this episode, we dive into the concept of the "brilliant basics" with Eben Hewitt, CIO of Hyatt Hotels. Eben shares how he achieves reliability, scalability, speed, and transparency in IT at the company while also improving customer experience. We explore Eben's experience in replacing Hyatt's central reservation system, developing better communication throughout the organizaton, and rebuilding the company after the pandemic shook the hospitality industry.

756: Rob Lux, COO of Cenlar, and Mark Wassersug, former CIO at Intercontinental Exchange Inc., join our host Peter on a panel at our February Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of the technology leader’s expanding operational purview. Rob shares his experience across the CIO, COO, and co-CEO roles he has held at Cenlar, the skills he found were necessary to succeed in those roles and the advantage of developing a relationship with the board of directors. Mark discusses his transition from COO to CIO during ICE’s massive growth, insights from the M&A integrations he led that contributed to that growth, and the combination of technology and operations in his COO that pushed him toward taking the CIO role.

755: In this episode, we sit down with Josh McLean, Chief Information Officer of World Fuel Services, to discuss the remarkable cultural and digital transformation he has led at World Fuel Services to modernize the legacy systems at the Fortune 100 energy company. Josh explains the elements of culture that he focuses on and the process of operationalizing culture in order to transform an organization and facilitate high-performing teams. Josh also reflects on his career, the keys to his success, and the trends in technology that he has been following.

754: Our broadcast today comes from our February Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of talent’s role in making transformations stick featuring Sastry Durvasula, Chief Information & Client Services Officer of TIAA, and Ramon Richards, CIO of Fannie Mae. Sastry shares how talent plays a key role in TIAA’s six strategic pillars and how he is upskilling his team for operating within this new virtual normal. Ramon discusses how he energizes talent in order to accelerate transformation and approaches the topic of talent retention at Fannie Mae. Both executives also give their perspectives on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as how the advancement of technologies like AI and ChatGPT will impact the business in the future.

753: In this episode, Sal Companieh, the Chief Digital & Information Officer of Cushman & Wakefield, sits down with Peter to discuss the remarkable transformation she has driven at the company to bring world-class technology to world-class real estate. She speaks about her approach to end-to-end technology, the implementation of a chief data officer role to curate better insights, and the creation of a business information officer role to align her team with the broader business. She also emphasizes the importance of diversity in thought when it comes to business decision-making and why she prioritizes an ESG strategy at the company. Finally, Sal looks ahead at trends in technology and reflects on the keys to her career success.

752: Our broadcast today comes from our February Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of establishing a data strategy in complex organizations featuring Krzysztof Soltan, CIO of Vulcan Materials Company, and Anupam Khare, CIO of Oshkosh Corporation. Anupam shares his thoughts on creating a data strategy at Oshkosh and forming an organizational structure that fosters a data-rich decision-making culture at the company. Krzysztof talks about how he helps communicates data across the organization and how he measures the success of its data strategy.

751: Rajan Kumar, Chief Information Officer of Intuit, speaks about his experience driving one of the most extensive cloud adoption journeys in corporate America and managing a product-oriented operating model at Intuit. We discuss the company's 'Big Bets' and how technology is being used to bring them to life, specifically the company’s AI virtual expert platform. Rajan covers how he interacts with different customer journeys, how he builds an ecosystem to leverage artificial intelligence tools, and what other trends in technology are on Rajan’s radar. We also explore Intuit's company culture, the focus on retaining talent, and the keys to Rajan's career success.

750: On this episode, we celebrate 750 episodes of Technovation with a discussion featuring Arthur Hu, Lenovo's Global Chief Information Officer, and Chief Technology and Delivery officer of its Services and Solutions Group (SSG). We discuss the development of SSG, Art's expanded role within Lenovo, and how this group bridges the gap between IT and the new business group. We also touch on how he divides his time and team across his CIO, CTO, and Chief Delivery Officer roles. Art shares insights on the upstream impacts of new models within SSG and how Lenovo helps organizations navigate the complexities of global business. We also talk about learnings pre- and post-pandemic on managing global teams effectively, the technology that has helped keep him in touch with his team, and the necessity of being physically together in the workplace to build trust. Finally, Art gives his perspective on emerging technology trends and reflects on the secrets to his career success.

749: Allen Smith, CIO of Baker Tilly, shares his insights on the evolving role of the CIO and how he has managed the technology life cycles over the course of his 21-year tenure with the company. Allen provides valuable advice on how he has navigated the War for Talent by improving the employee experience, broadening the scope of talent acquisition, and leveraging technology and automation to open up opportunities for process efficiencies. He talks about the strong relationships he has built within the company and how he collaborates with the broader organization to be a better partner to the business. Finally, Allen reflects on the keys to his career success and looks ahead at the trends in technology that are on his radar for the future.

748: Amy Brady, Chief Information Officer at KeyBank, joins Peter in a discussion about leading IT at the Cleveland-based regional bank and training talent in both operations and technology. With over a decade of experience at KeyBank, Amy shares her insights on leading digital transformation initiatives and building an end-to-end digital experience for both customers and employees. She also covers the importance of collaboration with the business to understand operational needs and build the digital literacy of non-tech-focused talent. Amy describes her pathway to board membership, provides valuable advice for those looking to develop critical skills to become "board-ready", and reveals how she keeps up-to-date with emerging technology trends. Tune in to this episode for an informative conversation with Amy on her expansive purview and the keys to her continued career success.

747: Kirk Ball, the CIO of Giant Eagle, joins the broadcast to discuss managing a virtual team and leading the supermarket chain’s IT strategy. Kirk describes his role in managing all things digital at the company, the structure of his IT team, and how fosters a collaborative culture with a largely remote workforce. He also shares the areas of priority in Giant Eagle's technology strategy, including the vision behind the company's global capability center in Bangalore. Kirk draws from his breadth of industry experience to discuss key lessons he has learned across his career, reflect on the keys to his career success, and explore use cases for emerging technology trends. Tune in for an insightful conversation with Kirk on leading a technology team in a large retail organization.

746: Anita Klopfenstein, CIO of Little Caesars Pizza, joins Peter in a conversation about the IT transformation that she has led at the company, the emerging technologies her team leverages to drive improvements in the customer experience, and the positioning of the IT organization as a profit center for the business. Anita also shares how she implemented an IT steering committee to prioritize the most critical elements of the organization and collaborated with franchisees and customers to identify opportunities for improvements. She describes her team's process of becoming a predictive enterprise, flexing IT to support the diverse array of additional venues, and giving back to the community during the height of the pandemic. Finally, Anita reflects on her career, the keys to her success, and the tech trends that are on her radar.

745: Matt Carey, EVP of Customer Experience at The Home Depot, discusses how he is driving an interconnected experience at The Home Depot bringing together the digital, mobile, and in-store customer experiences. He covers what falls under his purview and what role the CIO plays in improving the customer experience. Matt shares the focus areas in CX that are on The Home Depot’s strategic roadmap, how he measures the progress he and his team are making, and how he partners with the rest of the business to deliver best-in-class customer experience. Finally, Matt reflects on his successful career, the pathway to securing a board position at Chipotle, and the trends in technology and CX that he has kept up-to-date on.

744: Ria Cheruvu, Artificial Intelligence Lead Architect at Intel, discusses the work she is leading at Intel on developing ethical artificial intelligence solutions with a focus on explainability, fairness, and trustworthiness. She discusses her perspective on what it will take to reach ethical AI solutions, the opportunities and hurdles that she faces, and the value proposition that ethical AI offers to companies and communities. Ria also talks about the skills that she hires for on her team, the collaboration she engages in with external and internal partners, and the medium-term outlook for AI given the rise of ChatGPT and other AI tools. Finally, she reflects on her early start in a career in technology and explains how her passion for poetry and writing has helped balance and anchor her during her more technical position at Intel.

743: Penelope Prett; Chief Information, Data and Analytics Officer at Accenture; covers the integration of the data and analytics officer role into her CIO role at Accenture as well as the importance of focusing on the basics when developing a data strategy at your company. She discusses the structure of her teams in her role, the shared services she leverages to strengthen the relationships across those teams, and how she contemplates the art of the possible when it comes to delivering new innovations to the rest of the business including how she co-innovates with business partners and clients. Penelope also talks about driving sustainability at Accenture, facilitating hybrid work, and using her experience across the company to inform her role as CIO. Finally, she looks ahead at trends being driven by the digital-native generation and reflects on the keys to her career success.

742: Guido Sacchi, SEVP & Chief Information Officer of Global Payments, joins Peter High on the broadcast to speak about the innovation he is driving at the company and what the future of decentralized finance looks like. Guido explains his expansive purview in his role, the structure of IT at the company, and the emerging technologies he is leveraging to enhance business capabilities. He talks about co-innovating with clients and business partners, rethinking the use cases for crypto and blockchain, and expanding the metaverse concept through the payments industry. Finally, Guido talks about trends in artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and cloud as well as the keys to his career success.

741: Vish Narendra, CIO and SVP of Global Business Services at Graphic Packaging, discusses the incredible digital transformation that he is leading at the company, the thoughtful and methodical approach he has taken to drive it forward, and the long-term mindset he adopted from the get-go. As a part of this transformation, Vish talks about the cultural elements including the retention of talent, pushing forward a data strategy focused on visibility, and how his experience at GE has informed his view of talent development at Graphic Packaging. Finally, Vish looks ahead at trends in employee engagement and reflects on the difference makers to his own career.

740: Tom Siebel, chairman & CEO of C3.ai, discusses the progress he has seen in the artificial intelligence space and the evolution of the role of platform companies like C3.ai in a company’s overall strategy. He explains what he saw back in 2009 that prompted him to embark on his journey to found C3.ai, shares the common characteristics of companies that have successfully adopted AI solutions, and dives into the emerging trend of CEOs becoming more involved with driving AI at their companies. Finally, Tom reflects back on his career success, the key learnings he has brought with him, and what continues to keep him motivated.

739: Our broadcast today comes from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of mastering the human side of digital transformation. The panelists who spoke about this topic were Rob Mills; Chief Technology, Digital Commerce, and Strategy Officer of Tractor Supply Co.; and Jennifer Hartsock, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Cargill. The conversation was moderated by Metis Strategy Partner and Central Office Lead Michael Bertha. Rob addresses his role as a strategic facilitator within Tractor, speaks to influencing the prioritization of technology during M&A, and explains how he is building product management capabilities within the organization. Jen discusses the challenges of change management, the emphasis she places on her “platinum rule,” and driving change among her C-Suite level peer group.

738: Michael Wisler, Chief Information Officer of M&T Bank, discusses the cultural shift that was necessary at the company to drive forward its digital transformation. He covers the way technology is structured at the bank, how he has built his team, and where he focused his modernization efforts. As a part of this modernization, Mike talks about the talent part of the transition and moving towards an engineering culture with a build mindset. He also talks about his involvement with startup accelerator 43North, the experience he gained at Capital One, and the learnings he brought to M&T. Finally, he reflects on his career and the future ahead for technology.

737: Our broadcast today comes from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of Establishing the Foundation for a Modern Enterprise. The panelists who spoke about this topic were Boris Shulkin, Chief Digital and Information Officer of Magna International, and Michael Rodgers, Chief Technology Officer of Pilot Company and the conversation was moderated by Metis Strategy Co-Head of Executive Networks, Research, and Media; Steven Norton. Michael Rodgers begins the discussion with the role technology plays in the broad businesses under Pilot Company’s umbrella and speaks to the ways he and his team are developing a holistic experience for the business’s customers. Boris talks about the digital transformation of Magna Intl. and the components behind the company’s cloud strategy, data strategy, and more.

736: David Rubenstein, Carlyle co-founder and co-chairman, joins the broadcast to talk about his latest book How to Invest: Masters on the Craft and the common traits he found among the investors he profiled in the book. He shares anecdotes of his early investment misses, how they led to his future successes, and the reason he always chooses good work ethic over high IQ when hiring prospective employees. David contends that investors often think against the grain and explains why this acceptance of higher risk is critical to the success of these titans of finance. He also sees younger people as being key indicators of successful investments as they drive the technology of future generations. Finally, David reflects on his “patriotic philanthropy” and looks ahead at trends in politics, economics, and the future of cryptocurrency.

735: Our broadcast today comes from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of Optimizing Value Delivery through Digital and Technology Capabilities. The panelists who spoke about this topic were Anita Klopfenstein of Little Caesars and Kirk Ball of Giant Eagle and the conversation was moderated by Metis Strategy Partner and East Coast Lead Alex Kraus. Both executives talk about how they align business objectives to operational needs and leverage data & analytics capabilities to improve the employee experience and internal training. Anita shares thoughts on Little Caesar’s “Area 51” initiative to help pilot innovations and measure their success at select locations while Kirk discusses the philosophy behind the co-creation of strategy to build commitment within the team.

734: Katia Walsh, Chief Global Strategy and Artificial Intelligence Officer of Levi Strauss & Co., discusses her unique role combining digital, data, artificial intelligence, and strategy as well as how her role helps blur the dividing line between the business and IT. She describes how she organizes her team cutting across various verticals, drives the strategic roadmap for the business, and modernizes the footprint of a legacy company like Levi’s. Katia explains the impact artificial intelligence has on the customer experience, the consequences of widespread artificial intelligence usage, and the ecosystem of skills and partnerships that help build the AI solutions her team develops. Finally, Katia reflects on the keys to success across her career from her initial stint in journalism, her pivot to technology, and her subsequent pathway to board membership.

733: Chris Helsel, SVP Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, discusses the innovations he has driven to create new mobility experiences focused on sustainability and efficiency. He discusses the 125-year-old company’s business, what falls under his purview, and why combining operations and technology was key to the company’s digital transformation. Chris also talks about the “Beyond Tires” side of Goodyear’s business, its place in the broader mobility ecosystem, and the open innovation model it uses to breathe life into the digital transformation at Goodyear. As a part of this transformation, Chris covers Goodyear Ventures, the investment arm of the company, and the investments in sustainable mobility solutions such as the non-pneumatic tire. Finally, Chris reflects on his career success and the trends in technology that will help transform the mobility industry. Since the recording of this episode, Goodyear unveiled at CES 2023 a 90% sustainable-material tire and announced plans to sell a tire with up to 70% sustainable-material content in 2023.

732: Patricia Kummrow; Corporate Vice President, General Manager of NEX Cloud Networking Group at Intel; discusses the infrastructure processing unit and foundational network that she leads at Intel and how it has enabled the company to build a software ecosystem for its customers. Having been at the company for nearly two decades, she gives her perspective on the advancements being made in data as a discipline and what have been the difference makers for companies that have successfully adopted better data practices. Patricia also talks about the skills that make up her team and the collaboration efforts both internally and externally. Finally, Patricia reflects on her experience as a board-level executive and the trends in artificial intelligence and data that are on her radar.

731: Pragati Mathur, Chief Digital & Information Officer of ConocoPhillips, joins Peter High on Technovation to speak about the digital transformation that she is driving at the company and how she is weaving ESG Excellence into the company’s key objectives. She explains her role, and the role of the CIO more generally, in driving ESG at a company and the way digital acts as an enabler for sustainability. Pragati also reflects on her career success, how she has educated herself on the intricacies of each industry she has worked in, and looks ahead at trends such as data and the metaverse that particularly excite her for the future.

730: Kristie Grinnell, SVP & CIO of DXC Technology, joins Peter High on the broadcast to speak about the “Digital DXC Strategy” that she is driving and how she organizes her team to do it. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and talks about continuing a close relationship with the former CIO of DXC, Chris Drumgoole, and the insight that she has gained from it. Having previously held the role of Chief Supply Chain Officer for General Dynamics IT, she speaks to the supply chain issues that companies are facing and how DXC is navigating them. Kristie also reflects on her career, how she got here, the path ahead for women in technology, and trends that she has on her radar for the future.

729: Nancy Avila, Chief Information and Technology Officer of McKesson, discusses the strategic importance of operations within the CIO role and how that part of her purview overlaps with technology. She also talks about the company’s data strategy, its criticality within operations, and using it to improve the customer experience. Nancy covers the way she organizes her team, creates a culture of innovation, and leverages technology to alleviate supply chain issues that companies across industries face. Finally, she reflects on her career success, describes her pathway to board membership, and looks ahead to trends in technology that she is excited about.

728: Lidia Fonseca, Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Pfizer, discusses the game-changing innovation that she is driving at the company and the key components that have helped move this forward. She talks about the company-wide initiative as a result of the pandemic to increase the speed of innovation and the role that her team, as well as technology more broadly speaking, has played in this initiative. Lidia talks about developing the careers of employees through a “zigzag” approach to growth, leveraging talent from other areas including the Digital Innovation Center in Greece, and how culture plays into the innovation process. Finally, she reflects on the keys to her own success and the trends that she has kept an eye on as we enter 2023.

727: Paul Heller and Kendall Kowalski, CTO/COO and CIO of Huntington Bancshares respectively, discuss their collaboration over their careers, the responsibilities that fall under each of their purviews at Huntington, and how they have organized their teams. They also speak about the core modernization effort that they are both driving at Huntington, the transformation office that they have set up to drive the digitization of the customer experience, and the key components behind the successful M&A integrations that they have led, among other topics.

726: Michael Rodgers, Chief Technology Officer of Pilot Company, discusses how he is driving new digital touchpoints for customers and implementing a frictionless experience for truck drivers and other business partners. He describes the structure of the conglomerate, the various verticals he leads, and how marketing and data fit within his purview. Michael covers his career prior to Pilot and what innovations and new trends in technology are on his and Pilot’s roadmap. Finally, he describes the relationship Pilot has with universities to bring in new talent and foster a culture of innovation, among other topics.

725: Marco Argenti, Chief Information Officer of Goldman Sachs, discusses his journey from one of the premier digital native organizations and applying his learnings from that experience to one of the older and more storied investment banks. He provides a thumbnail sketch of Goldman Sachs' long history and how the company’s scale is actually an advantage to its digital transformation. Marco also talks about coming from a background outside of financial services, building credibility within Goldman Sachs, and leveraging his time at AWS to build the B2C business within the organization. Finally, Marco dissects the necessary ingredients in becoming a more nimble enterprise, reflects on the keys to his career success, and talks about his passion for music.

724: Jennifer Hartsock, CIDO of Cargill, discusses the lessons in leadership that she has learned over her seasoned career and how she has used those lessons to realize the art of the possible at Cargill. She explains her preference for the term ‘digital’ over ‘IT’, describes the value both federated and centralized solutions have within her team, and shares anecdotes about how technology has improved the customer experience at the company. When it comes to leadership, Jen shares her “Four Ls of Leadership,” the “platinum rule” she lives by, and how these frameworks have pushed her to be a strategic driver in the CIO role. Finally, Jen reflects on the keys to her continued success, the progress we still have to bring more women into STEM fields, and the trends in technology that are on her roadmap.

723: Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and the CEO & Chairman of Revolution, discusses his latest book, Rise of the Rest and his mission of growing venture capital outside of the epicenters of California, Massachusetts, and New York. He explains the thesis of the book, why 75% of VC focuses on these metropolitan areas, and what inspired him to explore this phenomenon. Steve also gives his perspective on how communities can stimulate venture capital expansion into new areas, how the Rise of the Rest Bus Tours help spur greater visibility on entrepreneurship in these areas, and the venture capital firms he partners with to realize this. He then shares specific anecdotes from his book and the stories from cities that stood out to him during his tours. Across these stories, Steve breaks down the ingredients of a successful venture that he has seen, how the pandemic has changed this, and the role government plays in growing venture capital in their cities. Finally, he talks about growing opportunities for diverse entrepreneurs, economic headwinds that entrepreneurs are beginning to face, and how the tech community has grown in the D.C. Metro area.

722: Rob Lux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Cenlar, discusses his career journey going from CIO to COO and ultimately to co-CEO. He gives a brief thumbnail sketch of Cenlar's business and describes his purview in his new post alongside Jim Daras. Rob also talks about the advantages of being a technologist in his role, the importance of developing a solid relationship with the company’s board of directors, and the benefit of having a close relationship with his CIO successor. Finally, Rob covers the trends in technology that are on his personal radar and reflects on what he attributes to his career success.

721: Sastry Durvasula, Chief Information and Client Services Officer of TIAA, discusses the company’s mission of powering the business’s strategic shifts, fueling the innovation, all while transforming the core. He gives a brief overview of TIAA’s business, the two sides to his purview as Chief Information and Client Services Officer, and how his team collaborates with clients to deliver solutions that resonate with each stakeholder regardless of which stage they are at in their retirement journey. Sastry also describes the way his team is organized, how it drives the broader strategy of the company, and how it is developing a data and AI strategy to realize the organization’s mission. He goes into detail on the types of creative partnerships including those with Universities to upskill talent and diversity groups to open up opportunities for members of those groups. Sastry talks about his involvement in one such group, Girls in Tech, and the impact that it has had on his outlook for DE&I in the industry. Finally, Sastry covers trends in artificial intelligence and the metaverse and reflects on the keys to his career success.

720: Douglas Boom, Principal Engineer of Ethernet Software at Intel, discusses the evolution of ethernet and how it continues to be used today. Doug explains the difference between ethernet and other similar technologies it is often confused with, its use across industries, and where it has been used for cost efficiencies. He also shares a personal anecdote about how the technology he works on has been used to impact his life in a meaningful way. Doug then talks about his long career at Intel, the collaboration he experiences across other groups within the company, and the skills he hires for. Finally, Doug looks ahead at trends in autonomous vehicles and other technologies that he is excited for in the future.

719: Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic and bestselling author, discusses his latest book True North: Leading Authentically in Today's Workplace and why authentic leadership is crucial for success. Bill reflects on his upbringing, his time at Honeywell, and why he felt that joining Medtronic was the perfect move for him. He then talks about insights from his book including the importance of building strong relationships based on trust as a leader, why EQ is as important if not more than IQ, and the COACH framework he developed on organizing people. Bill then talks about the men’s group he has been a part of, how it helped orient and support him through his life, and why everyone should find an equally supportive group. Finally, Bill looks ahead at the future of hybrid work, gives advice for young leaders as we face major econo

718: Kamran Zaki and Roelant Prins, COO & CCO of Adyen respectively, discuss the genesis of the company and its vision for driving the future of Unified Commerce. Kamran gives a brief history of the company, how he got introduced to the platform, and why Adyen has chosen to grow organically instead of pursuing an M&A strategy. Roelant gives his perspective on why unified commerce is imperative for the future of digital transformations, and shares learnings from working with customers during the pandemic. Finally, both executives then talk about the process of international expansion, the hurdles associated with it, and translating the business model across regions.

717: Mario Harik, CEO of XPO, discusses his journey from CIO to CEO and his vision for the future of the business. Mario talks about his initial reflections on his transition to the CEO role and explains what helped him rise to the position. He gives an overview of how XPO was founded and the different verticals and spin-offs that have been a part of the company’s history, including the Less-Than-Truckload vertical he served as President for before his promotion. Mario describes the skillsets on his team, lessons from the company’s many successful M&A integrations, and how he fosters a culture of innovation. Finally, Mario speaks about the tech trends in data that are on his radar for the future of XPO and looks back at the keys to his career success.

716: Greg Meyers, Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), discusses the innovations in digital health that he is driving and how they have accelerated the pace of drug discovery. He gives an overview of BMS's business and the company’s digital health program as well as how collaboration with physicians and hiring for various skills have been critical in developing game-changing innovations. Greg also covers the way his team collaborates internally across the silos within the organization and leverages technologies like artificial intelligence to increase the speed at which drugs are tested and developed. Finally, he explains why he chooses to immerse himself deeply in more technical aspects of the business, looks ahead at what trends in technology he believes will continue to make important contributions to healthcare, and reflects on the keys to his career success.

715: Sigal Zarmi, Board Member of ADT & HashiCorp and senior advisor at Morgan Stanley & BCG, reflects on her seasoned career in technology, what she derives from her experiences, and what’s next for her. She explains the growing strategic nature of the CIO role, the insights from her advisory experiences, and how they have all paved the way for her journey to board membership. Sigal also weighs in on how IT can be a differentiator for high-power intellectual organizations like the ones she has been a part of and why GE Capital became a powerhouse for growing the great CIOs of today. She looks back on her time at the Israeli University Technion and the tech and entrepreneurial community coming out of Israel. Finally, Sigal looks ahead at the trends in cloud computing and advises future CIOs on the difference makers in her career.

714: Rob Mills, EVP, Chief Technology, Digital Commerce, and Strategy Officer of Tractor Supply Company, discusses how he is leveraging technology to improve customer and employee experiences, build a closer connection between them, and improve overall operational efficiencies. He describes the three verticals under his purview, why it makes sense to combine them under one role, and how he fosters cross-functional team culture to drive customer experience improvements. Rob shares perspectives from his experience across the retail industry, the insights he has drawn from across the different segments in retail, and how it has led to securing a board-level position in his career. Finally, he looks ahead at trends in data and artificial intelligence and reflects on the keys to his career success.

713: Cindy Hoots, CDO and CIO of AstraZeneca, discusses tapping into the global talent network and leveraging the company’s innovation hubs around the world. She explains her purview as both CIO and CDO, why she chose to commingle her team between digital and IT, and how she manages the global team. Cindy gives insight into change management practices, creating firm buy-in to ensure successful execution, and why startup ecosystems around the world are becoming more popular. Finally, she talks about the lessons she learned coming out of the pandemic, trends in technology on her radar, and the keys to her continued success.

712: Anil Cheriyan, EVP of Strategy and Technology at Cognizant, covers the recent economic headwinds and their impact on recruitment and the future of work. He gives his perspective on how companies can prepare for a possible recession in the near future and mitigate economic risk through geographic diversification. Along with risk mitigation, Anil shares how diversity can increase the types of expertise talent can bring from other areas around the world and shift the tide in the War for Talent. Finally, Anil talks about the skill sets he specifically hires for and what the future holds for new ways of working.

711: Ashok Srivastava, Chief Data Officer of Intuit, discusses the way he is transforming the business through the intersection of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence. He describes the way the three areas of focus act independently as well as act interdependently. Ashok follows up with Intuit's Follow-Me-Home Approach to customer experience and how the three areas of data, analytics, and AI bring the perspective of the customer to the business. He also talks about the skills he hires for his team, the methods of collaboration across the organization, and maturing the company’s data strategy. With respect to artificial intelligence, Ashok addresses safety and biases and how he mitigates the risks associated. Finally, he talks about having a longer tenure in the role of Chief Data Officer, how he balances his responsibilities outside of the organization, tech trends on his radar, and his reflections on the keys to his career success.

710: Neal Sample, former CIO of Northwestern Mutual, discusses his seasoned career as a technology executive across a variety of companies and shares the insights that he has drawn from each experience. He explains both the enticing and challenging aspects of the CIO role and how it can translate into a broader set of responsibilities at a company. Neal also talks about his board-level experience and why companies, regardless of industry, should look to have a technologist on the board of directors. He looks ahead at his future career prospects, reflects on his pursuit of his Ph.D., provides advice for aspiring CIOs, and speaks to the trends in artificial intelligence and automation that he believes will become prominent in the years to come.

709: Rich Karlgaard, publisher emeritus of Forbes Magazine and bestselling author, reflects on his career at the periodical and the insights he has gained on culture, politics, and the world of business. He talks about the recent Forbes Global CEO Conference in Singapore and debriefs Peter on the high-level takeaways about the foreign perspectives of the global economy, the trajectory of the U.S. economy, and anticipation of the Fed’s response. Rich also looks at his experiences in technology and how he has viewed the generational gap between understanding consumer technology and enterprise technology. Finally, Rich describes his view on entrepreneurship, the keys to his career success, and how he stays knowledgeable on a variety of topics.

708: Justin Mennen, Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Rite Aid, discusses the digital transformation of Rite Aid and how it is leveraging the symbiotic relationship between traditional and digital commerce. He details the hallmarks of a great digital experience, the way his team is structured, and how he has recruited and trained talent to be able to deliver the experience to the company’s customers. Justin describes how he determines when the company invests in shared services across the business versus when a dedicated solution is necessary as well as how the digital platforms increase traffic to the in-store experience. Finally, Justin reflects on the keys to his successful career and how trends in artificial intelligence and data will drive a new level of personalized experiences.

707: Michelle Greene; EVP, CIO, and Head of Global Business Services; discusses with Peter High the complexities of Cardinal Health’s business, the power of collaboration, and the company’s internal talent strategy. She gives an overview of how her teams are organized and a deeper look into the company’s technology commercialization engine Fuse and how it contrasts with the company’s digital office. Michelle also discusses how she works together within her executive time and focuses on implementing a culture of collaboration with her colleagues. She covers the recruiting and retraining strategy for employees relating to continuous improvement and diversity of thought and experience. Finally, Michelle talks about the keys to her career success and looks ahead at the trends in automation that are on her radar for the future.

706: In a panel discussion from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Frank Cassulo, CDO of Chevron, and Bhavani Amirthalingam, CDIO of Ameren, speak with Metis Strategy’s Chris Davis about creating innovative sustainable business models. Both executives share what sustainability means for their respective businesses and how technology unlocks new revenue streams. Frank gives insight into the use of industrial IoT at Chevron and looks at driving an ESG strategy through a global lens while Bhavani provides advice for executives operating outside the energy sector on how to build an effective ESG strategy at their companies.

705: In a panel discussion from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Ash Banerjee, Global CIO of Dentons, and Anil Bhatt, Global CIO of Elevance Health (formerly Anthem Inc.), speak with Metis Strategy’s Mike Bertha about transforming a global IT operating model. Anil speaks to the company’s transition to a customer-centric operating model and the role that culture plays in bringing about this transformation. Ash discusses how the complex environment Dentons operates in is accommodated in the company’s operating model and how he is creating buy-in for a unified IT model from the non-technical executive team.

704: In a panel discussion from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Marykay Wells, CIO of Pearson, and Carman Wenkoff, CIO of Dollar General, speak with Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton about driving strategic IT modernization efforts at their respective companies. Marykay gives insight into Pearson’s use of data and technology to engage with consumers and the metrics she looks at to gauge the progress being made in the company’s digital transformation. Carman shares how he is applying digital to the in-person experience at Dollar General’s stores and how consumer insights have driven the evolution of the company’s mobile app. Finally, both executives talk about the methods they’ve followed to future-proof their organizations and foster resilience.

703: Dak Liyanearachchi, Head of Data and Technology at NRG Energy, discusses the two sides of his purview and how data and technology help maximize value coming from the business. He gives his perspectives on data strategy, NRG's emphasis on consumer products and services, and the role data and technology play in the company’s overall goals in sustainability, digital engagement, and product development. Dak talks about the universality of his experience in data, but how the unique value comes from how that experience is applied to the specific company and industry. Finally, he looks ahead at trends in the decarbonization of our economy and reflects on the keys to his career success.

702: In a panel discussion from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Chandra Dhandapani, CEO of Global Workplace Solutions at CBRE, speaks about the future of work. Chandra discusses how the landscape is evolving as we come out of the pandemic and how companies are thinking about balancing in-person collaboration and workplace flexibility. She provides advice on how managers can be intentional about bringing employees back to the office and leverage data-driven insights to make the right decisions for their companies. Finally, Chandra reflects on her journey from CIO to CEO and why she believes the CIO role is a great training ground for future CEOs.

701: In a panel discussion from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Kevin Stine, the Chief of Applied Cybersecurity Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Information Technology Laboratory, discusses the evolution of the cybersecurity landscape and the frameworks being adopted to manage this risk. Kevin talks specifically about the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, the new update the organization rolled out recently, and why global alignment is important to help US businesses remain competitive in global markets. Finally, he also talks about the future of cybersecurity, how companies are implementing better risk-management measurement capabilities, and why the introduction of quantum computing can pose a real threat to organizations.

700: In this interview, we celebrate 700 episodes of Technovation with special guest, author, thought leader, and NYU Stern Professor Scott Galloway. Scott shares his goal of becoming the most influential thought leader in the history of business, what that means to him, and how he is stretching his expertise as his brand has expanded into a variety of subject areas across media. Despite his tenure at NYU Stern, Scott has been a vocal critic of the traditional university education model. He explains the rationale behind this critique and what the future holds for education and training. Scott also talks about the broader societal problems that America is facing and while these problems are touted as insurmountable, he makes the case for why they can be easily addressed and solved by what America has to offer. Finally, Scott gives his perspective on the overvaluation of the Tech Giants, why the government has yet to step in, and what scenarios are likely to play out in the near future. Pre-order Scott’s latest book Adrift: America in 100 Charts here: https://www.amazon.com/Adrift-America-Charts-Scott-Galloway/dp/0593542401 Check out Scott’s podcast, newsletter, and other works on his website: https://profgmedia.com/

699: In a panel discussion from our September Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Susan Doniz, CIO & SVP of IT & Data Analytics at Boeing, and Vinod Bidarkoppa, SVP of Walmart and CTO of Sam’s Club, cover the topic of Data & Analytics as a Source of Resilience and Growth. Susan explains the role data & analytics play in delivering predictability and stability as a part of Boeing’s overall strategy, how she trains her team in the skills needed to achieve that, and why data is integral to a company’s culture and telling its story. Vinod describes how data & analytics impact the customer experience at Sam’s Club, how he is making Sam’s Club into an AI-enabled digital enterprise, and how he is democratizing that data across his business.

698: In a fireside chat from our September 2022 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Peter High speaks with Gabe Dalporto, CEO of Udacity, to discuss the skills that will be necessary for employees in the Digital Age and how companies can foster the upskilling essential to keep pace with their digital transformations. Gabe looks at the current state of digital skills and where Udacity fits in the spectrum of overall education. He describes the three main skill sets that will be crucial for companies to train employees in, the path ahead for employees in non-technical roles, and the best practices for companies developing their own in-house digital academies. Finally, Gabe advises incoming college students on what skills to learn for their future careers.

697: Ramon Richards, CIO of Fannie Mae, speaks about the digital transformation of Fannie Mae and the mortgage lending industry. He gives an overview of Fannie Mae’s business and what the digital transformation at the company entails including incorporating automation, maturing a data strategy, and building a team to foster innovation. Ramon describes the process of upskilling the employees with the digital skills necessary and how technology facilitated resiliency during the pandemic. Finally, Ramon looks ahead at the trends in technology that are on his radar and reflects on his long tenure as well as the keys to his success.

696: Rima Qureshi, Chief Strategy Officer of Verizon, speaks about the evolution of the telecom industry and how Verizon has pivoted its strategy along the way. She explains her purview as Chief Strategy Officer, how she engages different areas of the business to develop Verizon’s strategy, and dives deeper into what the company’s 2022 strategic imperatives included. Rima also discusses the importance of Verizon's partnerships with strategic partners and hyperscalers highlighting the way her team invests in ecosystems and a few general principles that define a successful acquisition. Finally, Rima reflects on the trends in the telecom industry, the keys to her success in the industry, and the trends on Verizon’s horizon.

695: Mike Feliton, CIO of Crocs, speaks about how the IT organization has stayed ahead of the company’s growth both organically and through acquisition. He describes the role that technology plays at a company as tactile as Crocs and how that technology has facilitated agility and scalability. Mike also covers how relationships with vendors have allowed the company to grow internationally at an impressive rate. He also discusses the processes of integrating the HEYDUDE acquisition, leveraging the perspective of a consumer to enhance the customer experience within IT, and maturing the data strategy behind Crocs. Finally, Mike looks ahead at the trends in automation and gives advice on the keys to his continued career success.

694: Kevin Vasconi, CIO of Wendy’s, discusses the digital transformation of the quick-service restaurant industry and how the pandemic has impacted customer behaviors. He details the tech landscape he found at Wendy’s when he joined and the innovation he has driven to digitize the customer experience further. Kevin explains the recently announced “Next Gen Restaurant Design” of Wendy’s locations, the technology being implemented, and how it all comes together to improve and personalize the customer experience. He also describes the relationship he has with franchisees, how they help pilot innovative technology solutions, and how all business units work together to improve the mobile app experience. Finally, Kevin looks ahead at the trends in technology on his radar and reflects on the keys to his career success.

693: In this interview, Frank Cassulo, Chief Digital Officer of Chevron, discusses the role digital plays in Chevron’s overall strategy. As the first to occupy the role of CDO, Frank describes the responsibilities that fall under his new purview and how he has built his team drawing on talent from both inside and outside the company. He also covers how digital fits into the company’s three key strategic imperatives, customer and employee experiences, and efforts in providing clean reliable energy. Frank also touches on how he leverages ecosystems with startups to develop innovations and speaks to lessons he learned during the pandemic on how digital helps foster resilience at Chevron. Finally, he looks ahead at the trends in technology that excite him and reflects on the keys to his career success.

692: In this interview, Jay Ferro, Chief Information and Technology Officer of Clario, discusses with Peter High the way he collaborates and engages with his ecosystems, both internally and externally. He gives an overview of Clario’s business, the two sides of his purview, and his role’s impact on the company’s R&D efforts. Jay explains how he engages with the four constituent groups Clairo serves; clinical trial sites, sponsor organizations, patients, & internal customers; how he removes the internal barriers to collaboration, and how he sustains company culture in a hybrid working environment. Finally, he weighs in on the benefits he has seen from his substantial social media presence, the trends that he is actively following, and the keys to his career success.

691: In this interview, Huma Abidi; General Manager and Senior Director of Artificial Intelligence, Software, and Engineering at Intel; discusses the creative ways artificial intelligence is being applied and the path ahead for combatting unconscious biases in AI models. She describes her purview at Intel and explains to Peter High the key differences between typical software and artificial intelligence software. Huma dives deep into the intersection of AI and creativity and shares the remarkable progress being made in the creation of things like art, podcasts, and more. Finally, Huma reiterates the importance of diversity when building AI models to eliminate biases and shares how companies, both AI and non-AI-focused, can improve the opportunities granted to diverse talent in the workplace.

690: In this interview, Shanthi Iyer, CIO of DocuSign, discusses the company’s immense growth and the transformation that arose as a result. Shanthi begins with what brought her to the company and what her purview entails as the company’s CIO. As a part of her role, she drives the employee experience and looks to improve it across areas like process automation and a consolidated and three-layered data strategy. Shanthi also reflects on her time at Cisco, the lessons she has brought with her to DocuSign, and how the role of the CIO has evolved over the years. Finally, she covers the state of women in technology, trends that excite her as she looks ahead, and the keys to her continued success in the field.

689: In this interview, Earl Newsome, CIO of Cummins, discusses the company’s strategic pivot to focus on agility, resiliency, and business capability management. Earl begins with an overview of the company’s business and his role as CIO. As CIO, he covers the areas of importance on his priority list, the new business engagement model he has driven at the company, and the change management that arose as a result. Earl also speaks on bringing diversity into the workplace and the work he and others are doing to increase diverse talent in the workplace through the TechPACT organization. Additionally, Earl also talks about the company’s increased focus on cybersecurity and how he is training his employees to be “CyberSMART”. Finally, Earl shares the trends in technology that he is looking forward to and gives advice on how others can reach the same level of success as he has had throughout his career.

688: Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, shares his perspective on changing customer expectations and their impact on the future of work. He shares the hallmarks of great customer experience in the digital age, highlights shifting customer priorities, and articulates the ways in which companies are responding to these changes. He also discusses how hyper-automation is changing collaboration tools and shares his thoughts on what the future might hold. Finally, Thimaya looks ahead at other trends in technology on his radar, including the expansion of 5G and continued prevalence of data analytics.

687: In this interview, Keith Krach, former CEO of DocuSign and former Under Secretary of State, discusses his remarkably diverse set of career experiences. Keith reflects on the evolution and adoption of robotics and the internet and the genesis behind Ariba. He also talks about the importance of trust in technology and how that paved the way for DocuSign. We then discuss his time in policy as Under Secretary of State and developing the Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. Finally, Keith shares his perspective on current geopolitical topics including US-China relations, China’s relationship with Taiwan, and the future of tech diplomacy.

686: Dame Stephanie “Steve” Shirley, entrepreneur and venture philanthropist, reflects on her storied career as an IT pioneer. After escaping Nazi Germany and arriving in the UK as a child, she went on to hold a series of influential positions in the technology industry. Dame Stephanie describes the trials and tribulations of starting a company as a woman in the 1960s, building client relationships as a woman-led business, and adopting an ahead-of-its-time approach to workplace flexibility. She also shares her passion for autism research, her role as a “venture philanthropist,” in the space, and progress made in developing an autism treatment. Finally, Dame Stephanie discusses her memoir, Let It Go: My Extraordinary Story, and how she remains active and productive in the later years of her life.

685: Craig Richardville, Chief Digital and Information Officer of Intermountain Healthcare, discusses the evolution of digital in the healthcare space across his career as a digital executive in the industry. Craig shares how he helped drive a patient-first perspective when it came to digital and his focus on cloud adoption and a mobile-first orientation to set a better foundation for the company. He also discusses the pathway he and his peers have taken going from running support organizations to running strategic drivers for their companies at present.

684: Marykay Wells, CIO of Pearson, discusses the remarkable transformation she has driven at Pearson to reinvent itself for the digital age. Marykay dissects the pandemic's impact on digital learning platforms and their adoption, including Pearson’s own Pearson+ platform. She also covers how this digital learning has translated into internal training at Pearson and how it has shifted the company’s focus from primarily B2B into a B2C orientation. Marykay describes the internal innovation competitions the company holds to identify opportunities and how she has moved the IT organization towards a new IT service model. Finally, Marykay talks about the up-and-coming trends in technology she sees and gives advice for people looking to follow in her footsteps as a tech executive.

683: Ather Williams III; EVP & Head of Strategy, Digital, and Innovation at Wells Fargo; and Prakash Kota, SVP & Chief Information Officer of Autodesk, discuss the technology-led business model innovations at their respective companies. Prakash begins with the digital transformation he has led at Autodesk. Both executives then give their perspectives on identifying and operationalizing innovation opportunities and adopting an agile mindset to measure the value realized from these opportunities.

682: In this interview, Rahul Jalali, Chief Information Officer of Union Pacific, discusses with Peter High the transformation efforts to modernize the 160-year-old railroad. Rahul covers his purview as CIO, what it means to be a tech executive at a railway company, and the internal operational lens of his purview. He also reflects on his experience in B2C functions and how they have informed his B2B role at Union Pacific. Rahul also describes what he means by transforming Union Pacific into a platform company, creating a high-performing culture through recruitment and DE&I, and why he has chosen to rebrand IT at the company. Finally, Rahul looks ahead at trends in technology that he is keeping abreast of and clues us into the keys to his career success.

681: In this interview, Mamatha Chamarthi, Head of Software Business and Product Management P&L at Stellantis, and Vipin Gupta, Group Vice President & Chief Information Officer of Toyota Financial Services (TFS), discuss building talent for digital operating models. Vipin begins with an overview of the product orientation model he has adopted within the financial services industry and talks about the Digital Academy he has created to train non-technical talent throughout the organization. Mamatha describes the skills and experiences needed to be a successful product owner at Stellantis. Finally, both executives discuss how they curated their career paths from IT to become broader business leaders within their respective organizations.

680: In this interview, Intel Fellow Andres Rodriguez discusses the work he and his team are doing to advance artificial intelligence and its applications. Andres speaks to the historical evolution of artificial intelligence, the work being done to democratize access to AI algorithms, and the benefits and risks that AI can pose to society. Andres also provides a unique look at the hardware side of artificial intelligence, the trade-offs in complexity with its software counterpart, and how companies of all sizes can train and distill large AI models into smaller more applicable models. Finally, Andres explains how open-source communities are advancing the progress being made in AI and how citizen developers and people without engineering backgrounds can be easily trained to become familiar with the tools behind AI.

679: In this interview, Chris Drumgoole, COO of DXC Technology, and Jeff Smith, COO of World Fuel Services, discuss their journey going from the CIO role to COO. Jeff shares his method to operationalize culture and measure the productivity of his teams. Chris then talks about how he uses the Net Promoter Score (NPS) to gauge employee satisfaction at DXC. Finally, both executives opine on the mindset shifts as they entered the role of the COO and give their perspective on the current supply chain challenges that companies are facing.

678: In this interview, Anil Bhatt, Global CIO of Elevance Health (formerly Anthem Inc.), discusses the remarkable work he has done over his tenure and the ascent of technology at the company. Anil covers the work he and his team are doing to humanize the solutions Elevance Health provides and make technology more empathetic as the pandemic has accelerated people's willingness to engage with technology. He also talks about the way Elevance Health is leveraging artificial intelligence and how it is helping to bring about experience personalization across a variety of different constituents. Finally, Anil touches on how he structures and facilitates collaboration across the large team he leads, what trends in technology are on his radar for Elevance Health’s future, and what he sees were the keys to his career success. This episode was recorded before Anthem, Inc. rebranded to Elevance Health on June 28, 2022.

677: In this interview, Teddy Bekele, SVP & CTO of Land O’Lakes, and Ryan Snyder, SVP & CIO of Thermo Fisher Scientific, discuss how innovation ecosystems act as a source of growth for their respective companies. Teddy describes what Land O'Lakes's innovation ecosystem looks like, IT's role within it, and how those ecosystems interact. Ryan then talks about how he connects the dots across the business and influences innovation and why he believes single-instance tech applications are the right move for Thermo Fisher instead of firm-wide consolidation. Finally, Teddy and Ryan speak about how they interact with C-suite peers to work with these ecosystems and drive broader innovation across the company.

676: In this interview, Katya Andresen, Chief Digital and Analytics Officer of Cigna, discusses her impressive and diverse career path and the insights that she’s drawn from it along the way. She begins with an overview of Cigna's business and the two sides of her purview as Chief Digital and Analytics Officer. Katya covers the company’s broader data strategy, the way she assembles and structures her teams, the overlaps present across the multiple teams she leads, and reflection on the acceleration of telemedicine with Cigna’s release of MDLIVE and more. Finally, she discusses the process of onboarding during the pandemic, orienting herself at the company, and what trends in technology are on her radar.

675: In this interview, four executives from the financial services industry give their perspectives on talent, data, and innovation at their respective companies and what the future of the industry looks like. Citizens Bank’s Michael Ruttledge discusses the company’s in-house engineering academies and training programs and how automation is helping with a more efficient self-service-focused customer experience. Comerica’s Megan Crespi covers the DE&I recruiting programs at the company and her thoughts on the “Amazoning” of customer expectations. Ally Bank’s Sathish Muthukrishnan talks about leveraging data to differentiate the digital-born company from its competitors. Finally, Truist’s Scott Case gives insight into the merger of BB&T and SunTrust that formed the company and how its Digital Straddle helped facilitate the merger during the pandemic.

674: In this interview, Paul Ballew, Chief Data and Analytics Officer of the NFL, discusses the role that data and analytics play in the most popular of American sports, as well as the evolution of the disciplines associated with each from across his career. He reflects on the early stages of his journey in data and analytics, the limitations he faced throughout its evolution, and how it's being used now for personalizing the customer experience across the NFL’s constituent groups. Paul also describes how the roles in data analytics have changed, why Chief Data Officer tenures tend to be shorter on average, and the way the teams and reporting relationships have changed throughout the years. Finally, Paul talks about how his background suits him well for a position on the board of Hyatt Hotels, trends in analytics that excite him, and the keys to success that he believes have led to his career ascension.

673: In this interview, Thomas Kurian, Chief Executive Officer of Google Cloud, discusses the future ahead for cloud technology. He begins with an assessment of where we as a society are currently in the evolution of cloud computing and how Google’s Cloud Platform differs from the rest of the players in the space. Thomas then describes Google’s ambitious mission of training 40 million people on cloud technology, why it’s important, and how Google plans on achieving it. Finally, Thomas looks ahead at the future of work and the role technology and collaboration tools will play in managing a hybrid workforce.

672: In this interview, Nick Colisto, Chief Information Officer of Avery Dennison, shares the remarkable work Avery Dennison and IT more specifically, are doing relative to environmental, social, and governance or ESG goals, a topic of great consequence and interest to many technology and digital executives currently. Nick shares the three goals in ESG and how each connects to both doing good and good business practices. He talks about the impacts of this ESG strategy on recruiting, IT, and the CIO role more specifically. Finally, Nick looks ahead at trends in sustainability and the work that he hopes to achieve at Avery Dennison in the near future.

671: In this interview, Chris Nardecchia, Chief Information Officer of Rockwell Automation, discusses some of the necessary ingredients that he and his team have put in place in order to bring about the company’s remarkable transformation. Chris talks about the broader strategy of the company, the power of the CIO role in driving unique value, and how the company’s strategy contains both an internal and external lens. He addresses some of the impediments to transformation in the industrial sector, describes the process of recruiting and retaining top talent, and upskilling talent within and outside the organization to deliver the art of the possible. Finally, Chris looks ahead at the trends in technology and talent he has on his radar and the keys to his career success.

670: In this interview, Willard Lee, Chief Information and Innovation Officer of The Hanover Insurance Group, discusses the topic of continuous modernization and innovation through co-creation. Will begins with an overview of The Hanover Insurance Group's business model and the two sides of his purview. He shares his career journey through various roles in IT, operations, and other business lines; how they culminated in his current role in both IT and innovation; and how they have positioned him to better seize opportunities in innovation. Will also covers how his team is set up, its intersections across the rest of the business, and the role of IT in the agent, customer, and employee journeys. Finally, Will touches on the role of data and analytics at the company, his perspective on rising InsurTech players, future trends, and the keys to his career success.

669: In this interview, Sanjib Sahoo, EVP and Chief Digital Officer of Ingram Micro, covers the topic of value-driven development and creating tangible value through digital. Sanjib shares how he looks at internal processes and behaviors models those of the customers and helps improve the external practices Ingram Micro adopts. He discusses the vision at Ingram Micro, the internal cultural change that is necessary to achieve the vision, and how he recruits and retains top talent to drive that vision. Finally, he looks ahead at the tech trends he is excited about and talks about what he views as the key to his career success.

668: In this interview, Maya Leibman, Chief Information Officer of American Airlines, covers the company’s mission of “delivering value faster” to customers and leveraging technology to improve the customer experience. She begins by reflecting on the challenges American has faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the new sources of innovation that arose during the time, and how the next generation strategic initiatives that began at the company prior to the pandemic became a major source of resilience. Maya also discusses how technology is being leveraged to improve customer and employee experiences, how her experience as President of AAdvantage Loyalty Program influenced how she views the customer experience, and how her long tenure as CIO has opened up a world of opportunities. Finally, she talks about her personal and professional growth as a woman in technology, the trends she is excited to see in customer experience design, and the keys to her continued success.

667: In this interview, Dave Girouard, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Upstart, covers the topic of how Upstart is leveraging artificial intelligence models to increase people’s access to credit. He provides an overview of the company’s business model, how it collects the data it uses across multiple constituents, and the learning process he went through during the development of the company. He then describes the way artificial intelligence fits into the model, why this approach is its differentiator, and what hurdles he faced along the way. Finally, Dave talks about the company’s IPO, why this was the right time to go public, and how his experience building out Google's cloud business set him up for success with Upstart.

666: In this interview, Pres. Vicente Fox, former President of Mexico and President of Centro Fox, covers the topic of leadership and the key traits that determine a successful leader. He starts by giving a thumbnail sketch of the state of politics currently in Mexico and other Latin American countries and describes the evolution that Mexico has undergone to become a hub for technology and talent in the global economy. Pres. Fox also shares his perspective on the current war in Ukraine and why leadership needs to be both compassionate and purposeful in order for it to work. Finally, Pres. Fox talks about what makes him optimistic for the future and the work that he is doing now to make it a better place for everyone.

665: In this interview, Prakash Kota, SVP and Chief Information Officer of Autodesk, covers the topic of Autodesk’s transformation into a customer-centric organization with a focus on people and processes. Prakash provides an overview of Autodesk’s business, his purview as CIO, and what the migration towards customer-centricity has looked like. He describes the way his role as an IT leader and consumer of cloud services and prepared him for the transformation at Autodesk as well as how his various roles at the company has given him a unique perspective in IT. Specifically, Prakash looks at the way IT has played a role in improving both the customer and employee experience, recruiting top talent, and providing growth opportunities for current talent at the company. Finally, Prakash looks at the trends in technology that his team is focusing on and what the keys to success were in his personal career path.

664: In this interview, Puneet Bhasin; EVP, Global CIO, and CDO of Unum Group; discusses the combination of business operations and technology in his career. Puneet begins with an overview of Unum Group and his purview as both CIO and CDO. He talks about the skill sets he looks for in talent when building his team and how they contribute to the company’s focus on creating value through platforms in addition to other areas of innovation at Unum. Puneet also shares his career experience in both operations and technology and covers the ways the CIO role translates into adjacent areas of influence in a company. Finally, Puneet gives his perspective on his pathway to board membership, trends in technology that are on his radar, and the keys to his success in his field.

663: In this interview, Dan Blanchard, SVP and Chief Technology Officer of IHG, covers the topic of leveraging digital channels to build a resilient business model. Dan begins with an overview of IHG, the company’s differentiating factors in the hospitality space, and his purview as CTO. He recalls the nimble strategy the company adopted during the early stages of the pandemic and how he focused on new digital channels as well as transitioning towards next-generation capabilities through an art-of-the-possible mindset. Finally, Dan gives his perspective on emerging trends in technology that could impact the hospitality industry and the keys he attributes to his successful career.

662: In this interview, we discuss the thesis behind Unscaled and how companies need to be intentional about scaling their businesses. Hemant emphasizes the importance of integrating General Catalyst's values in the companies he grows and looking at long-term consequences of these investments. He also gives his perspective on social good businesses and how artificial intelligence can be used to measure consequences of investment decisions. Finally, we discuss how Hemant’s approach to investing has changed over the pandemic, why writing allows him to become convicted in his own thinking, and other keys to his successful career.

661: In this interview, we feature a conversation from our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of how data and digital capabilities are shaping the future of work with Vince Campisi, the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Services and Chief Digital Officer of Raytheon Technologies, and Edward Wagoner, the Chief Information Officer of JLL. The conversation was moderated by Metis Strategy’s Co-Head of Research, Media, and Executive Networks Steven Norton. Edward discusses the evolution of hybrid working environments, the future of technology’s role as a whole in how employees work and live, and how CIOs can take full advantage of facilities using technology. Vince gives his perspective on Raytheon’s return-to-site strategy and bridging the physical and digital through the use of digital twins. Finally, both executives talk about the importance of sustainability and what the path forward looks like at their respective companies.

660: In this interview, Chris Clark, SVP & Chief Information Officer of Levi Strauss & Co., discusses the many facets of the company’s digital transformation. Chris talks about how he harnesses trends in digital innovation to create a competitive advantage and how he creates a curriculum that aims to upskill talent in both business and technology. He also shares the strategic imperatives LS & Co. is focused on in the years ahead, how the company’s data strategy has evolved, and the role the Eureka Innovation Lab plays in driving digital innovation. Finally, Chris shares how his role as CIO has been informed by his experiences in supply chain roles and the military.

659: In this interview, we feature a panel discussion with Raghu Sagi, Chief Information Officer of Inspire Brands, and Onyeka Nchege, Chief Information Officer of Novant Health, on the topic of how talent and culture enable enterprise agility. Both Raghu and Onyeka share remarkable stories of how the culture of their respective companies takes inspiration from constituents and members of their ecosystems, bringing the company values closer to the customers they serve. Onyeka discusses how these ecosystems influence culture and innovation. Raghu shares an impressive anecdote about evolving the in-person model of their restaurants during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

658: In this interview, Teddy Bekele, CTO of Land O’Lakes, covers the digital transformation undergoing in the farm-to-fork agriculture supply chain. He begins with an overview of the cooperative and the two sides to his purview in traditional IT and digital transformation. Teddy discusses the process his team uses to foster innovation, bring actionable insights to farmers, and bridging the digital divide in agriculture. Finally, Teddy recounts his experience as a technologist as a part of the American Connection Project and BCBS of Minnesota board position, recalls the keys to his success, and looks ahead at the tech trends on his radar.

657: In a panel discussion from our February Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Gurmeet Singh, CTO and CIO of Big Lots Stores, and Gary Desai, CIO of Discount Tire, join Metis Strategy Vice President and Central Office Lead Michael Bertha on the topic of building resilient digital supply chains. Gurmeet provides his perspective on the role of data in supply chains and how ecosystems fit into making them more resilient. Gary describes what role the CIO plays and how the company is exploring new business models that could fundamentally change the way supply chains operate.

656: In this interview, Raghu Raghuram, CEO of VMware, joins Peter High to discuss the future of multi-cloud strategy. Raghu recalls the lessons he learned during VMware’s cloud transformation and how it influenced the transformations VMware provides to its customers. He also described what he called “redefining the category” when it comes to innovating the multi-cloud strategy, broadening his ecosystem, and what it means for companies to be “cloud smart”. Finally, Raghu looks ahead at the future of cybersecurity preparedness and his recommendation for technology executives, the impacts of the pandemic on his business, and his perspectives on how it's impacted his customer's businesses, among other topics.

655: In this interview, Gadi Singer, VP of Intel Labs and Director of Emergent Artificial Intelligence Research Lab, joins Peter High in a discussion about the third wave of artificial intelligence and the development of cognitive AI. Gadi provides an overview of the Emergent Artificial Intelligence Research Lab at Intel and the multidisciplinary nature of his team. He speaks on the history of artificial intelligence’s development, where the current limitations exist, and how we can continue to safeguard artificial intelligence from bad actors, among other topics.

654: In this interview, we feature a conversation with Charu Jain, SVP of Merchandising and Innovation at Alaska Airlines, and Sanjib Sahoo, EVP and CDO of Ingram Micro, from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of creating a world-class digital customer experience moderated by Metis Strategy VP and West Coast Lead Chris Davis. Charu shares how Alaska Airlines is tackling the innovation cycle and Sanjib shares how Ingram Micro makes this innovation cycle a core ethos of the organization. Sanjib also covers the four ways he is approaching innovation and using that to drive scale. Finally, Charu discusses realizing tangible business value through innovation and how Alaska Airlines is using data to personalize the guest experience.

In this interview, Fred Reichheld, creator of the Net Promoter Score and Author of Winning on Purpose, covers the genesis of the Net Promoter Score and why customer-centricity should be every company’s focus. Fred talks about the lessons he learned when spending time with CEOs of customer-focused companies and how they relate to his metric for measuring customer lives enriched. He covers the common ways that NPS has been misused, practices that NPS has led to remarkable success, and how this holds true for even digital native companies. He also discusses the employee side of the equation as it relates to recruiting talent, enriching employee lives, and fostering greater degrees of customer-centricity across the organization. Finally, Fred hones in on why the nuance of enriching a customer’s life is an important distinction to enriching a company’s outputs.

652: In this interview, Vince Campisi, Chief Digital Officer and SVP of Enterprise Services at Raytheon Technologies, discusses how he is creating a digital thread throughout the conglomerate. Vince gives an overview of Raytheon Technologies, its merger with United Technologies, and the two sides of his purview. He describes what the digital thread at the company looks like and how it has accelerated the pace at which the company can create minimal viable products in the space. Vince also covers how he brings both unique and common solutions to the companies under the Raytheon umbrella, how he has curated his team at the company, and how he leverages an ecosystem of partners to accomplish the speed of innovation he seeks to achieve. Finally, Vince talks about his 70-20-10 philosophy behind investing in innovation, developing a sound data strategy, and the tech trends that he believes will change the aerospace industry down the road.

651: In this interview, Raghu Sagi, Chief Information Officer of Inspire Brands, covers the way he is using digital to enhance the customer experience of the dine-in restaurants in the company’s portfolio of brands. Raghu discusses to what degree his team creates unique solutions across its brands and when these solutions become commonly adopted across all brands under the company’s umbrella as well as how franchisees play a role in the adoption of these solutions. He also talks about the recruiting practices the company follows to hire the right talent during its significant digital transformation, why he thinks of himself as a business leader first and technologist second, and how he inspires his team to think of themselves as both customers and colleagues. Finally, Raghu gives his perspective on tech trends that are on his radar and how he leverages these trends to innovate at the company.

650: In this interview, Mike Clifton, EVP and Chief Information and Digital Officer of Alorica, discusses the expansion of his role in the client-facing side of the business and leveraging actionable insights from an ocean of data. Mike begins with an overview of Alorica's business, what his purview as CIDO consists of, and how he is focusing on the consumer in his role. He also talks about developing a strong data foundation at Alorica and how he thinks about building the technology ecosystem to drive the data strategy at the company. Finally, Mike gives his perspective on how his background in multiple disciplines has helped him in his new role, the key elements to his success, and what trends in technology are on the horizon.

649: In this interview, Kathy Kay, Chief Information Officer for Principal Financial Group, discusses how she is driving the modernization and simplification efforts at the company to evolve the customer interactions from a digital perspective. Kathy also gives her perspective on the war for talent and how her experience starting her role during the pandemic has informed her view on remote onboarding. Finally, she shares a few lessons learned from her diverse array of experiences, what the future of women in tech looks like, and the various trends in technology that she is keeping her eye on.

648: In this interview, Diogo Rau, CIDO of Eli Lilly, discusses with Peter High the areas of opportunity in the drug discovery industry that technology has helped accelerate. He starts with his strategic priorities in his first year as CIDO and what attracted him to this complex industry. Diogo then expands upon the data strategy of the company and how machine learning is accelerating drug discovery. Finally, he talks about how he has harnessed the talent in the Indianapolis area, long-lasting changes from the pandemic, and the keys to success in Diogo’s diverse career.

647: In this interview, Bill Pappas, EVP & Head of Technology and Operations at MetLife, discusses the expansion of the technology leader's role and its growing impact on the company’s interactions with customers. Bill begins with what his joint responsibility consists of and the power it holds under one executive’s responsibilities. He explains how people are the most important asset of a company and MetLife's investments in talent to retain its skilled workforce. Finally, Bill gives his perspective on being cognizant of customer experiences outside his industry to ensure he is providing the best service to his customers and the company’s natural coopetition with InsurTech companies in the space.

646: In this interview, Mark Mills, author of The Cloud Revolution, discusses with Peter High his latest book and how the intersections of the three spheres of technology have caused technological revolutions. Mark covers the rhyming political, social, and technological dynamics between the 1918-1920 Pandemic and the present and how the three spheres of technology; information, materials, and machines; have intersected over the years to bring about revolutions. Finally, Mark looks ahead at how technology is changing employment, the necessary retraining that arises, and what will define the winners in the Roaring 2020s.

645: In this interview, Stanley McChrystal, retired US Army General and CEO of the McChrystal Group, covers his latest book, Risk: A User’s Guide, and discusses the way people should be assessing, calculating, and acting on risks an organization faces. He begins by defining what risk is, ten risk control factors used to evaluate risk, and why humans are naturally poor at calculating risk. Stanley discusses the necessity of having a narrative that aligns with the values set forth by the organization and ties this into the U.S.’s foreign policy. Finally, Stanley gives his perspective on the current war in Ukraine, the risk each party faces, and what constitutes a good decision. This broadcast was recorded in front of a live audience.

644: In this interview, Carman Wenkoff, CIO of Dollar General, discusses the restructuring of IT’s vision to provide a better customer experience for Dollar General. Carman shares what this vision for IT looks like and how he has used it to develop scale at the company. He also goes over Dollar General’s digital strategy and app-based technologies to serve its customers. Finally, Carman gives his perspective on how modernization and advancements in technology have provided him a better toolkit for finding efficiencies, how his legal background has informed his view as CIO, and what tech trends are on his radar for the future.

643: Lama Nachman, Intel Fellow and the Director of Intelligence Systems Research Lab at the company, discusses how her team is driving the future of artificial intelligence and its collaboration with people. Lama explains the mission of Intel’s Intelligence Systems Research Lab and describes the types of skills necessary to research the groundbreaking collaboration between humans and AI. She also provides a look at what the next frontier of artificial intelligence is in human augmentation including aiding in education, accessibility for adults with disabilities, and manufacturing. Finally, Lama gives her perspective on developing responsible AI and how further developments could prove to create a more sustainable future.

642: In this interview, Seemantini Godbole, EVP & CIO for Lowe’s, discusses how she is driving innovation at the company and using technology to be a differentiator among competing retailers. Seemantini describes her expansive purview overseeing various functions at the company and how those functions ultimately fit together. She also explains the evolution of data products at Lowe's, pre-pandemic efforts to foster resilience, as well the idea of “spatial commerce” and the innovations that come along with it to meet changing customer needs.

641: Casey Santos, CIO of Asurion, discusses how her team is driving customer experience and how it is rooted in the employee experience at the company. Casey begins with how she views her role as a technologist within a tech-centric organization like Asurion as well as how Asurion oftentimes lives its customer journey as customer zero. She covers the role technology plays in Asurion's omnichannel approach, her experience onboarding remotely, and what the future of work looks like. Additionally, Casey gives her perspective on retaining talent during hybrid work, how she draws upon past experiences in her current role, and what the future holds for women in technology.

640: In this interview, Bharat Amin, CIO of Hungtington Ingalls Industries (HII), discusses with Peter High the digitization of the defense industry. Bharat provides an overview of Huntington Ingalls Industries and his purview as Chief Information Officer. He describes how his team is structured and what areas under his purview are managed on a global level versus what are managed on a divisional level. Bharat details his framework for gauging the effectiveness of cybersecurity at the company and what digital innovation looks like. Finally, Bharat talks about how he curates an ecosystem of technology partners to expand the advanced technologies used to protect, connect, and integrate the joint forces as well as the trends in technology that are on his radar which will further transform the defense industry.

639: In this interview, Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder of Square and Founder of Invisibly, discusses the beginnings of his career and how his early experiences inspired the genesis of Square. He shares a couple key strategies that he pursued to compete with large players like Amazon and how this led to the concept of his book, The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time. Finally, Jim gives an overview of Invisibly’s business, gives his perspective on the problems with the business model of existing platforms, and looks ahead at what the future holds for the company.

638: In this interview, Santhosh Keshavan, EVP and Chief Information Officer of Voya Financial, focuses on growth through innovation and simplification to create efficiencies to deliver a better experience for Voya’s customers. Santhosh discusses the role digital plays in interactions with customers and how it has evolved over the last few years. He also talks about efforts at the company to simplify tech and digital as a source of growth and shifting the mindset at Voya to focus on both simplification and innovation. Santhosh goes over the role of data at Voya, other areas of innovation that his team is looking at, and creative ways he has identified and recruited talent during a time of high attrition. Finally, Santhosh gives a couple of tech trends that have been on his radar as he continues to grow the company.

638: In this interview, Vlad Rak, EVP and Chief Technology Officer of Dick’s Sporting Goods, covers the athlete and teammate-centered strategy at the company. Vlad begins with an explanation of his purview as CTO of the sports retailer and provides background on the company’s strategy focusing on the distinction between the inward and outward-facing aspects. He describes the ways his experience as a professional athlete has shaped his perspective in his role, weaved the teammate mentality into the DNA of the organization, and influenced the way he focuses on the customer and employee experience. Finally, Vlad talks about how he curates his unique ecosystem of experts to improve the athlete experience and the trends in technology that will continue to evolve the sports industry.

636: In this interview, Brett Brunick, EVP and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Thrivent, covers the importance of creating digital competencies and weaving them into the fabric of the organization. He gives an overview of Thrivent’s business and the two sides of his purview in digital and technology as well as why he feels his role as Chief Digital Officer is temporary as he shifts digital competencies to be incorporated into the overall company. He then provides the necessary components of transforming Thrivent into a digital-first organization and how the role of IT has transformed into a driver of the true customer experience. Finally, Brett shares the commonalities finance shares with retail when it comes to digital adoption, his view of the tech talent coming out of the Twin Cities, and the trends in digital and technology that he is particularly interested in.

635: In this interview, Shri Santhanam, EVP and Global Head of Analytics and AI at Experian, and Anjana Harve, Global Chief Information Officer of Fresenius Medical Care, join Metis Strategy’s Chris Davis in a recent panel from our December Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of digital platforms as strategic drivers of growth. Shri discusses his definition of platform in the context of his business at Experian and evaluates how he identifies the business case for these platforms. Anjana explains why she aimed to adopt a platform-centric mindset to deliver care to dialysis patients and how she has built and curated the skill sets of her team to enable the hub strategy at Fresenius. Finally, Shri talks about tackling the challenge of enabling inclusive lending at Experian, and Anjana explains another use case for delivering personalized medical care to Fresenius’s patients.

634: In this interview, Ajit Naidu, EVP and Head of Client Services and Technology at TIAA, discusses the digital journey of the 100-year-old company and the strategic priorities on his roadmap. He begins with an overview of TIAA and his purview as Head of Client Service and Technology. Ajit shares the six pillars as a part of the company’s strategic priorities and expands upon how he is shifting the company towards a data-driven culture and creating a wide ecosystem of partners. He explains how he leverages this ecosystem with Universities to upskill the organization and provide technology and digital training. Finally, Ajit describes how he evaluates where he buys for parity and builds for differentiation, why he shifted towards a product oriented approach, and what trends in technology are on his radar.

633: In this interview, Casey and Sri discuss how they are tuning their approach to recruiting and retaining talent as we enter a post-pandemic world. They also share ways they are instilling lifelong learning as a part of their company cultures to drive continuous upskilling efforts. Finally, Casey talks about ramping up automation at Asurion and both her and Sri give tips on collaborating in hybrid working environments.

631: In this interview, Sangy Vatsa, EVP and Chief Technology and Digital Officer of FIS, discusses his transformational journey and sources of innovation using digital technology. He gives his view of the future of tech at FIS marshaling the efforts of a team of roughly 11,000 colleagues in his organization and curating an ecosystem of partners to invest in modernizing innovations. Sangy also discusses the shifting expectations of employees and customers, evolving uses of cloud technology, traits of a transformational leader, as well as the tech trends that are on Sangy’s radar.

631: In this interview, Amir and Dean discuss scaling artificial intelligence as a method of delivering innovative customer experiences. Amir begins by talking about how AI/ML creates value at the highest level at Discover and what the team structure looks like when bringing these innovations to market. Dean talks about how AI is used along the customer journey at Guardian Life and provides a few use cases of how automation is improving business results. Both executives then share insight into how they are integrating cross-functional product teams with the operations of the company.

630: In this interview, Shawn discusses the importance of having a strong and efficient data foundation. Shawn provides an introduction to Splunk’s business and his purview. He explains how the future is shifting to a multi-cloud hybrid approach and the importance of having consistent security and observability on a shared data platform. Shawn tells us how he sees data security as a foundation for innovation, how his company is turning data into doing, and how this real-time data empowers technology teams. Finally, he talks about the evolution of the role of the IT Leader, the role that Splunk plays in the broader technology ecosystem, and trends in technology that he is excited about.

629: In this interview, Jacqueline goes in-depth on the future of work and what changes in culture will come about as a result. Jacqui begins with her purview as a CIO and technology leader at one of the most influential technology companies on the market and how she has curated her team over her three years in-role. She shares lessons on building a strong company culture and maintaining that culture during a hybrid working environment. Jacqui also talks about Cisco’s Customer Zero program, the future of work, and how the role of the CIO has evolved. Finally, Jacqui shares a personal story about her career journey, discusses improving the number of women in technology roles, and trends in technology as she looks ahead.

628: In this interview, Praveen Jonnala, Chief Information Officer of CommScope, discusses the remarkable digital and cultural transformation of the IT organization at the company. He shares how he has organized his team at the company and how his diverse experience across various parts of the business has impacted the way he thinks about the value IT can bring. Praveen covers the cultural shift required to bring IT to the center of the business pushing his department to be a driver of revenue, a source of speed and nimbleness, while instituting a service-based model. Finally, Praveen looks ahead at the trends in technology that he sees as being drivers of value for IT in the future.

627: In this interview, Mike McNamara, Chief Information Officer of Target, discusses with Peter High his beginnings at the company and what drew him to the US-based company. He focuses on the company’s extraordinary digital transformation, the sanctity of data and forming a data strategy, and the cultural change required to bring Target’s IT organization to the forefront of the customer experience. Mike shares how he leads his team in “ruthless prioritization” and the ways in which Target acts as a talent factory developing the next generation of CIOs.

626: Ather discusses the strategic changes at the company and how the three verticals he leads work together. Ather describes his purview in each of the verticals he leads; Strategy, Digital Platforms, and Innovation; and reflects on how the digital- and mobile-first strategy has evolved in the financial services industry. He talks about the ecosystems he’s built at the company, how they help knit together the three verticals, and what degree of coopetition exists in the space. Ather shares how good corporate strategy has changed in a time of digital disruption and what he believes successful innovation looks like. He shares how Wells Fargo’s Innovation Team operates and how it evaluates the true value-add innovations that will change the needle at the company. Finally, Ather looks ahead at increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the company, what the future of work looks like, and trends in technology.

625: Ralph discusses the role of IT in the company’s strategic roadmap. Ralph talks about the areas of emphasis in Lumentum’s current strategy for IT including developing a data strategy, navigating cybersecurity, and improving technological footprint on the factory floor. Additionally, he discusses the changing dynamics in the war for talent and how the relationship between employee and employer has shifted during the pandemic. Finally, Ralph covers the similarities across industries he's been in, how he built his ecosystem, and how he leverages learnings from the VC community to move on the trends coming out of it.

624: Warren discusses the transformation of Turner Construction and the expansion of his CIO responsibilities. Warren begins with his purview as CIO, gives details around the expanded responsibilities in his role surrounding marketing and communications, and how the impact of IT inside and outside of the company creates a rationale for the combined responsibilities. He also discusses the change management in standardizing tech within an industry that is a traditionally late-stage adopter of IT. Warren tells how this standardization builds a better foundation for data strategy at the company and how leveraging that technology and data can have positive impacts on large-scale projects like the company’s joint project constructing the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Finally, Warren shares lessons from the partial return-to-office, how his unique perspective has driven the expansion of the CIO role, and trends in technology that he is focused on for the future.

623: Scot discusses the origination of Arc XP and broadening the technology's applications beyond The Washington Post and the media/publishing industry. Scot tells the story of how Arc XP began within The Washington Post and compares its genesis to that of AWS at Amazon. He then describes the broader possibilities and applications of Arc XP beyond media and how he balances the competitive advantage of the technology and the controversial nature of sharing it with competitors. Scot shares how he leverages his past experiences outside of media to help with these broader applications, how he builds the skill set of his team, and how his vision for expansion is driven by where the talent is located. Finally, Scot talks about the growth opportunities at Arc XP and the advantages of having regular access to someone like Jeff Bezos.

622: Kevin Eamigh discusses the two sides of his responsibilities in his role and why it was a logical step for him to take on the Global Business Services responsibilities. He also talks about his role in developing connected products for the company and his team's work on providing customers with self-service options. Finally, Kevin spends some time reflecting on his tenure as CIO, the evolution of the role throughout his career, and trends in technology that he and his team are following.

621: Michael discusses the development and implementation of Next Generation Technology at Citizens Financial. Michael begins with his purview as Chief Information Officer and describes the Next Gen Tech Transformation Program at the company. He talks briefly about the broader impact of IT, enhancing engineering talent through leveraging partners and in-house academy programs, and building up the momentum for using APIs at the company. Finally, Michael provides an example of the Next Gen Tech in action at the company, what the process of modernizing a 200-year-old company looks like, and trends in technology that he sees as being important in the years ahead.

620: Mike Davies discusses the relevance and impact of neuromorphic computing on Intel as a company and the world more generally. Mike gives a birds-eye view of what neuromorphic computing aims to achieve and the relationship it has to traditional forms of artificial intelligence and deep learning. He breaks down the near-, medium-, and long-term implications the technology could have on how we think about computing capabilities and the technology and cost challenges that his team is working to overcome. A key component of commercializing this technology is the collaboration with partners, and Mike spends a moment discussing how he looks to curate an ecosystem of academics and corporations to help deliver this technology as well as how he collaborates internally with other groups within Intel Labs.

619: Mike, Diane, and Vijay of Johnson Controls discuss how the three executive roles fit together and how digital and technological innovation are shaping the 136-year-old company. Each explains their purview within their respective roles and how these roles share governance and collaborate with one another. Vijay expands on how his team was built by centralizing various disparate capabilities across the company as a means to create value and discusses the learnings from Johnson Control’s Open Blue platform. Mike shares the strategic nature of technology at Johnson Controls and what the future of work looks like coming out of the pandemic. Diane then talks about enabling the employee experience at the company and expands on the company’s view of the hybrid work strategy. Finally, the executives provide a look ahead at future opportunities to leverage technology and digital at the company.

618: Tom discusses the strategic plan for Sysco’s digital transformation and the impact on the B2B customer interaction. Tom provides his purview as both the CIO and CDO and gives his perspective on the five strategic pillars for the company’s Recipe for Growth. He talks about bringing a B2C sensibility to the B2B transactions, focusing on customer engagements and customer journeys, and fostering resilience at the company during the pandemic. Tom also shares how he is not only looking at new solutions for the customer but also how to better position his team for innovation through diversity and inclusion. Finally, Tom discusses tech trends and areas within the company that he looks to focus on in the future.

617: Jonathan and Wouleta share their perspectives on the digital transformation of the fast-casual restaurant. Jonathan provides his vision for optimizing the restaurant business through innovation and digitization, how he sees the pandemic’s impact on digital customer interaction, and why now is the perfect time to fill the role of the Chief Technology Officer for the company. Wouleta then shares why Sweetgreen was the next best move in her career, what her purview entails as CTO, and how she plans to drive value at the company through technology and leveraging her experience from prior CTO roles. Finally, Jonathan discusses the company’s strategy in balancing geographic expansion and expansion through digitization and innovation.

616: Kai-Fu Lee discusses the evolution of artificial intelligence and the 20-year horizon for its implementation. Kai-Fu shares why 20 years was an appropriate time horizon for his book on the future of AI, why Chen Qiufan, a science-fiction novelist, was the perfect person to partner with, and how the two of them originated the idea for ten visions of AI. He also discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on society including the future of work, changes in society, and shaping of opinions. Finally, Kai-Fu gives his perspective on the factors necessary to lead to greater adoption of artificial intelligence and how the global leadership of certain areas of its development and implementation has evolved.

615: In our latest interview, Mike Giresi, Chief Digital Officer of Molex, discusses with Peter High the operating model changes to enhance the customer experience at a B2B company. Mike provides an overview of Molex’s business, how he collaborates with peer CIOs under Koch Industries and externally, and what his purview as Chief Digital Officer entails. He also gives his vision for customer experience at a B2B Company leveraging his experience in B2C environments. Mike talks about operating model changes at the company, change management necessary, and fostering cultural change within Molex. Finally, Mike shares how he looks at connecting IT to the broader business, moving talent into higher orders of work, and trends in technology he is looking forward to.

614: Carhartt’s John Hill joins Peter High in a discussion on digital agility and the digital transformation of Carhartt. John provides an overview of Carhartt’s business, his purview as Chief Digital and Information Officer, and the role of digital and sources of innovation at the company. He details what he sees as the keys to successful change management as a part of the digitization effort of the company and how data and analytics have impacted business outcomes. John also describes his field of study in his pursuit of a doctorate degree in Business Administration and the research he has done on organizational constructs and how they drive a firm’s ability to create digital capabilities. Finally, he talks about the hindrances he faced during the digital transformation and looks ahead at the tech trends that could impact Carhartt’s business.

613: In a panel from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium in September, Vagesh and Danielle speak with Metis Strategy’s Michael Bertha in a conversation about combining AI and IoT to drive digital processes. Danielle shares how IoT and AI fit into Whirlpool’s four strategic imperatives and each technology’s role in enabling partnerships and product innovations. Vagesh details what opportunities McDermott sees with IoT and AI in its business model and the company’s use of digital twins. Finally, both executives share how digital twins can produce business value, unique customer insights, and product learnings.

612: Toyota Financial Services CIO Vipin Gupta discusses his journey at TFS and the radical business and operating model transformation he has led, which includes transforming TFS into a private-label platform that other mobility brands can leverage. We also discuss the cultural change that was necessary to enable this shift, including how he is upskilling talent at the company through the company’s TFS Digital Academy and bringing higher orders of work to employees. Finally, Vipin explores the trends in technology that he and his team are keeping an eye on.

611: In this interview from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium in September, Lisa Davis, SVP and CIO of Blue Shield of California, and Mike Shadler, SVP and CIO of Pacific Life, join Metis Strategy’s VP and West Coast Lead Chris Davis in a conversation about IT-led breakthroughs in the insurance industry. Lisa talks about how the pandemic has accelerated the digital business and customer experience at Blue Shield of California while Mike discusses the way Pacific Life has digitized its B2B business operations. Both leaders share insight into how their past experiences have shaped the way they lead and approach their current roles as CIOs of their respective companies. Mike gives examples of how Pacific Life is shifting and reshaping the employee experience and Lisa provides a look at how Blue Shield of California is sustaining its pace of innovation. Finally, Lisa and Mike look ahead at trends in technology that are on their radar and how they are setting the foundation for future plans at their companies.

610: In this interview, Atul Bhardwaj, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer of LEGO, speaks with Peter High about the digital transformation of the iconic and well-known toy company. Atul provides an overview of his post as Chief Digital and Technology Officer for LEGO and explains how LEGO is integrating digital into its product offerings. He describes the various ways digital experiences differ between adult and children customers, how LEGO works together and keeps pace with the digital transformation of partners within its ecosystem, and how LEGO is digitizing the internal organization overall. He also discusses the process of building his team at LEGO including what role passion for the product plays, how the common language of code unites a global effort of digital transformation, and how LEGO fosters diversity and inclusion at the company. Finally, Atul looks ahead at the tech trends that his team is keeping an eye on.

609: In this interview from our recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium in September, Jim Swanson, Executive Vice President and Enterprise CIO for Johnson & Johnson, and Debra King, Senior Vice President and Chief Information and Transformation Officer for Corteva Agriscience, speak with Metis Strategy’s Vice President and East Coast Lead Alex Kraus about digital acceleration in times of uncertainty. Debra describes how Corteva maintains the characteristics of a startup and how the company leverages its Execute to Win program to bring about new and innovative ideas. Jim shares insight from Johnson & Johnson’s Four Pillars Approach as they relate to advancing the company’s mission of transforming the trajectory of human health. Finally, Debra gives her perspective on how Corteva’s agility has been shaped by uncertainty, and Jim gives his perspective on how Johnson & Johnson has developed resiliency during the pandemic.

608: In this interview, Iddo Kadim, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Olympic Technology at Intel, focuses on the development and application of innovative technology at the Olympic Games. Iddo begins with how his role as Intel’s Director of Olympic Technology functions and the real-time problem solving that comes as a result. He discusses his method of planning for the Olympic Games, the implication of planning so far in advance, and how he takes into account and balances the various needs of multiple constituents. Finally, Iddo explains the technology behind a few of these technologies and provides detailed examples of their applications including 3D Athlete Technology, Mobileye, 5G, and Smart Venues.

607: In this interview from a recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Tim Dickson, Chief Information Officer for Generac, and Mike Giresi, Chief Digital Officer for Molex, focus on the ways in which technology leaders are engaging both employees and customers as part of their digital transformations. Tim discusses how he and his team at Generac think about the customer experience from a B2B perspective. Similarly, Mike discusses how he brings his background in B2C customer sensibility to the B2B work at Molex and how he achieves that through elevating the employee experience. Tim also talks about the ways in which the hiring of new talent and development of existing talent will change at Generac. Mike and Tim then both give their perspectives on how they bring people onboard and create buy-in with these new ways of working.

606: In this interview, Steve Zerby, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Owens Corning, focuses on the culture and structure of a small IT team within a company. Steve provides an overview of Owens Corning’s business and the role of technology and digital in a large and broad organization. He gives insight into how the IT organization operates and how it forms a culture that focuses on employee retention. Steve discusses how he manages relationships both internally as a small IT organization and externally with contractors and partners within an ecosystem. Finally, he talks about his tenure as CIO, the benefits of having a continuity of leadership in his role, how Owens Corning stays innovative with a small team with low attrition, and various trends in technology he looks forward to.

605: In this interview, Danielle Brown, SVP and CIO of Whirlpool, focuses on the digital consumer journey and how technology plays a role in the strategic imperatives of the company. Danielle shares the four major strategic imperatives of the company and provides background on how the IT organization partners with the rest of the business in cross-functional teams and uses data and analytics to meet those imperatives. She also describes how Whirlpool redefines products and continues to innovate and engage with consumers on their digital journey from start to finish. Danielle also gives insight into how she is maintaining a modern technology footprint at Whirlpool as well as how cybersecurity plays a role in the company’s overall strategy. Finally, she gives her perspective on the state of women of color in leadership positions in IT organizations, provides advice for aspiring board-level CIOs, and looks ahead at a few trends in technology that her team is looking at.

604: In this interview, Amir Kazmi, Chief Information and Digital Officer of WestRock, focuses on the role of digital in creating sustainable packaging solutions for supply chains. Amir provides an overview of WestRock’s business as a sustainable packaging solutions company and the purview of the two sides to his role as Chief Information and Digital Officer. He gives a few examples of how WestRock has grown its digital channels, what role digital plays in the supply chain, and how he builds greater digital dexterity and acumen across the company. Additionally, he discusses how his experience as a CEO of a startup informed his current role as a tech executive, how he continues to work with and leverage the capabilities of startups through ecosystems, and why providing leadership on a board of directors can make a real impact on the company and society. Finally, Amir shares with us a few tech trends he is looking forward to in the future.

603: In this interview, Rakesh Loonkar, President and Co-Founder of Transmit Security, focuses on identity experience and a shift towards a passwordless future. Rakesh begins with how he defines “identity experience”. He describes the potential business outcomes that a passwordless future can help achieve and what the process is to move towards making that a reality today. Rakesh discusses what industries have been the first adopters of passwordless technology and shares his perspective on the overall evolution of the cybersecurity industry. Finally, he provides insight into why now is the best time for Transmit Security to take outside capital, how Transmit Security plans to keep evolving, and recommendations for CIOs and executives to improve their organization's cybersecurity.

602: In this interview, Greg Carmichael, CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, describes his journey from CIO to CEO at the company and why now is the best time for other CIOs to begin their journey. He also gives his perspective on how the CIO role presents a solid foundation for advancement to the CEO post. Jude Schramm, CIO of Fifth Third, then shares how technology is becoming a fabric of how the company operates and how the pandemic helped accelerate the company’s digital capabilities, changing the way the company looks at cybersecurity. Finally, Jude talks about the benefits of having a CEO cognizant of the CIO role, and Greg shares some of the trends in technology that he is excited about in the future.

601: In this interview, Brad Stone, Senior Executive Editor for Global Technology at Bloomberg News and bestselling author of his latest book Amazon Unbound, focuses on Amazon’s growth since his last book and what the future of Amazon looks like. Brad describes his decision to write about Amazon again after his 2013 book and shares insights from it on how Amazon manages to succeed despite its increasing size. He also talks about what the handoff of the CEO role to Andy Jassy will look like, Amazon’s headwinds when it comes to regulatory scrutiny, and Amazon’s overall impact on society. Brad discusses how Amazon continued its massive growth during the pandemic, how Amazon attracts and retains technical talent in a competitive market, and how Amazon strategizes its acquisitions. Finally, Brad gives his perspective on how Jeff Bezos’s personal life influences his success at Amazon, how Brad’s access to Amazon and Bezos’s circle of friends changed after his first book, and what Brad Stone sees as his next big topic to investigate.

600: In this interview, Seth Godin, bestselling author of The Practice, focuses on what it means to be an artist and navigating your journey as one. Seth begins by describing himself as a teacher and why the term “art” should be broadly applied beyond traditional forms of visual art. He shares how instituting a process causes flow and success as a writer as opposed to flow causing process and describes the three foundations of art: curiosity, generosity, and connection. Seth shares why consistency in art is crucial and how the internet helps aspiring artists find the smallest viable audience for their work to navigate and pivot their journey. He gives his perspective on the importance of having constraints and being able to find joy in the challenge to work with them. Additionally, Seth opines on the concept of Imposter Syndrome, the myth of writer’s block, and building skill over-relying on talent, among other topics.

599: In this interview, Dean Del Vecchio; Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Chief of Operations at Guardian Life; focuses on the expansion of the CIO role in company innovation, customer experience, and infrastructure modernization. Dean provides an overview of his responsibilities as CIO and Chief of Operations and how his responsibilities have expanded over the course of his career. He discusses the company’s Guardian on the Go Strategy as it relates to enabling employees for successful remote work and the future of remote and hybrid work environments. He gives his perspective on how remote work leveled the playing field for employees and how this might work in a hybrid work environment. Additionally, Dean talks about how culture plays a critical role in innovation and how to develop and upskill talent to foster innovation, and areas where innovation is crucial including the evolving customer digital experience. Finally, he shares how his team looks at modernizing the company’s IT Infrastructure, how ecosystems can benefit efforts in innovation, as well as trends in technology he has his eye on, among other topics.

598: In this interview, Sri Donthi, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Advance Auto Parts, focuses on consumer-centric automotive innovation and building a modern enterprise architecture. Sri begins with his purview as CTO at Advanced Auto Parts and talks about the company’s overall vision for the industry. He gives insight into new ways of doing business digitally, how his team looks to retrain current staff on the necessary skills in this digital model, and the role data and digital play in meeting evolving expectations in employee and customer experiences. Additionally, Sri shares his team’s three approaches to modernizing enterprise architecture: fix, build, and transform. Finally, Sri speaks to some of the emerging trends in the industry and technology that he is excited about in the future.

597: Mamatha Chamarthi, Head of Software Business and Product Management P&L at Stellantis, focuses on the future of autonomous vehicles. Mamatha explains her purview as Head of Software Business & Product Management P&L and describes a trend she sees of technology leaders taking on greater responsibilities on the business and P&L side of the enterprise. She gives insight into the growing opportunities for advancement in autonomous driving and electric vehicles, the coopetition and ecosystems necessary in attaining higher levels of autonomy, and where we are in the journey towards Level 4 and 5 automation. Finally, Mamatha talks about how her global work experience shapes her leadership style, why it is important to have women leaders in technology and business, and what additional trends in technology her team looks to leverage in the future.

596: In this interview, Rich Uhlig, Intel Senior Fellow and the Managing Director of Intel Labs, focuses on the research and delivery of breakthrough innovations. Rich provides an overview of the work that Intel Labs does and explains his team’s process in evaluating prototypes and ideas to determine which can go to scale. He describes a few of the areas of innovation the organization has explored including the intersection of data and AI, cybersecurity and a trusted compute base, and homomorphic encryption as well as provides how these areas can be benefited from advancements in technology. Finally, Rich describes the progress towards quantum computing and how his team at Intel Labs leverages ecosystems of companies and consumers for insight into the technology’s feasibility.

595: In this interview, Colleen Berube, Chief Information Officer and SVP of Operations at Zendesk, focuses on the customer and employee experiences. Colleen describes how tech, data, and process help to scale the business and provides insight into how she balances adding processes without adding unneeded bureaucracy. We discuss the role her team plays in enhancing the customer experience, how the customer and employee experiences are connected with one another, and how COVID has changed the way companies think about the overall idea of “experience.” Finally, Colleen shares her perspective on the state of women in technology leadership positions and trends in technology she looks forward to.

594: In this interview, Mark Papermaster, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology and Engineering at AMD, focuses on the acceleration of compute technology and fostering a culture of innovation within AMD. Mark provides a background on the responsibilities in his role as both CTO and EVP as well as insight into how his team at AMD collaborates and works as it innovates new products. Mark discusses where he attributes the source of the company’s impressive value creation over the years, the importance of a culture based on open communication, problem-solving, and what he calls “creative contention”, and how that culture allows AMD to recruit top talent. Finally, Mark talks about how AMD uses being the first user of its technology to develop better products and some of the tech trends he is excited about.

593: In this interview, Jack Clare, Chief Information Officer of United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI), focuses on the expansion of eCommerce channels and modernizing IT systems. Jack provides an overview of UNFI’s business and his role as CIO at the company. He explains how the pandemic accelerated UNFI’s digital transformation by expanding its eCommerce model and how Jack is managing the company’s modernization efforts and capability integration following the multiple historical acquisitions. Jack speaks on his experience being onboarded remotely and how he sees it as an opportunity for flexibility in recruiting greater talent. Finally, he discusses the evolution of the CIO role, future tech trends, and how partnering with technologically sophisticated distributors like Amazon presents learning opportunities for the company.

592: In this interview, Jeff Wysocki, Chief Information Officer of The Mosaic Company, focuses on IT Strategy and change management. Jeff describes his Five-Pronged IT Strategy which includes Partner to Win, Accelerate Impact of IT, Unlock Data, Security and Scale, and Business of IT. Jeff discusses what the company’s cultural change looks like with re-training employees on IT, how Mosaic focuses on modernizing IT, and how to evaluate the value gained from IT more broadly. Finally, Jeff talks about the diversity in his experience across different industries and the trends he is excited about in technology.

591: In this interview, Anjana Harve, Global Chief Information Officer for Fresenius Medical Care, focuses on the broader role of the CIO and the business use of technology. Anjana begins with sharing her perspective on why now was the right time for the Global CIO Role at Fresenius and her role in leveraging digital technology as a source of competitive growth. She discusses how the global operating model helps with focusing on achieving business outcomes, finding top-line efficiencies, and improving the customer experience. Finally, Anjana talks about the role of the Global CIO during COVID, the role of culture and tech in hybrid work, and the state of women in technology.

590: In this interview, Adhir Mattu, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer of Marvell Semiconductor, focuses on the role IT plays in the growth of companies. Adhir provides an overview of Marvell Semiconductor’s business and how the IT department operates within a tech-focused company like Marvell. Adhir highlights the crucial role IT plays in expanding the infrastructure for a company to grow organically and integrating the capabilities acquired through M&A transactions. Through Marvell’s various historical acquisitions, Adhir describes the “blueprint”, culture, and guiding principles the company has curated to ensure M&A integrations are successful. Finally, Adhir discusses the ways in which IT partners with other teams to drive customer experience, designs new digital ways of working, and explores growing trends in technology.

589: In this interview, Michael Newcity, Chief Innovation Officer and President of ArcBest Technologies, focuses on the topic of transformative innovation. Michael describes what transformative innovation entails within a company and how he organizes his teams to foster innovation and drive it forward. He talks about his previous roles and responsibilities as the former CIO, CFO, among others and how these various experiences influenced his perspective as Chief Innovation Officer. Specifically, Michael highlights how his previous role of CFO informed his experience in IT around finance and data within the company. Finally, he covers how ArcBest allocates resources to and focuses on innovation while still maintaining sufficient efforts to run the broader business.

588: Ed Jennings, Chief Executive Officer of Quickbase, dials into the concept of citizen developers. Ed describes the nature of Quickbase’s business and how he defines citizen automation. He provides insight into how companies can train and empower citizen developers, how the pandemic acted as a catalyst for citizen automation with a renewed focus on resilience, and how citizen automation can unlock the full potential of systems, people, and teams. Finally, Ed also describes where citizen automation typically begins in enterprises, how citizen automation both competes and collaborates with traditional IT organizations and ecosystems, and how companies can begin their citizen development journey.

587: In this interview, Bhavani Amirthalingam, Chief Digital Information Officer of Ameren, focuses on the digital customer experience. Bhavani describes how she sees the evolution of customer needs and the importance of providing frictionless digital experiences. She shares how Ameren has navigated the expansion of digital channels and the growing number of digital transactions that the company has seen. Bhavani also provides some insight into how she looks at balancing taking on risk and risk management that goes into innovation, the way Ameren has organized a centralized group integrating both IT and OT, and trends in technology she looks forward to.

586: In this interview, Jennifer Charters, CIO of Flagstar Bank, focuses on how Flagstar is expanding its digital capabilities and how it remained resilient during the pandemic. Jennifer speaks on the coopetition between traditional brick-and-mortar banks and FinTech firms and how smaller banks can benefit greatly from developing ecosystems to leverage FinTech’s digital capabilities. Additionally, Jen describes the investments Flagstar has made in its own digital capabilities including cloud infrastructure and various platforms. She gives her perspective on the culture of IT, growing the opportunities for women in technology, the advantages of Flagstar's announced merger with New York Community Bancorp, and trends she foresees.

585: In this interview, Dave Evans, assistant professor at Stanford and best-selling author, discusses his latest book, Designing Your Work Life, which highlights how employees and managers can improve the work experience. Dave provides strategies that people can use with their current jobs to make their career more fulfilling, the three kinds of overwhelm employees can feel, how they can mitigate these before overwhelm turns into burnout, and how managers can help employees develop their own pathways in the company. Finally, Dave talks about how remote work has made face-to-face interaction easier, yet made onboarding new employees and informal interactions between employees more difficult to facilitate.

Brian McCarson, Intel’s Group VP of IoT, shares his perspective on the evolution of the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Brian speaks to the increasing affordability and accessibility of both IoT and AI and how their development in other industries has brought it to the industrial sector. We talk about each service’s growth from something out of a science fiction novel available to large-scale enterprises to the ways in which AI and IoT have now intersected with and augmented the capabilities of small- and medium-sized businesses. Brian credits this evolution to open-source ecosystems where online innovators have helped improve the scalability of AI integration. Finally, he talks about how Intel specifically has helped scale manufacturing capabilities through automating processes and leveraging a place in an ecosystem of technology ingredient providers for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

583: Chris Bedi, CIO of ServiceNow, focuses on the topic of digital transformations within companies and steps organizations have taken to foster resilience during the pandemic. Chris shares his perspective on how companies are doubling down on digital transformations, how AI is being used to improve the employee and customer experience, and how virtual agents are augmenting reality to assist remote employees in areas where they would have normally asked co-workers in person. Additionally, he talks about the future of app development, its minimum requirements, integrating AI into the development, and leveraging the growth of low-code/no-code to encourage citizen app developers. Finally, he touches on the topic of structuring the IT team to equip non-IT team members to think about machine learning and take advantage of new evolutions in technology among other topics.

582: In this interview, Yves Behar, Founder and Principal Designer of fuseproject, discusses the importance of product design and how companies can think about developing their own products. Yves discusses the importance of integrating storytelling and intent into product design. He also speaks on the importance of continuously improving product designs and using the problems and frictions that arise as opportunities for improvement. Additionally, Yves talks about bringing these designs to market from team alignment to marketing strategy. Finally, Yves talks about his team’s work on the VOX ventilators as a response to an open innovation challenge and how it is important to sometimes allow your team to drive the ideas and support them along the way.

581: In this interview, Michael Wondrasch, EVP & CIO of Avantor, provides an overview of Avantor’s business and the digital and technological aspects behind its mission of accelerating the speed of science. Mike explains how he sees the barriers between suppliers and customers are fading, why the technology implications that arose during the pandemic are likely to stay, how Avantor implemented and navigated a hybrid work environment during the pandemic,  and how the merger with VWR helped consolidate its e-commerce platforms and focus on being more customer-centric. He also describes how the differences between the CTO and CIO titles tend to be company-specific and some of the trends in technology he is looking forward to.

580: In this interview, Ray Wang shares insights from his book on data-driven digital networks (DDDNs) and why he believes digital transformation alone is not enough for companies to survive. He explains how digita0l transformations need to extend beyond integrating new digital channels and include transformations in the business model, the monetization model, the technology, and the culture. We discuss the shifting ways investors are looking at their fundamentals in companies and how businesses must develop unusual ecosystems and joint ventures in order to compete with these emerging digital giants. When it comes to data, Ray believes third-party data collection isn’t sufficient and what is really driving the future is first-party data. He describes the five key elements of building a DDDN, how it is causing industries and the respective total addressable markets to drastically change, and how government regulation should be analyzed through a cost-benefit analysis of its effect on customer value. Finally, Ray provides a framework for how older companies can compete with DDDNs.

579: In this interview, Michael Taylor, Chief Technology Officer of World Wide Technology, focuses on how the company sees the future of digital and technology. He explains how he views the dot com bubble as the advent of the impact that technology could have on business and why a culture that encourages furthering innovation is crucial during a time of uncertainty. Michael talks about the strategic role he plays as CTO and how his focus is as he describes moving from “the art of the possible to the art of the probable.” He provides a few key themes of WWT’s Technology Strategy connecting technology to business outcomes, digital to physical worlds, and strategy to delivery. Additionally, Michael stresses the importance of engaging with employees during difficult and uncertain times as well as how the expansion of remote work and introduction of hybrid working models lead to more flexibility and invite the opportunity to attract a more diverse talent pool. Finally, he describes how he divides his time among his team, his customers, and his ecosystem to see from different lenses how organizations are thinking about disruption and taking advantage of emerging trends in technology.

578: In this interview, James Sills provides an overview of M&F Bank, how the pandemic has affected the digital customer experience and digitization of banking, and how M&F Bank has managed the differences in digital adoption across consumer age demographics. Additionally, he gives his perspective on that state of racial injustice and social inequity in America, the importance of engaging with minority populations within and outside the company, and how businesses can leverage partnerships with minority-owned businesses and minority-focused organizations to support the push for social justice. Finally, James discusses his career evolution including his experiences as CIO of the state of Delaware and how his current position is taking advantage of ecosystems to foster innovation and keep pace with some of the tech trends he and his team are excited about.

577: In this interview, Janet Sherlock, Chief Information Officer of Ralph Lauren, explains her purview as CIO and how the company’s Flexible Work Arrangement and virtual stores put the company in a stronger position going into the COVID-19 Pandemic. Janet debriefs some of the learnings and silver linings from the pandemic, specifically on how it accelerated a streamlining of processes; why those changes won’t go away any time soon; and how ingenuity, innovation, architecture, and agility are key to Ralph Lauren’s continued success. She emphasizes Ralph Lauren’s strategic focus on experience, data, and automation. Finally, we discuss lessons on recruiting for board-level positions, balancing her doctoral candidacy with career and family, and trends that she is looking forward to.

576: In this interview, Dave gives his perspective on the similarities and differences between the CIO and CDO roles and the way they relate to driving business transformations. In this combined role, he explains the importance of cultivating great relationships with business partners, prioritizing high-value drivers, and learning to be agile in adapting to the rapidly changing technology landscape. Within Merck, Dave speaks to the insights arising from the company’s transition from a project-focused to product-focused model, the advantages from its investment in cloud technology, and the use of data analytics and AI/ML to make decisions and assess risks. Finally, we discuss the risk of companies losing focus and falling into “tech for tech’s sake”, learnings from the pandemic, and industry trends towards quantum computing.

575: In this interview, Scott discusses Wyndham’s investments in the cloud and various platforms, how the company leverages them to meet the needs of various constituent groups, and how the insights his team draws from them help drive the broader business strategy. Scott also explains the technology implications behind Wyndham’s spin-off, the acquisition of La Quinta, the pandemic, and how the company managed and changed at such a rapid pace throughout these major points in his career. Finally, we discuss what the future looks like for the hospitality industry and some of the trends he sees coming out of the pandemic.

574: In this interview, Rashmi Kumar, CIO of HPE, offers her perspective on the HPE’s digital transformation, the benefits of moving HPE’s headquarters to Texas, and the company’s focus on what she calls “digitalization to the core.” She talks about how HPE acting as customer zero for many of its offerings allows for a better understanding of technology’s limitations and leads to honest communication with HPE’s customers. Additionally, we discuss how HPE assessed its ability to transition 60,000 employees and 20,000 contractors to work remotely and why focusing on company culture was critical for the transformation. Finally, Rashmi offers advice on recruiting for a board-level position, ways for companies to sponsor and foster diverse organizations, and a look into some of the trends in IT that HPE is focused on.

573: In this interview, Ken Spangler, EVP of IT & CIO of OpCo Technologies at FedEx, focuses on the culture of innovation at FedEx. Ken describes how his experiences serving as CIO for each of FedEx’s businesses has given him a unique perspective on the firm’s principles to compete collectively, operate independently, and manage collaboratively. He talks about how the company fosters innovation and focuses on what he calls “Constructive Dissatisfaction” in the company. Further, Ken speaks to the culture of FedEx, what it means to still be a founder-led company, and FedEx’s People-Service-Profit model. Additionally, Ken gives his perspective on how FedEx went through four phases of learning due to the pandemic, what the return to work looks like, and a variety of other topics.

572: In this interview, Barbara Lavernos, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Research, Innovation, and Technology at L’Oréal, discusses the intersection of technology and cosmetics and the evolution of what Barbara calls “Beauty Tech.” We cover how L’Oréal aims to develop personalized and innovative beauty products, services, and devices at scale through the use of artificial intelligence, data, and virtual reality. Barbara shares how the pandemic was a catalyst for digital transformation, e-commerce, and virtual customer experiences, and why business leaders are becoming more tech- and data-savvy. Finally, we discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in leadership positions.

571: In this interview, Lisa Davis, SVP & CIO of Blue Shield of California, talks about Blue Shield’s mission of transforming the healthcare industry through balancing high tech with high touch, aligning the IT organization around portfolios and products, and engaging with the multiple stakeholders of Blue Shield. She also shares the lessons of authentic leadership, advantages of her experience as a CIO across different industries, advice for CIOs who wish to join boards, as she has, increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, and the latest tech trends she is excited about in healthcare.

570: In this interview, Ashok Reddy, CEO of Digital.ai discusses the intersection of digital and AI, why only 8-10 percent of companies are truly transforming digitally. We also cover why IT teams who are successful in truly transforming work jointly with the broader business to define value. Further, we discuss why IT should work with the rest of the business to run agile, why value streams are best derived by collaboration across the typical silos of the enterprise, how Ashok believes innovation is done best, and a variety of other topics.

569: In this interview, Catherine Zhou, Global Head of Ventures for Digital Innovation and Partnerships at HSBC, and Megan Crespi, Chief Operations and Technology Officer for Comerica Bank, discuss how barriers to digital adoption are dissolving out of necessity, how Comerica has transformed to enhance the customer experience, and how Comerica is using the pandemic as an opportunity to break down barriers and reach new demographics as work becomes more remote. We also discuss three areas HSBC looks at regarding innovation and profit pools: big tech, the Eastern hemisphere, and FinTech, why it's every person's job to innovate at HSBC, not just the innovation team's job, and a variety of other topics. 

568: In this interview, Ramkumar Rayapureddy, Global CIO of Viatris, discusses how the IT team came together over one weekend and transitioned the entire company to virtual work with no business disruption, how COVID accelerated the pace of change for the entire organization, and steps Viatris has taken to keep its employees engaged throughout the pandemic. Ramkumar highlights some of the technologies the company adopted that it likely would not have had it not been for the pandemic as well as the improvements Viatris has made to its preventive maintenance program as it adopts new technologies. Lastly, we discuss how IT is becoming a bigger part of the initial strategic discussion within the company, why Ramkumar likes to hire people from the business into IT, and a variety of other topics.

567: In this interview, we discuss Williams-Sonoma’s digital transformation and how Yasir helped build a future-proof business model for the company that was able to not only withstand, but grow during the pandemic. He talks about the merging responsibilities of the CTO and CDO and what it means for the company to be “digital-first”. Yasir details how the company is focused on creating a frictionless customer experience, how digital and technology play a role in in-house design, and how Williams-Sonoma balances centralization with independence between their brands. Finally, we discuss what Yasir sees as the most salient trends in technology and digital coming out of the pandemic.

566: In this interview, we discuss the state of American politics and the role that technology plays. Dr. Fukuyama describes what he sees as the rise of populism in the U.S., the deepening polarization between voters, and how platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Google have facilitated this polarization. He proposes the application of middleware to these platforms and provides possible benefits to such applications as well as criticisms that it has received. Additionally, Dr. Fukuyama gives his perspective on challenges arising from both Russia and China and provides an analysis of the current Biden Administration.

565: In this interview, Rhonda discusses the four key focus areas for IT at Stanley Black & Decker once the pandemic struck and how COVID has given Stanley Black & Decker the permission to change and accelerate. Shankar discusses the stakeholder prioritization framework Verizon adopted during the pandemic in which it puts its employees first, customers second, society third, and its shareholders fourth, some of the innovative ideas Verizon has adopted during the pandemic, how Verizon has accelerated its digital transformation during the pandemic, among a variety of other topics.

564: In this interview, we discuss The Premonition and how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention evolved into an organization ill equipped to manage a pandemic. Michael shares anecdotes from the interviews he conducted and how the problems that the pandemic wrought began long before the Trump Administration. We also discuss how he developed the stories for his book, what his career as an author is like between books and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss what drew Shaleen to Schneider, ways Schneider has disrupted itself over the years, why Schneider considers itself the Moneyball of trucking, and how the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of frictionless experience platforms at Schneider. We also discuss the importance of using familiar language when discussing digital transformation, the importance of embracing business agility, and getting used to the unknown, Atif and Shaleen's take on the state of autonomous vehicles, among a variety of other topics.

562: In this interview, Orion Hindawi, Co-Founder and CEO of Tanium, discusses the evolution of IT Infrastructures and cybersecurity. Orion gives an overview of Tanium’s business and discusses the changing ways companies look at adopting IT. He also covers the digital and technological transformations, the importance of curating strong ecosystems, and future opportunities for the company. Additionally, Orion shares his perspective on applying business cybersecurity knowledge to maintaining personal cybersecurity.

561: In this interview, Ken Lamneck, President and CEO of Insight, discusses how cyber attacks are becoming more and more sophisticated, and four ways companies can protect themselves from these attacks. He discusses the importance of companies embracing the seriousness of cybersecurity, why cyber has to go from being buried in IT to being part of the fabric of the organization, and how governments are starting to take on a greater role in cybersecurity. Lastly, Ken discusses why he thinks IT is going to explode in the next 10 years, how all companies are becoming IT companies, among a variety of other topics.

560: In this interview, Hubert Joly, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy, discusses his personal philosophy on the goal of a business and why he viewed Best Buy as being more than just a technology retailer. Hubert goes on to share insight from his book such as how he identified weaknesses in Best Buy’s strategy and transformed the company to focus on collaboration with suppliers, alignment of interests of all stakeholders, and what he calls “human magic”.

In this interview, John Hinshaw, Group Chief Operating Officer of HSBC, discusses why he decided to join HSBC after a diverse career, and how many financial industry disruptors come from outside the industry. We discuss HSBC's coopetition with FinTech and the advantages both sides get from partnering with each other, why HSBC has shifted from investing in later-stage companies to earlier-stage organizations in the Series A or angel rounds, and HSBC's partnership with Google looking at financial crime and money laundering. Lastly, we discuss how COVID accelerated the digital adoption curve by 3-5 years, the future of office and remote work at HSBC, John's take on a variety of technology trends, such as quantum, 5G, and AI, among many other topics.

In this interview, Richard Cox, Chief Information Officer of Cox Enterprises, and Rick Rioboli, Chief Information Officer of Comcast, discuss how both executives are rethinking the employee experience for a new world of work. Rick shares his view on the future of work and why he thinks Comcast will work in a hybrid model once the pandemic is over, the cultural differences Rick has noticed between product development teams and IT teams, and how Rick went after the culture in IT when he joined Comcast and sought to transform the way the function worked. We also discuss how Richard defines leadership, why Cox Enterprises is putting cybersecurity at the top of mind for all of its employees, not just those in IT, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, Mike Hayes, Chief Digital Transformation Officer of VMWare, discusses the increasingly blurred line between internal IT and the customer experience, VMware's SaaS transformation, and Mike's advice on how to effectively network. We also discuss lessons Mike learned serving in the White House, Mike's experience at Bridgewater Associates and the importance of honest feedback loops, among a variety of other topics.

556: In this interview, Angela Yochem, the executive vice president and Chief Transformation & Digital Officer at Novant Health, and George Llado, the senior vice president and chief information officer of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, focus on the power of ecosystems. Angela discusses the importance of leveraging ecosystems to drive innovation at scale, and she shares the story of how Novant Health formed an “unconventional partnership” with Stewart-Haas to build ICU carts for overrun hospitals. Meanwhile, George discusses Alexion’s strategy of cultivating relationships with startups and venture capital firms to accelerate innovation, as well as his approach to strategic planning.

In this interview, Cathy Southwick, CIO of Pure Storage, discusses the storage as a service model and IT’s three strategic priorities: scaling the IT organization, having a lens on security, and enabling the broader business. Cathy discusses how Pure Storage uses its own technology inside the business, the differences she has recognized working for a small and growing company versus a Fortune 15 giant, and how being a prior customer of Pure Storage has helped her since coming into the role. Lastly, Cathy talks about what customers look for in a strategic technology provider, how her IT team works with the rest of the organization, which is full of tech talent as a whole, and a variety of other topics.

Rob Carter, the Executive Vice President of FedEx Information Services and the Chief Information Officer for FedEx, and Steve Randich, the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of FINRA, discuss the role of technology in creating a nimble enterprise. Rob shares the story of how technology that once provided FedEx with a competitive advantage had become outdated, and the massive effort the company undertook to overhaul and modernize its legacy technology. Meanwhile, Steve discusses the benefits of being an early adopter of the cloud, how FINRA is pushing up against the limits of Amazon Web Services, and FINRA’s use of advanced analytics and machine learning to better identify fraud and bad actors.

Marta Zarraga, Global Chief Information Officer of Capital Group discusses her experience onboarding into her new role virtually, how Capital Group has given flexibility to its employees during the pandemic so that they can best serve their customers, and how the company has adjusted to a mobile workforce. We also discuss aspects of work that are done much better face-to-face than remotely, Capital Group's ambitions to expand more into Europe and Asia, the different experiences Marta has had across four different CIO roles, among a variety of other topics.

552: Shailesh Prakash, the CIO and Chief Product Officer of the Washington Post, and Chintan Mehta, the CIO and Head of Digital, Technology, and Innovation for Wells Fargo, discuss strategy and its role in driving growth and innovation. Shailesh discusses how IT and engineering went from being a cost center to being a strategic differentiator and driver of business growth. He goes on to share the story of Arc Publishing and Zeus Technologies, which grew from internal solutions into sizable revenue drivers with over 200 customers. Meanwhile, Chintan shares his view on the importance of long-term strategic planning and how the company’s Strategy, Digital Platform & Innovation (SDI) group set strategy across the organization.

551: Marcello Damiani, the chief digital and operational excellence officer of Moderna, has been a major part of Moderna being at the forefront of the COVID vaccine development. In this interview, we discuss how Moderna is using messenger RNA to prevent and cure diseases, such as COVID-19, aspects of Moderna’s data strategy, and how the company has used data to run the most effective clinical trials possible. We discuss how Moderna is building a digital environment and how COVID accelerated the company’s digitization. Lastly, we discuss the emerging technologies Moderna has used in its digitization journey, the importance of being agile in how you adjust your day-to-day tactical activity to the strategy that you are building, among a variety of other topics.

550: Melanie Kalmar, the CIO & CDO of Dow, and Shamim Mohammad, the chief information & technology officer of CarMax both have experience modernizing large organizations. In this interview, Melanie discusses Dow’s adoption of agile and DevOps practices, offers insight into how she has reoriented IT around service delivery, and gives her take on how to innovate at scale. Meanwhile, Shamim discusses CarMax’s shift from a project orientation to a product orientation and why the traditional way of delivering IT projects does not work anymore. We also discuss how transforming to a nimbler organization has helped CarMax during the pandemic, among a variety of other topics.

549: Seth Cohen, the global CIO of PepsiCo, leads IT for one of the largest beverage companies in the world. In this interview, we discuss the main difference between digital and analog companies along with PepsiCo’s digital agenda. We discuss how data strategy has evolved over the past 5-10 years, and a bit about PepsiCo’s own data journey. Lastly, we discuss cross-cultural communications lessons Seth has learned from living all over the world, the benefits of an East to West innovation path, PepsiCo's experience switching to an entirely remote workforce, among a variety of other topics.

548: Kimberly Johnson and Rob Alexander have both been part of massive transformations at Fortune 100 companies. In this interview, we focus on people and talent strategy. Rob discusses how Capital One’s talent transformation was critical in supporting the company’s massive technology transformation, which has included insourcing IT and building technology internally as well as moving its data centers to the cloud. Meanwhile, Kimberly discusses the importance of teamwork in driving innovation, and how Fannie Mae rapidly responded to enable teams to continue collaborating during the COVID pandemic.

547: Lee Crump, the former CIO of Rollins, represents a unique case in which he hand picked his successor Thomas Tesh, the current CIO of Rollins. In this interview, we discuss Thomas and Lee's working relationship over the past 23 years, why Lee picked Thomas to replace him, and what Thomas believes are Lee's greatest strengths as a leader. We discuss Rollins' M&A Strategy and the only two things Rollins always takes over when buying a company: security and payroll. Lastly, we discuss Rollins' strategic priorities over the next few years, why Thomas believes we will see all computers go away in the future, and a variety of other topics.

546: General Stanley McChrystal has decades of leadership experience. In this interview, we discuss the importance of adaptability and agility, and General MyChrystal’s view that nimbleness is a continuous journey. He notes that cross-functional collaboration is not automatic, and organizations must be deliberate in fostering trust in a distributed environment. To do this, he suggests that transparency, vulnerability, individual empowerment, and a common purpose are all critical ingredients. We also discuss the characteristics of a resilient organization and which lessons from the military he sees as most applicable to the business realm, among a variety of other topics.

545: Peter High, the president of Metis Strategy and the author of Getting to Nimble, has advised many of the best chief information officers at multi-billion dollar corporations in the United States and abroad. In this interview, Peter shares how he got to the title Getting to Nimble, why he decided to put people as his first principle, and the critical importance of change in any IT organization. He also discusses how data and analytics are rising up many organization's priority lists, his take on the chief data officer role, and why competition has changed from company versus company to ecosystem versus ecosystem. He also shares the four sets of ecosystems he recommends partnering with, how many CIOs are moving beyond the CIO role, the growing trend of CIOs joining boards, among a variety of other topics.

544: Jeff Immelt, the former CEO of GE, spent over 15 years running one of the world’s largest companies. In this interview, Jeff discusses his experience growing up professionally at GE, Jeff's relationship with his predecessor and legendary CEO, Jack Welch, and Jeff's story ascending to the CEO role. We discuss why Jeff decided to write the book about his time at GE, two things Jeff would have done differently if he had the chance to do them over again, and the digital push Jeff made as CEO. Lastly, we discuss what Jeff misses most about his time at GE, Jeff's views on the global economy going forward, Jeff's advice to younger individuals at the beginning of their careers, among a variety of other topics.

543: Sandeep Dave, the chief digital and technology officer of CBRE, knows a thing of two about digital transformations and innovation at large companies. In this interview, we discuss the five elements of CBRE digital transformation, why the future workforce is likely to be distributed, and why innovation labs that sit far from core operations do nothing to transform the core business. We also discuss the approach that CBRE uses to innovate, how CBRE leverages AI/ML, the power of bringing emerging technologies together to solve real-world problems, among a variety of other topics.

542: Steve Phillpott, the CIO of Illumina and former CIO of Western Digital, is an expert in change management having overseen change at one of the largest computer data storage companies in the world. In this interview, we discuss the importance of organizations investing in change management and how he approached change management at Western Digital. We also discuss trends in cloud and DevOps, the crucial importance of building up your peer and executive recruiter networks, among a variety of other topics. 

541: Sunny Gupta, the CEO of Apptio, has driven his company to become a market leader with significant scale. In this interview we discuss the Technology Business Management Council the company created and its strategic priorities, the four areas where technology business management plays a role today, and Sunny’s advice for those low on the transformation curve. We discuss why there is no separation between the business and IT anymore, how Apptio integrates with other platforms to create a central financial technology decision engine, and Apptio's experience going public and then going private. Lastly, we discuss four acquisitions the company has made in recent times, some of the emerging technologies Sunny has his eye on, and a variety of other topics.

540: Paola Arbour has more than 30 years of experience leading and transforming IT organizations. In this interview, we discuss the cultural transformation she’s driving at Tenet Healthcare and why skill sets are more important than titles. Paola also shares tips for effectively managing change, and she discusses the importance of having a culture of innovation, rather than a program of innovation, among a variety of other topics.

539: Daniela Rus, the director of MIT CSAIL, imagines a future where robots are so integrated in the fabric of human life that they become as common as smart phones are today. In this interview, we discuss some of the many examples in which robotics and AI have been used in new ways during the pandemic, why AI is most effective when people and machines work together, and some of the ways AI will positively impact our lives in the future. We also discuss why we should think of AI as interns and humans as the ones who make the important decisions, the state of autonomous vehicles and the work Daniela's team is doing in that field, among a variety of other topics. 

538: Atticus Tysen, CIO/CISO of Intuit, discusses the importance of aligning technology strategy with business strategy and how having a strategic framework facilitates organizational agility. We also discuss how Atticus balances innovation with security in his role as CIO and CISO, how technology creates new opportunities for the business, among other topics.

537: Timothy Kasbe, the president of Zoho, discusses why Zoho has decided to stay private and the freedom and long-term outlook the company has as a result, and how Zoho banks everyone's salaries for three to five years. We cover Zoho Schools of Learning, and why IT needs to move away from being a function that supports the business to being one that drives the business. We discuss why Timothy decided to get a Divinity School degree, why he believes in the need to engage religious communities in science and math, lessons he has learned in cross cultural communication from living all over the world, among a variety of other topics.

Maryfran Johnson, the host of CIO Leadership Live on CIO.com has had a non-traditional pathway to covering chief information officers. In this interview, we discuss why technology leaders should not look to align with the business but instead look to accelerate it and how CIOs are no longer fighting for a seat at the leadership table, but working towards keeping that seat. We also discuss Maryfran’s take on CIO board leadership, including some common factors of CIOs who make it onto boards. She also covers the benefits to companies who have CIOs on their boards, lessons CIOs can take from a board back into their home organization, her advice for CIOs looking to join boards, among a variety of other topics. 

In this interview, we discuss some of the foundational elements of the company's strategic roadmap and how the company is increasing the technology IQ of its employees. We discuss the company's multi-pronged approach to innovation and the venture capital fund inside the company. Lastly, we discuss steps the company has taken over the past few years that helped prepare it for the pandemic, how the company has been able to serve its customers better during the pandemic, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, Andi discusses the near- and long-term considerations when hiring new talent, as well as National Grid’s omnichannel approach to training. We also discuss the importance of being agile and focusing on consumer needs rather than product life cycles, the ways the company has utilized its external partnerships to create better energy solutions, among other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the modernization journey Gap's technology team has been on, how Sally leverages her strategy, finance, and supply chain backgrounds in her role, and the interplay between the company's enterprise, digital, and data strategies. We discuss several aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as how it forced agile and innovative thinking, how it accelerated several trends that were on the roadmap, some of the transformations the company made that helped prepare it for the pandemic, and some of the indelible marks of the pandemic that Sally believes will remain once we return to a new normal. Lastly, we discuss the benefits of having a diversity of talent in technology, the state of the union of women in technology, the importance of having a pipeline and role models for under-represented groups in technology, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we dive into several of the book’s themes, including People and Technology. Cynthia shares insight into how she motivates her team, and how robotic process automation can boost morale by automating repetitive tasks. We also discuss Adobe’s journey to become a cloud-native company, the ways in which enterprise architecture can impact culture, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how SYKES leverages technology inside the company, how SYKES uses data to deeply understand the buyer and design the best solutions for them, and some of the ways in which companies are mismanaging customer experience management. We discuss why Ian believes RPA will be a foundation to organizational transformation for years to come, the major differences between RPA and AI/ML, and the dangers of using intelligent automation capabilities, such as AI, too soon. Lastly, we discuss Ian's career path from strategy consulting, to business process outsourcing, to founding Symphony Ventures, to the C-suite of SYKES, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how being a mutual company, as opposed to a public company, allows IT and the broader organization to think with a longer-term perspective in mind, and how that impacted the firm’s actions during the pandemic. We discuss the difference the company is making in local communities through initiatives such as Outsource to America and Hi, Tech, why Neal decided to join Northwestern Mutual as CIO after having been promoted out of that role to the COO post at Express Scripts, and how the CIO role has evolved to become an immensely influential role. Lastly, we discuss how being a former national champion debater has served him well in business, how COVID and changing consumer expectations have massively accelerated the pace of business change, why talent mobility is going to have a significant impact going forward, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we dive into several of the book’s themes, including Process, Technology, and Ecosystems. Steve discusses some of the sweeping changes he has made across his career, such as how he has inverted FINRA's entire IT organization to be platform-oriented. Steve also shares best practices related to cloud computing based on the journeys he has led at NASDAQ and FINRA, his perspective on IT’s role in the business, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss some of the tough questions and interesting business challenges Sridhar faced during his time at Google, the consequences of an all growth at all costs mentality, and Sridhar's take on the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit facing Google. We discuss Sridhar's experience at Greylock and why he joined the firm as an investor, the genesis story of Neeva, and why he felt the time was right to leave Google and start the company. Lastly, we discuss the importance of having a great co-founder when starting a company, why a customer first model lends itself much better to monetizing content on the web, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss two strategic decisions IT made to rebuild its technology at the outset of Synchrony and Carol's talent strategy, including why she looked for individuals who wanted to stay beyond the Synchrony’s IPO and were willing to learn. We discuss how health and safety has become a requirement of digital transformations, the company's three pronged AI approach around machine learning, intelligent virtual assistants, and RPA, and how the company uses machine learning models to better understand and detect fraud sooner. Lastly, we discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, including three steps the company took that helped it move quickly once the pandemic struck, the massive technology transformation the company undertook to get its associates home in March, steps Carol and the company have taken to support its employees throughout the pandemic, including launching a virtual summer camp and an after school program to help Synchrony parents and kids, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, Pat discusses some of the key trends regarding observability, the benefits of taking a best of breed approach to it, and why observability is part of the solution to data privacy, not the problem. We discuss some first steps those low on the maturity curve relative to observability can take and why it has been a key to the digital acceleration that has happened during the pandemic. Lastly, we discuss how COVID has dramatically accelerated Sequoia's business, some of the indelible marks of COVID that will become permanent, among a variety of other topics. Pat has a significant track record of success as his investment portfolio consists of companies like Zoom, Okta, ServiceNow, and Snowflake.

In this interview, we discuss why Mark has decided to kick off his time as CDIO with a digital literacy campaign, the operating model Mark is creating around digital, data, IT, and innovation, and why digital delivery is more important than digital transformation. We discuss Mark's experience being onboarded virtually, the 6 strategic pillars that will anchor Mark’s strategy going forward, and how Mark thinks about data and automation. Lastly, we discuss Mark's path to a corporate board, his advice to those wishing to do the same, Mark's take on the social injustice across the country, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we dive into several of the book’s themes, including People, Technology, Strategy, and Ecosystems. Herve begins by sharing how Schneider Electric’s business culture continues to evolve as they adopt aspects of culture from the businesses they acquire. He also discusses his process for making bets on new technologies to gain a first-mover advantage, the importance of agile portfolio management, the partnerships Schneider has forged to foster innovation, among other topics.

In this interview, we discuss why Rhonda formed an enterprise IT organization to consolidate all of IT across the company and why Rhonda has aligned IT to the company's three strategic pillars: financial performance, innovation, and responsibility. We discuss the company's North Star innovation model, which has the data platform positioned at the core and 4 interconnected platforms, as well as ways in which IT's standardization and modernization helped prepare the company for the pandemic. Lastly, we discuss the company's 4 top priorities once the pandemic hit, Rhonda's path to a public board, her advice to others wishing to do the same, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the company's journey from on-premise to the cloud and the benefits that provided, Alexion's secret sauce to change management, and the firm’s close relationship with external partners. We discuss how George works with the VC community, including why Alexion invests in smaller companies, the risk George took on Zoom back in 2016, and the win-win partnership between Alexion and the smaller companies it invests in and works with. Lastly, we discuss some of the lessons George has taken from the pandemic, how the social injustices that came to light this year are not new, George's take on new and emerging digital tools, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Dmitri’s perspectives on the recent US government hack believed by many to have originated in Russia, including why the hack was not an act of war but instead was traditional espionage, why this hack has potential to be 100X as significant as the OPM hack, as well as some of the silver linings of the hack. We discuss how organizations can protect themselves from adversaries, including why every organization needs to start with the assumption that an attacker is already inside, why trying to build walls around the perimeter of your network is futile, and the importance of planning regularly to defend a cyber attack. We also discuss the importance of using a password manager, why individuals should be suspicious of emails and not click attachments from unknown people, why our government is at its weakest point to be able to respond to this threat, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the opportunity Paul sees for the oil and gas industry to adopt new technologies, the significance of Paul's title change from chief information officer to chief digital officer, and some of the strategic priorities for Paul's team as he has taken the CDO role. We discuss some of the external partnerships the company has formed as it has looked to embrace analytics, why Calgary is one of the world's best kept secrets in the technology landscape, and how the company's future of work program allowed it to have a more seamless transition to work from home once the pandemic struck. Lastly, we discuss Paul's view on the future of the mobile workforce, some of the emerging technologies on Paul's mind, including 5G, AR, VR, drones, and blockchain, among a variety of other topics.

Lenovo CIO Art Hu discusses several of the themes from our upcoming book, Getting to Nimble, including Process, Technology, and Strategy. Art describes how Lenovo has managed the shift from a project to a product-focused IT management mindset and shares lessons learned from that change. We also discuss how Lenovo is using cloud technology to improve key applications and explore how Art ensures IT and business strategy remain aligned; among other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Fumbi's career path as a woman of color, the legacy she wants to leave, and the value Fumbi gained growing up and living in many continents of the world. We discuss how Fumbi brings her whole self to each role she has taken on and why organizations have no choice but to change following the pandemic. Lastly, we discuss insights from Fumbi’s board membership, including why companies need technologists on their boards if they are going to survive over the next five to ten years, a bit about the technologist's role on boards, how being on a board helps Fumbi in her day job, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the defensive and offensive roles the technology team runs, the company’s Six S strategy, which stands for skills, secure, stable, scale, speed, and satisfaction, and Wells Fargo’s three pillared innovation strategy. We discuss Saul’s view on quantum computing, the natural partnership between big banks and Fintechs, and Wells Fargo’s response to the pandemic. We also discuss some of the indelible marks Saul believes will and won’t remain once we return to normal, why we need to be careful that we are using AI ethically, Saul’s lessons for effective cross-cultural communication, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the company's transformation to modernize its technology and how the company has transitioned to a mobile workforce. We discuss the implications of switching to a gig economy, why Copart keeps a closer eye on companies in other markets than those in its own industry, and Copart's partnership with Twilio. Lastly, we discuss some aspects of Copart's strategic plan, why WhatsApp is tremendously underutilized in Rama’s estimation, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Richard's interactions with the division CIOs of Cox Enterprises and how they work together, why Richard is focused on building a holistic strategy, and some of IT's focus areas for 2021. We also discuss the digital acceleration driven by the pandemic, the importance of having relentless and transparent communication during times like these, and Richard's experience working for the City of Atlanta during a major cyberattack. Lastly, we discuss some of Cox Enterprises' diversity and inclusion efforts, Richard's take on RPA, AI, and data analytics, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview we discuss Cognizant's three pillared strategy around accelerating digital, globalizing Cognizant, and increasing its relevance to its clients. We discuss Cognizant's approach to partnering with other companies, and the pros and cons of being onboarded virtually. Lastly, we discuss the changes driven by the pandemic that will be permanent. some of the emerging technologies Anil is keeping an eye on, Anil’s experience working for the Federal Government, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss why Howard joined Signet Jewelers and the company's path to brilliance strategy, which has been focused on 1) customer-first, 2) omnichannel with a digital focus, and 3) building a culture of agility and efficiency. We discuss how COVID served as an accelerant for the company's digital strategy, how IT has leveraged centers of excellence to achieve agility and efficiency at scale, and why measuring business value is the most important metric businesses should focus on. Lastly, we discuss how the company uses analytics to help maximize return, how augmented reality allows customers to try on a ring from home, how the company enabled its jewelry consultants to keep working during the pandemic, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss five problems companies are facing brought on by the explosion of data and three of the biggest challenges in discovering sensitive data: the diversity of the systems, the massive scale of data, and the attack surface. We discuss the most common ways threat actors can breach data and some of the ways companies can handle data internally to protect themselves from cyber attacks. Lastly, we discuss individuals' legal rights to their data, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the importance of being in a company whose products you believe in, understand, and can talk credibly about, and how Sharon’s background as a software engineer helps her as a CIO. We discuss how the distinction between what goes on inside the walls of a company and how the product is delivered is becoming increasingly blurred, Sharon’s decision to get an MBA to better understand how business people think, and how Juniper uses the cloud and AI. Lastly, we discuss how Juniper has responded to the pandemic, the measures it has taken to keep its employees safe, Sharon’s experience being onboarded during the pandemic, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the differences in IBM and Red Hat’s culture, why they are looking to inject cultural elements from each other into their own operating models, and the three cultural characteristics IBM wants to drive: entrepreneurial spirit, growth mindset, and radical candor. We discuss why IBM decided to spin out the managed services business, why Red Hat is separate from IBM, and the importance and potential of AI. Lastly, we discuss some of IBM’s failures, how IBM thinks about where it’s going to invest versus where it’s going to rely on open source, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Domino’s remarkable transformation over the past decade focused on product, technology, and customer experience. We also discuss the advantages the company gained by insourcing talent that was once outsourced, and why Domino’s considers itself an e-commerce company that sells pizza rather than a pizza company that sells online. We cover the steps Domino’s has taken to create a memorable customer experience both in-store and online, how recent innovations positioned Domino’s to quickly become a consumer safety leader during the pandemic, and why the company is filling in potholes in every state in the US. Lastly, we discuss how Domino’s is preparing for autonomous delivery, the consumer preference changes that are here to stay post pandemic, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the two roles of a technology leader: To manage technology and to help differentiate their enterprises. We also discuss some of the education programs CISR has for management teams to increase digital savviness, and some of the long-term implications the pandemic will have on the world. We also discuss the results and implications from several of the machine learning based studies done by CISR that show that less than half of CIOs or CTOs and less than a quarter of boards are digitally savvy. Lastly, we discuss his view on boards, including the importance of having at least three digital savvy directors on a board, the three major aspects of a board, and the value of having CIOs on boards, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss why data is the currency of any digital transformation, how the IT organization moved from being 69% outsourced, to much more heavily insource, and how the pandemic has supplied the market with a significant amount of world class talent. We discuss how Honeywell has successfully identified, hired, and onboarded new employees during the pandemic, why video is here to stay, and the increasing importance of security in a remote workforce. Lastly, we discuss an overview of Honeywell’s connected enterprise, the state of the union of women in IT, Sheila's take on AI, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the problems ThoughtTrace solves for its customers, how the company uses AI to create extraordinarily detailed models for natural language processing for highly specific use cases, and why some people miss the progress made in the realm of AI due to the future promise of artificial general intelligence. We discuss why we should embrace incrementalism with AI, why you do not need a degree from a top technology school to be effective with AI and data science tools, and the right and wrong way to approach AI when first starting out. Lastly, we discuss why companies should ask if they have the requisite data in-house to build a durable AI model, rather than if they have a large enough quantity of data, Nick’s path from being an Army officer to a CEO, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how Duke Energy uses data, as well as an overview of Lighthouse, the company’s enterprise digital transformation program. We discuss how Duke Energy’s people-focused approach towards digital transformation helped set the company up well to deal with COVID and how the pandemic has accelerated the digital and technology transformation for many companies. Lastly, we discuss Bonnie’s view on the state of women in technology, how AI and other technologies can be used to modernize the energy sector, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how Allstate evolved from just using AI for the purpose of using AI and how the company introduced voice technology and machine learning in its claims process. We also discuss how Paola and Tenant Healthcare view technology’s role in healthcare, how the company partnered with a tiny company to help it think differently about the speed at which it makes decisions, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how Jay differentiates the IT department in a company where technologists are everywhere. We also cover how SAS uses its own products internally. We discuss the company’s response to COVID, including how Jay looked to coach his team through the isolation of working from home and keep them engaged and the COVID-19 dashboards the company created to make the analytics available to anybody. Finally, we discuss the company’s partnership with Microsoft, SAS’ cloud strategy, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Dale’s work as the CEO of Diversified Search, but we also speak about how COVID has accelerated changes around transformation and innovation. As a leader of color, I was also interested in getting his thoughts on how the pandemic has underscored racial disparities in the United States, and we also discuss the importance of listening before taking a stand against racial injustice and how diverse teams add value to companies in terms of thinking and processing, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the digital transformation the company has undertaken, including what he refers to as “One Digital Aflac” and how the transformation has impacted the customer experience. We discuss Rich’s thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic, including how it forced Aflac to reinvent and double down on digital as well as the changes here to stay post-pandemic. Finally, we discuss how the company shifted from a waterfall to an agile approach, why one's ability to adapt to more than coming up with new technologies is the most important thing for the company, among a variety of other topics.

In our 500th episode, The Carlyle Group's David Rubenstein discusses his youth growing up in a blue-collar family in Baltimore, his experience working for the Jimmy Carter administration, and why that administration was viewed as unsuccessful. We also discuss David’s decision to leave government and the legal profession to start Carlyle and how David and a partner came up with the firm’s name. We discuss how Carlyle got major prominent political figures to join the firm, including presidents and prime ministers, David’s decision to have the business diversify and go global, and David’s rationale for taking the firm public. Lastly, we discuss David’s philanthropic endeavors, why he has decided to give all of his money away, why he now stays out of politics, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Sri's purview as CTO and his three main priorities in the role. We discuss aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as PayPal’s response, how the company has seen significant growth throughout it, and how it has resulted in an acceleration of digital payments. Lastly, we discuss Sri’s experience serving on the board of a public company, why Sri believes payments as a known activity will begin to disappear, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how focusing on the customer experience and leading with digital and analytics is serving Zoetis well and the steps the company takes to position its customer at the center of the universe. We discuss how T.D Ameritrade uses analytics and AI to enhance the customer experience, including the Voice of the Customer Analytics capability it has created to help with the added digital pressures on the business and how it has used AI for personalization. Lastly, we discuss how COVID and low interest rates have caused more and more investors to explore the stock market, how the culture of innovation at T.D Ameritrade has allowed it to bring new ideas to market extremely quickly, among a variety of other topics.

Welcome to Technovation, a twice-weekly podcast highlighting the stories of people who are shaping the technology landscape. I'm Peter High, president of Metis Strategy, advisor to technology executives, Forbes columnist, book author, and your host. Each episode of Technovation features insights from top executives at the intersection of business technology and innovation. From CXOs of the world's largest, most recognizable companies, to high profile founders and investors, to industry influencers, authors, and former heads of state, our extensive collection of over 500 high profile interviews makes Technovation the leading independent podcast for business and technology, executives and professionals. Whether you are an innovator, a technology creator, an investor, a CIO CDO, or CTO, or you aspire to be any of the above, you will hear powerful yet accessible stories along with practical advice from leading thinkers. We would be grateful to have you as a listener. Find us wherever you get your podcasts. And do not forget to subscribe.

In this interview, we discuss Adam’s view on working from home, why he moved from Chicago to Austin, and his belief that technology cannot replicate the full in person work experience. We also discuss Adam’s advice for those looking to make a positive change in social justice, why every board of a Fortune 500 company needs to demand a quarterly diversity report, and some of the recruiting tools that are looking to take away subconscious bias out of recruiting. Lastly, we discuss Adam’s advice for CIOs looking to join boards, Adam’s interest in technologies that positively impact the environment, how the pace of technological change is faster today than ever before, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Goldman Sachs’ strategic decisions around technology, including how it is building new businesses that are adjacent to its historical core businesses, how it is trying to build the digital consumer bank of the future, and the transaction banking business it is building. We discuss Clay’s view on the importance of having a fail-fast model, especially in the days of COVID, and the pivot Yum! Brands has made since COVID. We also discuss Clay and George’s view on the customer experience, including how customers have come to expect the Amazon experience everywhere and the importance of the business product and the tech product working together to create a seamless journey for the customer. Lastly, we discuss how the lines between the business and IT are eroding, including how agile and DevOps are beginning to move into the business and why the people capable of leading businesses are oftentimes engineers, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss ADP’s history as one of the earliest cloud companies, as well as why the company has shifted from embracing the private cloud to the public cloud. We also discuss the innovation labs the company has created, how the larger ADP organization draws new practices from the innovation labs, and why one of the hardest challenges that any organization has is not identifying new ideas that have promise, but cancelling the ones that do not show value. We also discuss how a partial reopening of offices could negatively impact productivity and agile methodologies, some of ADP’s efforts around diversity and inclusion, how artificial intelligence algorithms can actually reinforce historical bias, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss an overview of SYKES, including its portfolio of capabilities, and the company’s partner network, and SYKES Digital. We also discuss Dave’s purview as CIO and the OneTeam platform the company developed to support its work-at-home agents. We also cover why the company has had a virtual structure for many of its employees since before the pandemic, and the learnings from that. Lastly, we discuss Dave’s take on the cloud and artificial intelligence, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Atif's purview in his role, MGM’s expansion into digital services, and Viva La Office, an offering the company has developed to encourage people to work and live from Las Vegas during the pandemic. We also discuss the company’s response to COVID-19, including the digital and contactless experiences the company has swiftly put in, how the customer conveniences created by COVID are sticky and will remain long term, and the company’s Seven-Point Safety Plan aimed to keep customers and employees safe during the pandemic. We also discuss how COVID has resulted in far more agility inside companies, CONBODY, a digital fitness started by a formerly incarcerated person with formerly incarcerated instructors, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss both company’s reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, including how Fiserv’s digital agenda was impacted by COVID, how the pandemic forced Fiserv to react at a speed significantly faster than before, and how Subway franchises innovated and solved problems to keep their businesses sustainable throughout. We also discuss why Subway is looking to react to the current marketplace rather than try to predict it, the permanent changes that will result from COVID-19, such as the digital transformation we are seeing in the office, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Shankar’s role as the Global CIO of Verizon, the five questions embedded in the company’s IT strategy, and the company’s approach to change management. We also discuss the company’s response to COVID-19, including how the company quickly retrained 20,000 sales associates once the pandemic hit, how the company transitioned to a remote workforce, and the framework the company developed to guide it through the pandemic. Finally, we discuss Shankar’s front row seat in Verizon’s technological evolutions over the past 20+ years, the three prongs to the company’s 5G strategy, how the company uses AI, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Kimberly’s take on the renewed focus on social injustice in our society and the role technology can play to help foster change. We also talk about how the concept of anti-racism is gaining traction as well as some of the groups Kimberly admires. We also discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out more empathy in people, the importance of diversifying your slate of mentors and mentees, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Harman International's focus on driving integrated, seamless, frictionless, excellent experiences to both the automotive and the consumer markets, IT’s focus on four S's: To make technology simpler, smarter, scalable, and secure, and some of the work the company has done around cyber. We also discuss how the company has responded to COVID-19, how it is preparing to return to work, and how the pandemic has resulted in a rapid acceleration towards a digital workforce. Lastly, we discuss how the company is looking to improve the experience in the car, how Nick’s time at GE helped him become a better leader, his take on 5G, AI, and autonomous vehicles, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss racial inequities and social justice, and the importance of not reinforcing the same networks and biases, but rather providing equal opportunity when it comes to developing talent. We also discuss how the company is bringing in excellent talent by investing in historically black colleges and universities, high school programs, and other funds, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss an overview of Ryder and Rajeev’s purview as CIO, the IT function’s four strategic goals, and the company’s approach to eliminating technical debt. We also discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, including why Ryder was prepared for it and how the company has created a sense of community throughout it. Lastly, we discuss Rajeev’s take on a variety of rising trends, such as AI modeling, robotics, and autonomous vehicles.

In this interview, we discuss the three parts of Insight’s investment thesis, an overview of the company’s digital acceleration program, Insight IGNITE, and the challenges of communication between IT and the rest of the business. We also discuss how Insight Partners can save IT leaders many trips to Silicon Valley by finding tech globally, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many of the areas the company has invested in. Further, we discuss the four types of boards that exist based on the size and maturity of those companies and the assistance each needs from its directors, the increased importance on creativity for humans with more AI and automation, Emmet’s take on IoT, the cloud, automation, 5G, and RPA, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Sathish’s three-pillared IT strategy, which is focused on driving customer value, creating a compelling financial trajectory for all its shareholders and investors, and executing that through great culture. We also discuss the company’s transition to a mobile workforce due to the pandemic and Sathish’s experience being onboarded largely in quarantine. Finally, we discuss the approach Sathish used to create his data strategy, what he has learned from his prior experiences as CIO, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how Jason has navigated working with three variations of the same company, and how Lenovo operates as a global firm. We also discuss the pandemic’s impact on the company, and how the fact that Lenovo has a major manufacturing operation in Wuhan, China led to early warnings as to the issues that arose related to COVID-19. We cover how the pandemic has led to a 3x increase in cyber attacks, and the methods Jason and his team have undertaken to counteract them. We also cover his CIO and CISO responsibilities and how he segments his thoughts processes related to each and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Bill’s purview as the CIO of NetApp and how the company works with external partners to build capabilities. We also discuss how the company acts as an internal first user, including NetApp on NetApp and the Customer One Platform, as well as The Cloud One Platform and The DevOps framework the company has built. We discuss Bill’s view on the COVID-19 pandemic, including how it will impact the world in the long term and how the company responded to it. Finally, we discuss the importance of CIOs getting advantages out of data and the biggest threats to CIOs today.

In this interview, we discuss Shardul’s thoughts on how COVID-19 has accelerated a tech-enabled shift to an employee-focused culture rather than customer-focused culture, how a younger workforce deals with unprecedented economic shock, and how investment decisions and collaboration have been impacted by virtual communication. We also discuss how his investment philosophy is tied to empathy and community, the story of the least successful investment he’s ever made, among other topics.

In this interview, we discuss how Ed balances innovation with risk mitigation, and how security can be used as a strategic weapon. We also discuss his thoughts on the current pandemic, including how it will result in a permanent shift in certain behaviors and why bold pronouncements about the future of work can’t be made just yet. Finally, we discuss Ed’s view on blockchain, and Mastercard’s lab group, whose job is to investigate new technologies, along with a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss John’s experience with previous financial crises and the playbook he is running with his 18 startups through the current pandemic. We discuss why John went into venture capital after his time at Cisco, why John is partnering with 18 startups, rather than just one, and how the current crisis has impacted John’s investment theses. We discuss the playbook John ran when making acquisitions at Cisco, and the successes and failures he has experienced with digital transformations. Lastly, we discuss the impact COVID is going to have long-term, including how COVID has and will continue to accelerate the shift to digital, why the top ten companies in each industry will be shuffled, why we won’t have an environment where everyone works from home, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Jamie’s purview as Chief Digital and Technology Officer and Ocean Spray’s five-year plan to transform from a cranberry business to a health and wellness business. We also discuss the company’s innovation plan, the digital hub his team is building, and the company’s relationship with the farmers who grow the cranberries. Finally, we discuss how the company approaches external partnerships, Jamie’s interest in the health and wellness space, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the current pandemic and the economic crisis, and how one must lean on one’s ecosystem for insights and support while offering the same back into the ecosystem. We also cover how the pandemic has caused previous market failures to move to market readiness. We discuss the importance of entrepreneurs co-designing their go-to-market strategy and the precise definition of blitzscaling and its application to large companies, as well as a variety of other topics.

In this interview, Clay provides an overview of the Yum! Brands ecosystem, how the company delivers an excellent customer experience, and how the company has implemented customer feedback to deliver contactless payments. We also discuss Clay’s perspective on the current pandemic, including how it has accelerated the company's digital journey, as well as Clay’s view on the future of the mobile workforce post pandemic. We discuss how agile thinking applies to operations, and how switching from a project to a product mindset can accelerate product development and delivery. Finally, we discuss Clay’s take on the evolution of the CIO role and the innovation lab at Yum! Brands.

In this interview, we discuss an overview of no code, why the metrics that gauge success or lack thereof for IT departments are flawed, and how companies need to reward their technologists based on the value they achieve, rather than being on time and on budget. We also discuss why Gary left the CIO ranks, and we cover his advice for others looking to do the same and start their own companies. Lastly, we discuss why Gary believes that you can always improve a big company, some of the groundbreaking things Unqork has done with large enterprises, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Pascal’s 6-pillared IT strategy, the advantages Pascal gains having technology and operations disciplines under his purview, and some of the innovation efforts Commonwealth Bank is undergoing. We also discuss why working remotely due to COVID-19 was even more of a transition for Australians than other parts of the world, the tech landscape in Australia, and how the company works with other FinTechs. Lastly we discuss Pascal’s take on quantum computing, AI, and the cloud among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the genesis story of Woven, the most successful go to market model for productivity software, and why Woven decided not to directly compete with Apple, Microsoft, and Google. We also discuss how Tim has built his team at Woven, how the CIO role prepared Tim for the CEO role, and three elements that are needed to start a company successfully. Lastly, we discuss how Tim has managed during this time of crisis, Tim’s experience on boards, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Archana’s purview as the global CIO of Intel and her experience coming up to speed in the role. We discuss the current pandemic, including Intel’s response to it, how it will impact the long-term future of work, and how her team has been enabling the shift to remote work. Finally, Archana provides insight into the company’s data-first mindset and their Corporate Data Office, how the company is using artificial intelligence, how the CIO role has evolved in Archana’s 17+ years in the post, among other topics.

In this interview, we discuss COVID’s impact on enterprises, including the productivity benefits and accompanying loss of socialization, how this can cause employee burnout, and what leaders can do to alleviate uncertainty. We also discuss how COVID has impacted the amount of Slack users positively and negatively and the potential challenges a hybrid model of working will present. Lastly, we discuss how people are more attracted to new features versus core improvement to the existing features, the main difference between Slack and Microsoft Teams and how they can be used together, how the demand for synchronous communication can be disruptive to people's time management and their ability to focus, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, Sandeep discusses his purview as the CDO of Mars, the three pillars that drive Mars’ digital engine, and the five cultural principles that guide Mars as a company. We discuss the extreme focus Sandeep has put on customer centricity, including the creation of user centricity teams and how this mindset has been applied to the courses developed by Mars University, the company’s internal training platform. We also cover why Sandeep believes creating a culture of curiosity is as important as creating the right data infrastructure. Finally, we discuss Mars’ movement to come up with 100 insights in the next 100 weeks, the prevalence of AI in the company, how the company is using Snickers to show gratitude to frontline workers, among other topics.

In this interview, we discuss the genesis story of John’s book The Great Influenza, and the lessons of the pandemic of 100 years ago to today. We discuss some of the most interesting aspects of the 1918 pandemic, while also getting into some of the deeper scientific details in comparing the influenza virus and the coronavirus. We also talk about the critical importance of honesty and transparency of leadership in the face of this crisis, the failures of the federal government in its response to COVID-19, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Atish’s career path and his experience as CIO of a technology giant, including how the CIO role is more similar to CTO roles that he has held in the past, the focus on engineering and building internal products, and the three main functions he oversees. Also, Atish shares his thoughts on the two biggest ways COVID will change the business world. Lastly, we discuss the value an executive with technology expertise can bring to a corporate boards, as Atish sits on the boards of Hibu a multinational digital and print marketing solutions company, and of Nelson Education, an education publishing company.

In this interview, we discuss Daphne’s transition from CIO to board membership. We discuss her advice for CIOs looking to join boards, including why not-for-profit boards are a good stepping stone to for-profit boards and how CIOs can bring both an offensive and defensive mindset to the boardroom. We also discuss how the CIO role has dramatically evolved over her career, Daphne’s view on the progress of women in technology, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Scott’s purview as CTO and how it compares to his past CIO roles. Scott also shares insight into the company’s digital transformation and data strategy. We discuss how COVID-19 has changed the ways in which people work, as well as the new normal that Scott sees emerging. Additionally, Scott shares his advice to CIOs who have ambitions to join a board, his take on big data, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Vittorio’s purview as CIO, how he made the most of his first 100 days in the role, and his thoughts on how the CIO role is evolving. We discuss the impact of COVID-19, including the three principles that are guiding the company through the pandemic, and how COVID-19 has accelerated the company’s technology plans. We also cover the two-pronged approach to P&G’s digital transformation, the importance of building and maintaining internal expertise, Vittorio’s take on deep learning and machine learning, among a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss an overview of Zoho's evolution across the years, why Shidhar has elected to keep his company private, and has not sought outside investors. We discuss his plan to expand the company’s offices from major cities to rural areas in some cases. Additionally, we cover Zoho’s participatory and informal culture, which has a focus on treating people well, including offering nap and playrooms for its employees. Sridhar also shares how the company is responding to COVID-19, his views on the future of mobile workforces, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss SAIC’s business, Nathan’s purview as CIO, the interesting complexities of being a CIO of a business-to-government (B2G) company. We also discuss SAIC’s acquisition of Engility and Nathan’s role in that, his first few months as CIO, SAIC’s goal to make IT customer zero of the company, why the cultural element of the future of work is a challenge, and a variety of other topics.

In this interview, we discuss Kevin's upbringing in rural Virginia and why he felt he had to leave his hometown to pursue opportunity, how people can have successful careers by using sophisticated technological tools without having to move to technology hubs like Silicon Valley, Kevin's thoughts on improving technology knowledge and expertise, the importance of teaching kids technology, how COVID-19 will make distance learning and working more prevalent, how AI and ML can be used for positive benefit with healthcare applications, such as disease detection, why everyone must play a role in shaping technologies future, not just a select privileged few, Scott’s take on synthetic biology, among other topics.

In this interview, we discuss insights from Mik’s book, the massive IT productivity discrepancies between digitally native organizations and legacy enterprises, the economic impact of technological revolutions, and how and why companies must shift from project orientation to product orientation. We also discuss why IT executives must measure the value they create and not simply if they deliver initiatives on time and on budget, the importance and the shortcomings of traditional project management, what legacy enterprises can learn from both startups and tech giants, and a variety of other topics.

In this episode, Mojgan discusses the company’s commitment to making innovation part of its DNA and the strategic pillars the company has put in place, which are focused on evolving the way the company works to drive integrated teams to push the blurring of lines between business and technology. First, the company leverages design thinking methodologies and always starts with the customer and works backward, and it has small multifunctional teams of technologists and business experts. Second, the company has developed a strategic architecture, driving modernization and simplification where appropriate. Lastly, but most importantly is talent, which the company considers its advantage multiplier. Mojgan cites that Travelers drives new skill sets and engineering talent in a variety of ways. We also discuss Mojgan’s view on the future of women in technology, and the revolution she sees happening in that regard, how Mojgan looks at the company's 160-year old history as a position of extreme strength, how Mojgan’s diverse career path has colored her experience at Travelers, and a variety of other topics.

460: Syngenta Group chief information and digital officer Greg Meyers asserts that we are now heading into the third wave of technology change, which he believes can help reverse some of the effects that we have seen with climate change. Agriculture is responsible for about one third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and it consumes about 70 percent of the world's freshwater supply, which is 30 percent more than we can naturally replenish. This third wave entails bringing computer and data science to the farms to try to find these breakthroughs that allow farmers to continue to increase food production as the world population grows in a way that is more regenerative, keeps more carbon in the soils, and allows us to conserve more water. We also discuss the extreme difference between different market segments that the company operates in, the talent landscape in Switzerland, the evolution of IT going from trying to get IT on the agenda of management teams to extreme excitement around the function, among other topics.

459: ProntoForms Corporation CEO Alvaro Pombo gives valuable advice to other CIOs who would wish to follow in his footsteps to become a CEO. First, he notes that technologists can become too enamored with technology. He notes that since businesses ultimately care most about outcomes, he advises focusing on transformations that impact the broader business. He also underscores the importance of being proximate to customers, noting that they care most about outcomes that are scalable. We also discuss the genesis story of ProntoForms, how the company managed through the 2008 financial crisis, and other advice for CIOs who wish to rise above the role, among other topics.