Tech Whisperers: Inside the Playbooks of the Best Digital Leaders: Recent Episodes
Ouellette & Associates
Tech Whisperers: Inside the Playbooks of the Best Digital Leaders, is a podcast for CxOs and industry leaders looking to hear conversations that unpack the leadership philosophies, decision making thought processes and unique expressions that differentiate the best. If you’re looking to gain an edge, instill new mindsets, and move out of your comfort zone, you’ve found the right community. Welcome to Tech Whisperers!
After years of interviews with dozens of incredible digital leaders, we’ve explored countless “answer the call” moments, and as we’ve seen, great leaders don’t rely on luck to receive those calls. They place themselves in the right place at the right time so that when the time comes, they are at the top of the list.
Jeanine Charlton, the Chief Technology & Digital Officer at Merchants Fleet, is a perfect example of such a leader. In this episode, we are unpacking Jeanine’s customer-first, business-first executive playbook, which has included having responsibility for a $2 billion P&L and 3,500 people. We’ll explore the power of resilience, the discipline of operational excellence, and the value of mentorship and clear communication in leadership.
Tune in for valuable learnings from Jeanine, including:
- How to lead in high-stakes, high-stress situations with limited time
- How to communicate with clarity and calmness amid chaos
- What has anchored Jeanine throughout her career
- The key skills and traits that have helped Jeanine achieve sustained success
- Jeanine’s most important advice for women entering tech industries
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Ralph Szygenda, Industry Executive & Advisor (Ret.), 2007 CIO Hall of Fame
- Kevin Torgerson, Independent Board Director & Advisor
- Andi Karaboutis, Board Director of Aon, Perrigo, Savills, Autoliv, Advisory Board of Decagon, iGreenTree.ai
- Kurt Taylor, VP, Client Solutions, Merchants Fleet
- Chethana Halasinahalli, Sr Manager IT Applications at ONEOK, Graduate of TechLX Leadership Program
- Samantha Charlton, Entrepreneur, Gym Owner, Personal Trainer
This week, we are shining a light on Mike Anderson, Chief Digital & Information Officer at Netskope, to unpack the mindset and playbook behind his exceptional ability to “lift as he climbs.” Mike’s not your typical tech exec; he’s a business guy in an IT wrapper, someone who’s as comfortable in the boardroom as he is in the scrum room.
From his early days at Schneider Electric to helping Netskope go public, Mike shares hard-earned lessons on balancing transformation with operational excellence, reshaping pressure into performance, and leveraging storytelling as a leadership superpower.
Tune in for insights from Mike’s playbook, including:
- The importance of learning the business in your first 90 days
- Instilling ambition and helping people aspire to more
- Securing buy-in for bold ideas
- How he approaches his dual role leading Netskope’s strategy office and IT
- Learning from adversity and staying positive
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Annette Clayton, Board Director, OshKosh, Nordson, Flash, NXP Semiconductors, & Duke Energy
- Amanda Anderson, Senior Director, Integrated Marketing, Digital & Marketing Ops, Netskope
- Clint Clark, VP, IT Engineering & Architecture, Netskope
- Danyel Bischof-Forsyth, Chief Technology & Information Officer, 7 Brew Coffee, Episode #73 Guest
- Alan Rankin, Mike’s Long Time Friend
This week, we are shining the light on one of the most intentional and inspiring CIOs in the game, Ken Piddington, Chief Digital, Technology, & Integration Officer at RelaDyne. Ken exemplifies what it means to be a leader who teaches, mentors, and communicates with purpose.
Over the years, we’ve collected several of his “Ken-isms,” the short, punchy expressions that encompass his leadership philosophy, strategy, and core beliefs. In this episode, we’ll explore these pillars of his leadership playbook and dig into how he uses teaching in his leadership approach, giving you new insights on how to lead transformational change successfully for your organization as well as your people.
Tune in for insights from Ken’s career, including:
- How to balance business results and team development
- “Anchor the Why”: Ken’s approach to vision and purpose
- The relationship between execution and speed
- Character consistency and being the thermostat instead of the thermometer
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Mohammed Shareef
- Kath Marston, Executive Director, Technology Partners
- Alex Pore, Senior Director, Business Integration, RelaDyne
- Stephen Webster, President, CEO, Founder, SIS Holdings Group
Mindy Simon’s path from a Nebraska farm to her current role as Chief Operating Officer of Aon, where she helms a 22,000-person global operation, is anything but conventional—and that's exactly what makes her story so compelling. Mindy’s a great example of how embracing your roots can empower your future, and in this episode, we are shining a light on why she is the kind of transformational leader everyone wants on their team.
We’re unpacking Mindy’s transformational leadership playbook, which is built around a people-first mindset, a sharp focus on measurable outcomes, and a rare calmness under pressure. We’ll also explore how she has successfully led in finance, IT, and operations across multiple industries; how she ties technology to business growth; and what it takes to truly deliver value in a fast-moving, data-rich world.
Check out Mindy’s Investor Day talk (Jump to 02:17:25 in the video)
Tune in for valuable learnings from Mindy’s career, including:
- Early startup lessons and transformation at ConAgra
- Tying IT investments to measurable business outcomes
- How Aon is embedding AI across the client journey
- How and why Mindy applies a people-first mindset to leading
- Why disrupting yourself is better than being disrupted
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Steve Zerby, Award-Winning CIO, Advisor, Guest for Episode 17
- Annie Baymiller, CIO, Owens Corning, Guest for Episode 17
- Greg Case, Chief Executive Officer, Aon
- Andi Karaboutis, 4x Board Director, 3x CIO, Guest for Episode 68
In this episode we’re shining the light on the leadership superpowers and industry impact of Diane Schwarz, Group CIO of Smurfit Westrock, a global leader in sustainable packaging. Diane’s leadership style is a unique blend of calm confidence, strategic clarity, and operational excellence that turns traditional roles inside out. You’ll hear why those around her refer to her not just as a CIO but as a Chief Integration Officer, Chief Inspiration Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, and more.
We will unpack how Diane masterfully led the IT integration of two global giants, and we’ll dig into her philosophies on listening deeply, mentoring with intention, and showing up with authenticity and vulnerability.
Tune in for insights and wisdom from Diane’s journey, including:
- The power of clarity and assigning decision-making ownership
- How duct tape can make you a better listener
- The art of reading a room and unlocking team dynamics
- Her approach as a Chief Instigation Officer and “going where the water doesn’t flow”
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Nari Thouda, CIO, Johnson Controls Federal Systems
- Kim Mackenroth, CIO, L3Harris Technologies, Guest for Episode 21
- Mamatha Chamarthi, Chief Digital Officer for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
- Angela Yochem, Global CIO, Krispy Kreme, Guest for Episode 2
- Alice Brauckman, Senior Director IT, Digital Acceleration, Smurfit Westrock
- Sobha Mulukutla, VP IT, Global Products & Supply Chain, Johnson Controls
- Marina Bellini, President, MGS & Digital Technologies for Mars, Guest for Episode 39
In this episode of Tech Whisperers, we are joined by two experts who are shaping the future of AI in the enterprise, Dr. Lisa Palmer, CEO of Dr. Lisa AI, and Ashwin Rangan, CEO at DoubleCheck Solutions. Lisa and Ash are sharing a wealth of practical, actionable insights to help us uncover why AI initiatives stall out at the “messy middle” and what leaders can do to reignite progress and start generating real business value.
Not only have both Lisa and Ashwin walked in the shoes of a CIO, they are also the authors of new books that will help you lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction in the AI era. Lisa’s book, Show AI, Don’t Tell It: Build Buy‑In with Visual Storytelling, releases on September 30 and is available now for preorder on her website. Ashwin’s book, Governance in the Age of Gen AI: A Director's Handbook on Gen AI,is available now on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.
Tune in as we dig deep on AI at the intersection of technology, strategy, and leadership, featuring Lisa’s and Ash’s insights on:
- The “Speed with Rigor” Principle
- The power of Right-to-Left thinking
- The key to sustaining momentum with AI
- The long-term metrics that matter
- The most important questions boards and CEOs should be asking about AI investments
Over the past three years, we’ve had the privilege to sit down with more than 100 of the most visionary and impactful technology leaders across industries. They've shared their bold strategies and hard-earned lessons, and unpacked playbooks that are continuing to shape the future of leadership and innovation.
In this special “Best of the Best” episode, we’ve curated some of the top insights from our most listened-to episodes. From mastering the fundamentals of digital transformation to future-proofing organizations, balancing people and technology, resisting AI hype, and embracing adaptability, these episodes demonstrate the power of guiding principles in a noisy, constantly changing world.
Featuring segments from the following episodes:
- The Great CISO Balancing Act with United's Deneen DeFiore
- Edward Jones’ CIO Frank LaQuinta on Promises Made, Promises Kept
- 3 Layers of Transformation with TransUnion CIO Abhi Dhar
- Top CxO Recruiters Talk the Evolving Role of the CIO & State of Tech Talent in 2024, featuring Shawn Banerji
- Top CxO Recruiters Talk Transformation & State of Tech Talent, featuring Martha Heller
- Inspirations from the CIO GOAT, Rob Carter
Our CI4CI miniseries continues with guest Katrina Redmond, EVP and CIO of Eaton Corporation. As the world hits a historic inflection point in infrastructure — driven by AI, electrification, and massive investments in data centers and energy — Katrina is playing a pivotal role, helping lead one of the most mission-critical companies into the future.
Join us as we explore how Katrina is spearheading Eaton’s digital strategy in this era of rapid innovation, leading with bold strategy, operational excellence, and a refreshingly human approach.
Tune in for valuable nuggets from Katrina’s leadership playbook, including:
- An exploration of her expanded CIO role and Eaton’s evolving AI capabilities
- How to get results in an age of uncertainty driven by AI advancements
- Her “Embrace the Red” philosophy
- Her leadership team’s “Festivus” culture-building practice
- Her approach to servant leadership and building a culture of internal mobility
- The power of peer-to-peer leadership and community-building
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Karenann Terrell, 4x CIO, Eaton Board Director, Tech Whisperers Guest - Episode 48
- Ashish Gupta, CIO of NextEra Energy
- Caroline Eberle, Gartner BD Executive
- Amy Brady, Head of Technology, Operations & Services, KeyBank, Tech Whisperers Guest - Episode 66
- Mark Macioce, VP & CIO, Masco Corporation, Chair of NEOhioCIO
- Alison Magyari, VP, Global IT Business, Relationship Management, Eaton
In part 2 of our Critical Infrastructure for Critical Infrastructure (CI4CI) miniseries, we are joined by Mike Adams, a digital executive who is playing a leading role in this once-in-a-generation inflection point.
As the Chief Digital Technology Officer at Black & Veatch (BV), Mike has a front row seat to the critical infrastructure transformation being driven by the convergence of AI, data centers, and the energy transition. His career journey has been defined by a combination of fearless leadership and clear, inspiring communication, resulting in a leadership style that rallies teams and inspires decisive action.
Join us as we unpack Mike’s playbook to learn:
- Mike’s guiding principles for high-stakes decision making
- How he developed BV’s digital technology strategy
- Why Mike is embracing the physical and digital aspects of new technology
- The defining moment that propelled Mike’s CIO Journey
- How Mike stood out as a leader among his peers
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Josh Edwards, Global Director of Data Science & Operations, Black & Veatch
- Joy Johnson, SVP, Office of the CDTO, Black & Veatch
- Phuong Tram, Retired CIO of Dupont, Chief Digital Advisor, FPT
- Dani Brown, SVP & CIO, Whirlpool Corporation, 3x Board Director
- Greg Lane, CIO, State of Delaware
- Andi Le, Chief Digital Officer, FMC Corporation
The lightning-fast rise of AI has come with a cost: the need to overhaul America’s power grids, pipelines, and water systems to accommodate its explosive growth. As trillions of dollars pour into this complete overhaul, there are key leaders paving the way.
In a special mini-series focusing on “Critical Infrastructure for Critical Infrastructure (CI4CI),” we’re shining the light on a few of the extraordinary tech leaders who are architecting, securing, and scaling the systems that power our nation and economy. Joining us to kick off the series is Afshean Talasaz, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology & Data Officer at Colonial Pipeline Company.
Afshean is a visionary and humble leader who tackles the complex and challenging problems others avoid while letting the results speak for themselves. From his perspectives on AI and tech innovation to his insights on problem-solving, communication, and vision, you are guaranteed to walk away with lessons that will help you level up your own Tech Whisperer playbook.
Join us as we unpack Afshean’s playbook to learn:
- The importance of a tight CEO-CIO relationship
- How Afshean developed his ability to anticipate upcoming trends
- How investing in the artistic side of his brain has influenced Afshean’s leadership
- How to manage the risk that comes with high-stakes, visionary decision-making
- How to ensure that every project returns a financial value to the business
- Why digitization is vital to long-term success
- Important considerations before layering AI on top of current business processes
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Bo Rogers, VP for Process Excellence & Strategic Projects at Colonial Pipeline
- David Benham, Co-Founder and Chief Product & Technology Officer at ROAM AI
- John Dickson, CISO, Colonial Pipeline
- Buck Wheaton, Director of IT Commercial Product Lines, ONEOK
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.”
Perhaps no Tech Whisperer embodies that timeless Maya Angelou insight better than 7 Brew CIO Danyel Bischof-Forsyth. She is a master at creating cultures where people feel safe, empowered, and inspired, which means she isn’t just driving digital strategy, she is creating an environment where everyone is invested in driving it, too. Through it all, Danyel leads with authenticity, courage, grace, and kindness, no matter the situation.
So grab some coffee, settle in, and get ready to be energized and inspired!
Tune in for Danyel’s advice on:
- Entering the tech industry as a woman
- Navigating organizational politics
- Elevating teams in periods of adversity
- Building complex long-term strategies that don’t require constant adjustments
- Leading as both a manager and as a team member
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Mike Goodwin, 4x Board Member, 2x CIO, West Point Grad, Army Veteran
- Tom Reiter, IT Executive, Danyel’s Former Hallmark Colleague
- Dave Caldwell, International CIO, Digital Leader
- Stephanie Quillen, Chief People Officer, 7 Brew
- Cassie Attlebery, Founder & Principal, Talent Outside the Lines & Former HR Director
- Mike Anderson, Chief Digital & Information Officer, Netskope
- Tiffany Benitez, Head of Data Governance, Compass USA
Bhaskar Ramachandran is the powerhouse CIO behind PPG’s digital transformation. A master at driving culture change, building strong IT teams, and rallying everyone around the organization’s vision, he has a long track record of delivering real business results across industries. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Bhaskar in person at PMI Digital’s studio in Pittsburgh for a deep-dive into the many facets of his leadership playbook.
In this episode, Bhaskar talks with Dan about his career journey and approach to his day-to-day role at PPG. He also unpacks a few of his leadership superpowers, including his ability to stay open and connected with his team members as much as possible while still maintaining progress toward his leadership goals.
Tune in for Bhaskar’s insights on:
- How the digital IT strategy is formed and executed in relation to the overall company vision
- His approach to driving culture change and adoption
- How to balance making time for your team with staying productive and on schedule
- Personal responsibility for one’s career journey
- How to build a people-driven culture where IT is the engine fueling innovation, growth, and customer value
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Martha Heller, Founder of Heller Search & The Heller Report
- Kim Mackenroth, VP & CIO, L3Harris Technologies
- Gary Cantrell, 2x CIO & Former Boss
- Kevin Peer, IT Leader & Former Direct Report
- Laura Harshberger, Global IT Director, PPG
- Chris Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh International Airport, Fellow Board Director, S&T Bank
- Chris Caruso, Former CIO, PPG, Carnegie Mellon University Lecturer & Advisor
Tech Whisperer Earl Newsome is the pinnacle of modern, mission-driven IT leadership. Informed by a decade-long military career, Earl has fully unlocked his ability to lead through adaptation, inspiration, and ambition. Now, as the CIO of Cummins, Inc. and with 20 years of experience in corporate America under his belt, he has also become skilled at nurturing those traits in his team.
In this episode, Earl is treating us to a masterclass in how to lead, adapt, and inspire, drawing from his leadership playbook of foundational principles tailored to the real-world complexities of modern IT leadership. We’re also exploring how his life’s journey has shaped him into the leader he is today, and how you can integrate some of his philosophies into your own personal and professional journeys.
Tune in for Earl’s wisdom and perspective on:
- What he learned from the military and his 10-year stint in consulting
- How he helps his team members become their best selves
- How to align an organization’s strategic level with its execution level
- How to apply “divergent thinking” to problem-solving
- The importance of doing the simple things well
- The “Plus-One Philosophy” for personal growth
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Dr. Janet Sherlock, Founder & CEO of Org.Works, Former CIO, Board Member, Advisor
- Bonnie Fetch, EVP & President for Operations, Cummins Inc.
- Gina Stead, Executive Director for IT, Cummins Inc.
- Shellye Archambeau, 6x Board Director, Former CEO, Author of Unapologetically Ambitious
- Chris Cardell, Personal Friend
- Michelle Greene, CIO of Cardinal Health, Board Director
- Kimberly Saxton, CEO of The TechPACT, Advisor, IT Executive
In this episode, we are sitting down with a very special guest who has had a massive impact on the CIO profession–Monte Ford. Monte is a CIO Hall of Fame inductee, an advisor to many of the top CIOs and business leaders, and a board member for several large companies, such as JetBlue and Centene.
For all of his accolades and accomplishments, Monte is a leader who prefers to keep a low profile, so it was a thrill to have the opportunity to sit down with him and unpack his leadership playbook. Monte is opening up about his career journey, his transition into the board room, what he has learned serving on boards, and more. Listen in to discover some of the many reasons Fortune Magazine named him one of the 50 smartest people in technology.
Join us as Monte shares his insights on:
- The evolving influence of corporate tech leaders
- The traits that separate great CIOs apart
- The leadership qualities that are most important in a digital-first environment
- How he builds and maintains a strong relationship network
- How he weaves forward-thinking into his leadership approach
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Rob Carter, FedEx CIO (ret), Board Director, Episode 60 Guest
- Jim Fowler, CIO, Nationwide, Episode 65 Guest
- Kathy Kay, CIO, Principal Financial Group, Episode 64 Guest
- John Repko, 5x CIO, Board Member, Advisor
- Zack Hicks, CIO, Kimberly Clark, Episode 63 Guest
- Michelle Greene, CIO, Cardinal Health, Board Director
- Sabina Ewing, CIO, Abbott
For this episode, we had the privilege of visiting the Regions Bank headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, for an in-person conversation with Chief Enterprise Operations and Technology Officer Dan Massey. “Digital Dan,” as he’s known to many, embodies what it means to bridge technology, operations, and innovation at the highest level, ensuring technology is not just an enabler but a true driver of business value. He’s someone who is fully present no matter the situation, whether he’s leading a powerhouse organization of 5,000 employees, spending time with his family, or writing and performing music with his band of 30 years, The Shivers.
Dan is opening up his leadership playbook to trace how his career journey and experiences have shaped him into the leader he is today.
Join us as we explore Dan’s unique ability to translate business and technology, including:
- How he seamlessly translates between tech, engineering, and business talk
- How he manages through conflicting agendas or stakeholders
- How he is navigating digital transformation at Regions
- The value of combining operations and technology in a large organization
- Dan’s approach to balancing his personal and professional life
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Ken Meyer, CIO of Enterprise Functions Technology, Wells Fargo
- Kate Danella, Head of Consumer Bank, Regions Bank
- Anil Cheriyan, 3x CIO, Board Member & Advisor
- Ameet Shetty, CDO – US Information Solutions, Equifax
- Scott Case, Head of Technology & Operations, Prudential Financial
- Riley Massey, Dan’s Daughter
- Will Jones, Media Manager, Band Member
In this episode, we are shining the light on CIO Hall of Fame legend Adriana (Andi) Karaboutis and some of the incredible milestones that have defined her career—including a 21-year tenure in the automotive industry at Ford and General Motors, followed by technology and business leadership roles at Dell, Biogen, and National Grid. Now, Andi is focused on writing the next chapter in her professional story, serving as a director on four corporate boards.
Andi is opening up her leadership playbook to reflect on the challenges she’s overcome, the groundbreaking initiatives she’s led, and her vision for the future. We’ll also explore some of the moments that shaped her into an industry trailblazer.
Join us as we discuss key lessons from Andi’s career, including:
- How to cultivate effective collaboration with C-suite executives
- How a mindset shift on failure helped her build resilience
- What led to her career transition to Dell
- How to simplify complex problems and ideas
- Andi’s “rewirement” approach to retirement
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Marv Adams, Strategic Advisor, Former CIO/COO/President
- Ralph Szygenda, Former Board Director, CXO
- Jeanine Charlton, CIO, Merchants Fleet
- Justin Mennen, CIO, Shake Shack
- Alvina Antar, CIO, Zuora & Okta (ret.)
- Tim Dickson, CIO, Regal Rexnord
- Mindy Simon, Global Chief Operating Officer, AON
With the rise of generative AI, CIOs and IT leaders are experiencing a leadership revolution. GenAI is shaking up both how we engage with technology and how leaders guide their organizations through adoption, governance, and innovation.
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with Institute for the Future’s Bob Johansen and Gabe Cervantes and Handshake’s Jeremy Kirshbaum, whose new book “Leaders Make the Future, Third Edition: 10 New Skills to Humanize Leadership with Generative AI” is out this week. Be among the first to dive into this game-changing resource designed to give leaders clarity on how to lead through this period of rapid digital transformation.
Join us as we explore the key themes from the book, including:
- Future-back vs. present-forward thinking
- How to augment your leadership style
- The industry’s transition from “VUCA” to “BANI” (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible)
- Opportunities the GenAI era presents to rehumanize leadership
- How to embrace AI ethically while maintaining human-centric leadership
You may remember Bob Johansen from his last visit to the podcast as part of a bonus episode back in 2023. You won't want to miss his latest future-focused insights!
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Dr. Lisa Palmer, CEO, Dr Lisa AI,
- Bhaskar Ramachandran, VP of IT, CIO, PPG
- Will Markow, SVP of Workforce Solutions, CyberWarrior.com
- Martha Heller, CEO, Heller Search Associates
In this episode, we are featuring an extraordinary leader who's been blazing trails and inspiring countless others throughout her career. Amy Brady is the Chief Information Officer at KeyBank, where she leads the company's technology, operations, and services organizations.
Amy is the epitome of a leader who can seemingly do it all, and because of that she is making her mark across the industry while continually championing causes that uplift women in tech. We're diving into Amy's incredible career journey, uncovering her leadership philosophies, and highlighting those career-defining moments and superpowers that make her so special and impactful.
Join us as we explore insights from Amy’s leadership playbook, including:
- How and why to embrace new roles, even when you don’t feel ready
- Amy’s advice on developing your skills as a public speaker
- The importance of maintaining a continuous learning mindset
- Amy’s lessons learned from experiences early in her career
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Marc Gordon, Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group
- Keith Silvestri, Chief Technology Officer, KeyBank
- Mike Onders, EVP & CIO, KeyBank
- Stan Brady, Amy’s Husband
- Jim Merlino, MD, EVP & Chief Innovation Officer, The Joint Commission
- Caroline Eberle, Gartner Business Development Executive
One of the hallmarks of a great Chief Technology Officer is that they are able to translate a passion for technology into a driving force for business success. Nationwide’s Jim Fowler is a CTO who does exactly that, by striving for “great” instead of settling for “good.”
We are unpacking Jim’s 20+ years of experience across industries, companies, and countries to learn lessons from his career journey and his strengths as a visionary leader that can help CIOs and IT leaders at all levels achieve greatness.
Join us as we explore Jim’s leadership playbook and learn:
- How Jim balances operational excellence with visionary leadership
- How to bounce back from failure
- The power of storytelling
- How Nationwide has built and maintained a high-performing technology organization
- The personal hobby Jim applies to recognize outstanding team members
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Monica Caldas, EVP & Global Chief Information Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance & Tech Whisperers Guest Ep. 59
- Ehren Powell, Chief Digital Officer, Marathon Petroleum
- David Burns, Chief Information Officer, GE Aerospace
- Angelica Tritzo, CIO & EVP Digital Technologies, GE Vernova
- Misty Kuamoo CIO of Corporate Technology, Nationwide
- Caroline Eberle, Garter Business Development Executive
- Joey Fowler, Jim’s Daughter
This episode we’re shining the light on Kathy Kay, a leader whose name is synonymous with “building” — and she is a builder in every sense of the word. Kathy not only excels at developing high-performance teams, she extends that builder mindset across multiple areas in both her personal and professional lives.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Kathy is sharing how she applies her philosophy of building to her current role as EVP & CIO at Principal Financial Group. We’ll explore her strengths in building courage, collaboration, community, innovation, and family as she lives out a leadership style that balances personal and professional success.
Tune in to learn:
- How to simplify complex projects for your team
- How to ensure your team is aligned with the overall corporate strategy
- How to maintain optimism and keep your team energized
- Kathy’s plans for using AI and cloud innovation to enable business growth
- Kathy’s insights about the human impact of AI
- And more!
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Dan Houston, Chairman & CEO (Ret.), Principal Financial Group
- Anil Cheriyan, Board Member & 3x CIO, Tech Whisperers Guest Ep. 55
- Ryan Downing, CIO, Enterprise Business Solutions, Principal Financial Group
- Jen Hartsock, Chief Information & Digital Officer, Cargill
- Rajesh Arora, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Principal Financial Group
- Lance Henning, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity
- Brian Waller, President, Technology Association of Iowa
- Mackenzie Keogh, Kathy’s Daughter
- Jackson Keogh, Kathy's 2-Year Old Grandson
Inducted in the CIO Hall of Fame in 2019, Zack Hicks is a leader who has left a major impact on the CIO profession through his relentless pursuit of innovation to drive new business outcomes. Having previously been the CEO of Toyota Connected and the Chief Digital Officer at Toyota Motor North America, Zack is now making his mark at Kimberly-Clark as their Chief Digital & Technology Officer.
With a career that includes numerous “answer-the-call” moments, Zack knows what it takes for leaders to deliver major wins for their organizations. In this episode, we’re unpacking some of those key moments that have defined Zack’s career and set him apart as a true industry innovator and disruptor.
Tune in to learn:
- What led Zack to join Kimberly-Clark after 26 years with Toyota
- How Zack approaches his role at Kimberly-Clark
- How Zack overcame a variety of challenges at Toyota early in his career
- The key to balancing people and technology amid the rise of AI
- The skills tech leaders need in order to build trust in a digital transformation journey
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Brian Kursar, Group VP & Head of Enterprise AI, Toyota Motor North America
- Barbara Cooper, Retired CIO
- Greg Beckwith, Director & Chief of Staff, Kimberly-Clark
- Teresa Miquelarena, VP, Global Information & Digital Strategy, Kimberly-Clark
- Deena Dayalan, Head of Digital Operations in Bangalore, Kimberly-Clark
While many CIOs are busy figuring out what the CIO’s role looks like today, our guest this week is already answering the question, “What does the CIO of tomorrow look like?”
As EVP and Chief Information, Digital, and Corporate Strategy Officer at Tractor Supply Co., Rob Mills has been instrumental in driving the $14.6 billion retailer’s rapid growth, profitability, and world class customer experience. His influence and impact are expansive: He has a hand in P&L, serves on Tractor Supply’s executive committee, and also sits on numerous public and private boards.
Join us as we talk tech, digital, and strategy with Rob and learn about:
- The evolution of the CIO’s role
- How to lead through digital transformation
- How Tractor Supply handles customer experience and store support
- How tech leaders can balance speed and accuracy
- The differences between empowerment and delegation and how to balance both
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Mike Seals, Chief Digital Officer & SVP of Strategy, Hussman Corporation
- Chris Colla, Chief Technology Officer, B&G Foods
- Hal Lawton, President & CEO, Tractor Supply Co.
- Joy Brown, SVP & CDO, Boston Medical Center, Board Director, Tractor Supply Co.
- Brandon Jacobson, VP of Corporate Strategy, Tractor Supply Co.
There are some Tech Whisperers who leave a legacy by investing their skills in just one or two companies across their career, and then there are those who leave their legacy by making their mark on several organizations throughout their career. As a whopping seven-time CIO and a three-time winner of the CIO100 Award, Mark Settle is a standout example of the latter.
During his CIO journey, Mark somehow also made the time to publish two must-read books, Truth from the Valley, A Practical Primer on IT Management for the Next Decade and Truth from the Trenches: A Practical Guide to the Art of IT Management.
As an expert truth teller, startup adviser, and advisory board member, Mark has mastered the art of helping teams and businesses cut through the fluff to focus on what matters most. In this episode, he’s sharing some of his secret sauce with us.
Join us as we unpack Mark’s leadership playbook to learn:
- How to handle curveballs under pressure
- How to effectively utilize discretionary bandwidth
- How to navigate organizational politics
- Strategies for a CIO’s first 90 days
- The key to becoming a Level 5 leader
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Ralph Loura, Hall of Fame CIO & Chairman of the Board, SustainableIT.org
- Julie Cullivan, Board Director, Former Chief Technology & People Officer
- Carter Busse, CIO, Workato
- Alvina Antar, Advisor, Board Member, & Former CIO
You’re in for a special treat with this episode as we sit down with the GOAT, the greatest-of-all-time CIO, Robert B. Carter. Rob served as the CIO of FedEx for almost a quarter of a century, during which time he transformed IT strategy and led the company to unprecedented success, not to mention 27 straight CIO 100 Awards.
In this episode, we’re delving into Rob’s extraordinary 24-year tenure at FedEx and exploring the essence of leadership, the importance of humility, the role of mentorship, and the challenges and milestones that have defined his remarkable career.
Join us as we unpack Rob’s expansive digital leadership playbook to learn:
- How Rob kept himself energized at FedEx for such a long duration
- How mentors impacted his career
- What it takes to be a successful technology executive
- How effective leaders balance personal and professional priorities
- A peak into what Rob has planned next!
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Charlie Feld, CEO & Founder, Feld Group Institute
- Rachel Harvey, Rob Carter’s Executive Assistant for 31 years
- Ken Spangler, Co-Founder, AdaptiveION
- Dottie Berry, Chief of Staff to Rob Carter
- Mike Glenn, EVP Market Development & Corp Communications (ret.), FedEx
- Chris Winton, SVP HR, Comcast; Board Member, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
As the leader of over 5,000 technologists, Monica Caldes, Global CIO at Liberty Mutual Insurance, has established herself as one of the top digital executives in the industry. She is one of those rare leaders that has figured out the secret formula for mixing boldness, courage, empathy, and kindness, making her a leader that people are eager to work under.
In this episode, we are shining the light onto Monica’s story to uncover the “It Factor” that makes her such an incredible leader, and we’ve included some really cool surprises for Monica along the way!
Join us as we unpack Monica’s digital leadership playbook to learn:
- How a strong CEO/CIO partnership creates new opportunities and enables fast transformation
- How Monica develops future-ready cultures and teams
- How to effectively lead with thousands of team members under your authority
- How to properly apply adaptability in your leadership
- How to embrace and learn from major mistakes
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Jim MachPhee, COO at Liberty Mutual Insurance
- Jim Fowler, CTO at Nationwide
- Andrew Palmer, SVP & CIO at Liberty Mutual Insurance
- Kyle Benton (We don’t want to spoil who this is!)
In this episode, we are shining the light on Dr. Janet Sherlock, a digital and retail executive who leads through her expertise in digital transformation, customer experience, omnichannel strategy, data, and AI and machine learning.
Janet’s career spans companies such as ExxonMobile, British Petroleum, and, for the last seven years, Ralph Lauren, where she served as Chief Digital & Technology Officer, driving the company’s digital transformation strategy and leading their global e-commerce strategy.
Join us as we unpack Janet’s digital leadership playbook to learn:
- How to lead your team through complex goals while remaining a leader people want to be around
- How to maintain the CIO role’s core identity and purpose and demonstrate it to other executives
- How tech companies can balance strategy and organizational design
- Why she decided to pursue her EdD and how her research has impacted her career and perspectives
- How to use structure to enable results
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Karenann Terrell, Technology Advisor, Former Chief Digital & Technology Officer
- Anil Cheriyan, Former CIO/CTO
- Michael Smith, Chief Information Officer at Estee Lauder
- Earl Newsome, Chief Information Officer at Cummins Inc.
- Kim Saxton, Chief Executive Officer at TechPACT
There are leaders who know how to win big results, but don’t know how to win people, and then there are leaders who know how to win people, but don’t know how to win big results. NTT DATA North America CIO Barry Shurkey is one of those great leaders who knows how to win both in business and with his people.
For this episode, we sat down with Barry at NTT DATA’s Innovation Center in Plano, Texas, to shine the light on his career journey and open up his tech leadership playbook so you can learn from the best.
Tune in to learn about:
- Barry’s early jobs in publishing and hospitality influenced his career
- How to harness emotional intelligence as a leader
- How sharing the “ugly” news early can prevent problems and bring teams closer together
- How Barry envisions the future of the CIO position
- How Barry has mentored and advocated for new leaders, particularly underrepresented individuals
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Lori Shisler, VP of Global People at NTT Global Sourcing
- Robert Dority, Vice President at NTT Data Services
- Tom Levesque, (ret.) VP of Information Technology at NTT Data Services
- Meredith Vance, Senior VP, Treasurer at NTT Data,
- Lourdes Gipson, Senior Executive Director at Inspire Leadership Network
- Kris Moser, Executive Assistant to the CIO at NTT DATA Data Services
There are two types of companies: Those that achieve incredible amounts of success only to crumble when they fail to keep up with the world around them, and those that achieve the same level of success but are also able to sustain it, through adaptability, forward thinking, and tenacity. The companies in this second group are the ones that consistently withstand supply chain disruptions, global health crises, economic disasters, and more.
We’ve invited two great friends of the podcast, AdaptiveION Co-Founder Ken Spangler, and former Accenture managing director Steve Davis, Co-Founder of AdaptiveION, to help us understand how these thriving companies develop adaptive people, teams, and organizations to achieve that kind of staying power.
Tune in to discover:
- The “industry proof points” that differentiate adaptive companies from the rest
- How organizational adaptability and agility differ from each other
- The five quotients of advanced adaptability for individuals and teams
- Key characteristics of companies that will be successful 10 years from now
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Robert Carter, EVP & CIO (ret), FedEx Information Services
- Christine Knackfuss-Nikolis, Chief Technology Officer, T-Systems International
Even among the best technology leaders, there are those who stand out. These are the “CIO Legends” who have not just led their organizations successfully but who have also made an impact that extends well beyond their individual career milestones and across the entire industry. We have featured some of these CIO Legends, including Charlie Feld, Larry Quinlan, Karenann Terrell, and Diana McKenzie, in previous episodes.
Today, we are shining the light on Anil Cheriyan, another CIO Legend who has made a mark across multiple industries. Throughout his expansive career journey, Anil has only failed at one thing that we can think of — retirement. After his first retirement, he was called on to serve the federal government. After his second retirement, he took on a different role at Cognizant. Now, in his third retirement, he is driving strategy as a board member, advisor, and investor.
In this episode, we are diving into some of Anil’s most important moments and a few of the character traits that have made him the CIO Legend we know today.
Tune in to discover:
- How career experience as both a buyer and a seller in the services industry has influenced Anil’s leadership style
- Anil’s leadership strategy that encourages people to step outside of their comfort zones
- How difficult moments have shaped Anil as a leader
- How to approach creating alignment with executive sponsors and maintaining that alignment with the teams that need to deliver
- How masterful collaboration has enabled Anil’s career journey
- The role empathy has played in Anil’s personal and professional lives
- Anil’s strategy for building and investing in a strong network of leadership peers
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Monty Hamilton, CEO at Sparq
- Kathy Kay, EVP & Chief Information Officer at Principal Financial Group
- Dan Massey, Chief Enterprise Operations & Technology Officer at Region Bank
- Amy Brady, Chief Information Officer at KeyBank
- Elise Bockman, VP of Data at Sherwin-Williams
- Scott Case, a three-time CIO
The best leaders are highly intentional about keeping themselves and their teams focused on what matters to deliver high-impact results. Collins Aerospace CIO Mona Bates, who was recently named to the Business Transformation 150™ (BT150), Constellation Research’s elite list of top global transformation executives, is an example of this kind of intentional leader. Her leadership style embraces a multi-faceted approach that is reflected in how she shows up as a business leader first and technology leader second.
In this episode, we’re exploring how that approach goes beyond the traditional “I” in CIO, with a focus on seven critical roles embodied by Mona’s leadership: Chief Instigation Officer, Chief Influence Officer, Chief Integrity Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Insights Officer, Chief Impact Officer, and Chief Inspiration Officer.
Tune in to discover:
- How each of the 7 I’s impact leadership effectiveness and impact
- How Mona has introduced and executed new digital transformation
- How to lead in complex organizations with a diversified customer base
- A behind-the-curtain look at Collins Aerospace’s digital transformation journey
- How Mona leverages data and analytics as part of her overall strategy
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Rebecca Rhoads, Retired President, Global Business Services at Raytheon
- Mike Britton, Retired Executive
The most effective digital leaders today have a clear vision and a laser-like focus that allows them to focus on delivering what really matters. They’re also able to connect the dots for their organization in a way that elevates their team members and accomplishes their goals. It requires both the willingness to look where others aren’t looking and the empathy to understand how new initiatives will impact everyone involved.
Brian Abrahamson is a great example of one of these top digital leaders. As the Chief Digital Officer and Associate Laboratory Director for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Brian is responsible for leading PNNL’s digital transformation strategy and technology innovation to maintain its position as a globally recognized research institution.
Tune in to discover:
- How Brian manages communication for internal stakeholders and end users alike
- Brian’s method for shaping the narrative around computing at PNNL
- How Brian balances his purpose and goals (the “why” and the “what”) with execution (the “how”)
- The value of simplification and how to achieve it
- How PNNL is approaching the disruption caused by AI
- New technologies PNNL is implementing to accelerate its work
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Jerry Cochran, Division Director for Cybersecurity and Digital Operations at PNNL
- Mary-Lynne Giordano, Executive Assistant at PNNL
- Brian Vladimiroff, Enterprise Solutions Architect at PNNL
- Kirby Amacker, Change Management Architect at PNNL
It’s not every day you get to record an episode with a superstar guest at a superstar location, so when we had the opportunity to interview a legendary CIO on location at the historic Fenway Park, we couldn’t resist!
In this episode, recorded inside NESN’s onsite studio at Fenway, we are shining the light on the career journey, leadership philosophies and super powers of Boston Red Sox & Fenway Sports Management SVP & CTO Brian Shield. With his success at renowned companies like FTD, the Weather Channel, and now, the Boston Red Sox, Brian has earned his reputation as an industry innovator whose wide breadth of experience has helped him lead each organization through digital transformation with confidence.
Tune in to learn:
- How Brian has found success solving business challenges through building and maintaining a trusted network
- How leading with empathy has enabled Brian to lead his teams to breakthrough outcomes
- Why newer leaders should answer the call when given “stretch opportunities”
- The biggest benefits Brian has received from working in a variety of industries
- How Brian crafts a winning data strategy
- How to cut through the hype of AI to determine its real, tangible business value for your organization
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Jamie Head, Chief Digital & Technology Leader, Founder at JRH Advisory
- Bill Phelan, Chief Product Officer at Brillion
- Robert Strickland, Chief Executive Officer & Founder at M37 Ventures
- Kathy Kountze, Global Chief Information Officer at Bose Corporation
- Anne Margulies, Former Vice President & University Chief Information Officer at Harvard University
Bhavani Amirthalingam’s career spans more than 25 years of experience in key technology and executive leadership roles across a multitude of industries and geographies. She currently serves as EVP, Chief Customer and Technology Officer at a Fortune 500 company. She initially joined the company as Chief Digital and Information Officer before also taking on customer experience and operations after five years in that role. Along the way, she has also answered the call to join a public board.
What are the differentiators that have made Bhavani so successful in her role as a CDIO and also set her up to take on broader business accountabilities? On the latest episode of the Tech Whisperers, Bhavani is sharing her journey and highlighting the leadership philosophies and differentiators that have been instrumental to her success, with insights you can apply to your own career journey.
Tune in to learn:
- Why CIOs can also make great Chief Customer Officers
- How to leverage both the CIO and CCO roles to enable and enhance the customer experience
- Bhavani’s approach to energizing and inspiring her team
- The value of board experience in improving operational skills as an executive leader
- A situational leadership approach to influencing decisions
- How to ensure the right leaders are in the right place at the right time
- Why leaders must build the “DNA of change” in themselves and their teams
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Linda Jojo, EVP & Chief Customer Officer at United Airlines
- Jennifer Wischnowsky, Senior Director of Data, Analytics, & Transformation at Ameren
- Lisa Nichols, Chief Executive Officer at Technology Partners
- Bonnie Timms Hagemann, Chief Executive Officer at EDA, Inc.
Ally Financial is the nation’s largest all-digital bank, serving 11 million customers with a full suite of online banking services, investment advisory, and securities brokerage. In this episode, we are going to give you an inside look at why Ally has been able to achieve so much success.
Host Dan Roberts sat down with Ally’s Chief Information, Data, & Digital Officer (CIDDO) Satish Muthukrishnan and Ally’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Donna Hart to discuss their successful partnership and unpack their individual and collective leadership superpowers.
Tune in to learn:
- The benefits of a strong CIO/CISO partnership
- How Ally earned the CSO50 award and gained executive support
- Balancing a direct communication style with open approachability
- The current state of Ally’s AI and data journey
- How to be in the right place at the right time
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Dan Lemont, Divisional CIO for Tech Strategy & Enterprise Tech at Ally Financial
- Neal Sample, Chief Information Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance
- Raj Kalahasthi, Chief Digital & Information Officer at Baldwin Risk Partners
- Lawrence Belton, Director, Cyber Security Engineering at Ally Financial
This week is a special one for Tech Whisperers, because not only do we have an incredible guest, but an incredible guest host, as well!
In this episode, a longtime friend and colleague, Brian Watson, talks with Xerox CEO Steve Bandrowczak. One of the nine powerhouse leaders featured in Confessions of a Successful CIO, Steve is known as being a fixer–someone who will answer the call when their company needs it most and who knows what it’s like to start from humble beginnings to build something great.
Brian will shine the light on Steve’s origin story, how he arrived at Xerox, and so much more.
You will learn:
- How to “prepare” for the CEO role
- Steve’s philosophy on running toward greatness
- The reality of loneliness as you rise in leadership roles
- How to tailor communication to different business leaders' languages and attention spans
- Why it’s important to preserve a company’s legacy
Featuring a submitted question from:
Vicki Hildebrand, CIO & SVP at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
No matter where you are in your career journey, there is always a need to plan for “The Great Pivot,” that moment when you hang up your day job and move into retirement. But many leaders struggle to adequately prepare for the transition as they approach retirement because they’re so heads-down balancing their work, family, and other responsibilities life throws at them.
We’ve invited two incredible leaders, Diana McKenzie, a former CIO for Amgen and Workday, and Karenann Terrell, a former CIO at Wal-Mart and CD&TO at GSK, to share their own experiences and lessons learned when it comes to making a successful transition into the next phase of your professional journey. They sat down with Dan Roberts to discuss how they prepared for the pivot, how they’re spending their time in “Chapter 2,” and what you can do to make the most of your time now to plan for a great pivot of your own.
Tune in to learn about:
- When it’s time to start considering how and when you will retire
- What retiring successfully looks like
- Preparing for retirement while still working full time
- Leaning on your digital leadership expertise to help boards make informed digital decisions
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Sal Companieh
- Kirk Ball
- Chris Nardecchia
- Sue-Jean Lin
This episode of Tech Whisperers is dedicated to the transformational leaders–those who have the courage and vision to make big bets and the endurance and fortitude required to deliver on them. There is perhaps no one better to talk about this than John Rossman, Author of The Amazon Way and Think Like Amazon. His newest book, Big Bet Leadership, has just launched, so we invited John to celebrate his new book and talk about how leaders can acquire the tools they need to make the big bets and follow through on them.
Tune in to learn about:
- John’s experience working at Amazon and the Gates Foundation
- What it takes to leave a safe path and make risky, impactful moves
- How to create clarity, maintain velocity, and de-risk initiatives
- What every leader needs in high-stakes moments
- The leader’s role in driving change
- How to access free resources for evaluating big bets
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Jim Harding
- Kevin McAffrey
- Stephen Wilson
While many leaders fill their roles with expertise, wisdom, and excellent capabilities, there are some who stand out even among the most successful. These leaders are redefining how their role operates within their organization, creating a truly unforgettable experience for themselves, their team members, and their customers.
Gray Nester, the Chief Information Officer at Brown & Brown Insurance, is the kind of leader whose title only scratches the surface of the impact he has on his organization. In this episode, Dan Roberts sits down with Gray at Brown & Brown’s office in Daytona Beach, Florida, to unpack Gray’s tech leadership playbook.
Tune in to learn how to:
- Align your technology strategy with business goals
- Create a culture of ownership in your organization
- Nurture a collaborative relationship between technology and business executives
- Transform your team and your organization by emphasizing talent development
- Care for your team’s emotional wellbeing while always striving to improve, grow, and change
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Julie Turpin
- J. Powell Brown
- Jeff Drye
- Will Shupe
As the CIO and Principal over Digital, Data, and Operations at Edward Jones, Frank LaQuinta is laser focused on delivering extraordinary experiences to his team and to clients. With a mandate to future-proof the organization and transform the foundation of the Fortune 500 company, Frank’s leadership, vision, and strategy have to be clear, firm, and tenacious.
In this episode, we stop by the Edward Jones office in person to talk with Frank about his career journey and unpack his tech leadership playbook so you can learn how to:
- Maintain your competitive advantage
- Develop and implement a digital roadmap for modernizing the enterprise and optimizing technology integration
- Adopt three mindset shifts that will transform your leadership and your team
- Set clear priorities and ensure appropriate funding
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Bobby Anselmo
- Kevin Adams
- Andy Miedler
- Kristin Johnson
Just as the CIO role itself is evolving and transforming alongside technology, so are the processes and the businesses that use them. To be successful in this ever-changing landscapes, leaders need to be adaptable, knowledgeable, and effective visionaries.
That’s why we are featuring Jim Chilton, EVP & CTO at the Cengage Group. As an experienced business and technology executive, Jim is skilled at driving innovation and optimizing technology by drawing from the lessons he has learned throughout his own career journey. Those skills have helped the Cengage Group maintain their position as a leader and premier disruptor in the edtech industry.
As we unpack Jim’s leadership playbook in this episode, you’ll learn how to:
- Apply insights from the way immersive learning experiences, VR, and AI are being integrated into education
- Transition to new technological paradigms
- Position yourself as a strategic contributor in your organization
- Use “relentless prioritization” to effectively manage time
- Balance accountability and good intentions
- Establish your leadership legacy
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Josh Reibel
- Lorie Page
- Jarrod Mayes
- Bob Solis
One of the biggest realities facing CIOs is the fast-paced evolution of their role and the scope of their responsibilities, especially with new AI tools taking the world by storm throughout 2023. We’ve invited two top executive recruiters to help us navigate the seemingly murky waters of what it takes to be a CIO of a large enterprise today and what organizations are looking for in their recruitment efforts as they move into 2024.
Shawn Banerji is the Managing Partner for the Data, Digital, and Technology Leaders Practice for Caldwell. He is an expert on change management and helps his clients navigate the convergence of talent and technology and its implications across all facets of the evolving digital enterprise.
Martha Heller is the CEO of Heller Search, a premier executive search firm specializing in technology executive search. Throughout her career, Martha has recruited hundreds of CIOs, CTOs, architects, and other senior technology positions. She was the founder of the CIO Executive Council and is the author of two books: The CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradictions of IT Leadership and Be the Business: CIOs in the New Era of IT.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What companies need to do to attract top tech resources
- How CIOs can create thriving, productive cultures for remote and hybrid work
- The need for CIOs to be both digitally and business savvy
- The increasing need for digital literacy across leadership roles
- The biggest challenges facing CIOs
- How to navigate the unprecedented pace of change large enterprises are dealing with today
Ghada Ijam serves as the CIO for the Federal Reserve System, one of the world’s most vital and complex organizations, affecting the economy on an international scale, providing stability to the financial services industry, and facilitating trillions of dollars of payments daily.
In her role, Ghada oversees both the technology and cybersecurity arms of the organization, collaborating with both internal leaders and external vendors to drive great decision-making and innovation while shaping the Fed’s digital future.
Tune in to learn from Ghada’s leadership playbook, including how she:
- Navigates a complex federated structure to lead the Fed’s technology organization
- Motivates and keeps her team excited about supporting the Fed’s mission
- Instills confidence in her team during times of change
- Balances crisis response and long-term strategic planning
Featuring submitted questions from:
Don Anderson
Dan Anthony
Louise Willard
Tammy Hornsby Fink
Dee Waddell
Amir Kazmi is the Chief Information & Digital Officer at WestRock, a $20 billion Fortune 200 company that provides packaging solutions for countless industries. Working as a leader in such a large and established organization means that Amir is responsible for both developing and executing WestRock’s global information systems, technology, and cybersecurity strategy. As if that weren’t enough, Amir is also leading WestRock’s digital transformation with a focus on operations and both customer and commercial digital solutions.
Tune in to learn from Amir’s career journey, including how to:
- Embrace full ownership for P&L
- Lead digital transformation initiatives in large organizations
- Celebrate efforts and small wins without losing sight of end goals
- Stay adaptable and flexible while pursuing specific business goals
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Shan Cooper
- James Dallas
- Abraham Kazmi
What exactly does it take to lead a 213-year-old company through a digital transformation initiative? How about an enterprise CIO whose career has spanned amazing companies like IBM, KeyCorp, and BMO. Someone who knows how to break out of comfort zones, make tough calls, and stay confident in the face of uncertainty.
In this episode, we are featuring Deepa Soni, Enterprise CIO at The Hartford, a $22 billion property and casualty insurance company. Deepa is responsible for the overall strategy, vision, and execution of business technology, cyber, data analytics, and data science.
Tune in to learn from Deepa’s “answer-the-call” journey and uncover powerful insights from her story, including how to:
- Harness continuous learning to stay adaptable to new technologies
- Actively involve middle management in the change management process
- Engage senior leadership to improve their understanding of AI technology
- Prioritize pace over precision and progress over perfection
- Take a business-centric approach to technology
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Silja Pandaran
- Jamie Patel
- Vipin Gupta
From 8 years in Big Four consulting, to 20 years across three global CPG companies, to now the COO of Latin America’s largest bank, Banco Itaú, Marina Bellini has developed a wide breadth of leadership expertise.
She has honed her skills to be intentional and laser-focused on the customer while effortlessly balancing fearlessness and courage with kindness, empathy, and gratitude.
In this episode, we are celebrating Marina’s incredible career journey and unpacking key learnings from her tech leadership playbook, including how to:
- Approach leading a major operating model transformation
- Successfully transition into different industries
- Encourage different perspectives in executive teams
- Maintain a customer-centric approach when driving organizational transformation
- Measure your impact as a digital leader
Featuring submitted questions from:
- Angela Yochem
- Carlos Sanchez Fanjul
- Cenan Orcaner
- Andrea Carpes Blanco
- Marianna Amssoms
- Ricardo Neves
The best leaders don’t only pay attention to how they engage with those on their teams, they also devote their attention to how they show up every day. These leaders recognize that leadership begins before there is even anyone else to lead.
At Generac Power Systems, CIO Tim Dickson is a leader who knows how to consistently show up, which allows him to seize every opportunity that comes his way to transform his team’s, his role, and his entire organization. In this episode, recorded live at the CIO 100 Awards in Southern California, we are unpacking key learnings from Tim’s tech leadership playbook, including how to:
- Lean into your personal strengths to enable your organization’s rise to the next level
- Identify and leverage opportunities to elevate IT’s role in your organization
- Invest in your team members to enrich their experience, skills, and opportunities
- Be a high-energy leader even during hard days
Featuring submitted questions from:
Neal Sample
Angela Yochem
When an organization is moving toward its goals, it’s common for teams to get distracted with tasks and projects that are related to the goals, but don’t actually accomplish them. That’s why it takes confident leadership that can keep the overall vision front and center, keeping their teams laser-focused on the goals and steering their team members in the right direction.
Today’s guest, Cisco Sanchez, is that kind of leader. As SVP & CIO at Qualcomm, Cisco has led his organization in pushing the boundaries on high-performance computing. In this episode, recorded live at the CIO 100 Awards in Southern California, we are unpacking key learnings from Cisco’s tech leadership playbook, including how to:
- Lead through complexity, scaling, and speed in a fast-growing company
- Build and utilize internal partnerships
- Still “show up” as a leader, even when your tank is low
- Sell your ideas more effectively
- Invest in your team in a holistic way to develop future-ready leaders
Special thank you to the team at Delphix for their help in filming this episode on location
Featuring a submitted question from:
Charlie Feld
How do you identify and adopt the differentiators that enable the top CIOs to pull away from the rest of the pack? For Giant Eagle CIO & EVP Kirk Ball, these differentiators have become etched into his tech leadership playbook, allowing him to foster successful C-level tenures at organizations like Kroger.
We are unpacking Kirk’s playbook so that you can discover what it means to be a top CIO, how you can differentiate yourself as a tech leader, and how relationship-building is at the center of it all.
Tune in as we explore:
- The Seven C’s of Great Leaders
- Keeping IT connected to the mission and the customer
- Staying current with the rapidly-evolving technology landscape
- Building and sustaining culture in virtual environments
- Leading with courage
- Becoming an effective storyteller
Featuring submitted questions from:
Charlie Feld
Chris Hjelm
Generative AI has taken the world by storm, opening up whole worlds of opportunity for technology leaders to simplify their processes and empower their teams to grow and innovate.
But those opportunities do not come without some major concerns. With potentially serious issues like data privacy, response accuracy, and security, how can technology leaders successfully embrace this technology while mitigating the potential risks? And what will tech leadership look like in an AI-enabled world?
To help us answer these questions, we’ve invited Dr. Lisa Palmer, a leading AI strategist and international speaker, and Anna Ransley, a powerhouse CIO whose career spans companies like Godiva and Heineken and who has spent this summer advising boards and C-suites about generative AI. With their help, we are unpacking everything you need to know about GenAI adoption so that you can apply it to your tech leader playbook.
Tune in as we explore:
- The technological advancements that enabled AI’s current boom
- Aggressive vs. cautious approaches to AI adoption
- Why CIOs should take a proactive stance in leading AI adoption and educating their teams
- How to choose which old processes to automate vs. which ones to replace
- Why technology leaders need a variety of perspectives in their team to adopt AI successfully
- How job displacement will be offset by new opportunities
- Why social engagement and collaborative learning will help teams navigate the AI journey
Many of our most inspiring leaders are people who know their values and stick to them, no matter the cost. For CIO legend Chris Hjelm, values-based leadership is his entire foundation.
Drawing from his experience at companies like FedEx, Orbitz, and Kroger, we are unpacking Hjelm’s tech leadership playbook to uncover the truth about the cost of values-based leadership, building and maintaining executive presence, the importance of self-assessment, and so much more.
Tune in as we explore:
- Why values-based leadership and relationships are crucial to leadership success
- How to build and maintain executive presence
- How and why it's important to develop your team members’ communication skills
- The secrets to leading and managing effectively through a crisis
- What makes someone a likely candidate for future leadership
- The necessity of self-care and stress management
Featuring submitted questions from:
Nick Kaufman, Vice President at Kroger Technology
Annette Hater, VP, Global Head of Technology Strategy & Portfolio at Tapestry
Leon Chism, Fractional CPTO/CPO & CTO Coach
Ryan Kean, CIO at Total Quality Logistics
If you’ve heard an episode of Tech Whisperers before, you’ve heard of the TechLX leadership development program. At our most recent graduation for TechLX participants, Dan sat down with SelectQuote CIO Floyd May. In 2018, SelectQuote’s revenue was around 230 million, but since then they have grown to just shy of a billion dollars by leveraging new technology to streamline the insurance buying process for their customers.
May is a CIO that leads with humility, often letting his results speak for themselves, and he is always looking to learn and grow while helping his team do the same.
Tune in as we explore:
- What it means for leaders to model honest communication, balance tasks and relationships, and balance innovation and stability in tech infrastructure.
- How to use the Hedgehog Concept to differentiate your organization and gain a competitive advantage.
- How discipline and proper structure will be the key to adopting and leading with generative AI
- Why new leaders need to develop their personal network to secure career advancement
From entry-level employees all the way up to the boardroom, the journey to digital maturity impacts all aspects of organizations that pursue it. This, along with the high stakes that come naturally with organizational change and innovation, have driven increased demand for digitally savvy board members.
So who better to talk about this than the CIO of the National Association of Corporate Directors, Rona Bunn. Anyone who is on a board or aspires to join one knows of the NACD, which serves as the leading authority on boardroom practices.
Tune in as we explore:
- How an outcome-focused mentality can keep motivation high when the journey gets tough
- How Rona is leading her team to increase their impact across the NACD and its customer base
- Why CIOs have a responsibility to drive the implementation of competencies and practices for digital transformation
- What communities of practice are and how they help organizations acquire new competencies
- How data governance committees help organizations leverage data properly to create high-quality data products
- The IT Maturity Curve and how it breaks down the relationship between IT and the business
Companies are investing trillions of dollars into digital transformation initiatives, but research tells us that 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail. How can today’s digital leaders set their companies up for success and ensure that these major investments don’t go to waste?
We’ve invited three powerhouse leaders to unpack their digital transformation research findings and share the most important steps leaders can take to ensure success.
- Dr. Susan Nakashima, Retired IT Executive & Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University
- Dr. Michael Seals, Chief Digital Officer & SVP of Strategy at Hussmann Corporation
- Dr. John Hill, Chief Digital Information Officer at MSC Industrial Supply
Tune in as we explore:
- How a digital acuity deficit in established leaders prevents success
- How leaders can clearly articulate what success looks like and how it can be measured
- How creating a psychologically safe environment promotes learning and prevents knowledge-hiding behaviors
- The key areas of transformational leadership that digital leaders should embrace
- The first steps to creating a psychologically safe environment
Resources:
- Dr. Michael Seals’ Dissertation on Digital Transformation Levers of Control
- Dr. Susan Nakashima’s Dissertation on Creating Psychological Safety
What does it look like for a tech leader to be successful at innovating with products, services, digital, strategy, and employee engagement?
Join us as Anupam Khare, SVP & CIO at Oshkosh Corporation, unpacks his leadership playbook, sharing insights from his experiences and the impact his organization has created for this Fortune 500 company that delivered $8.3 billion in revenue in 2022.
We discuss:
- How Oshkosh Corp. embeds innovation into its products and the way it conducts business
- The keys to a successful rebranding strategy
- Strategies for leading regular team meetings
- Why Anu says it’s important as a leader to invest your time and energy into value first, technology second
- The initiatives that helped Anu win multiple ORBIE Awards
Featuring mystery questions from:
Greg Carstensen, VP of Infrastructure at Oshkosh Corporation
Christa Ogilvy, Executive Director at InspireCIO
We’re thrilled to have a top-notch, Hall of Fame CSO as our first cybersecurity executive to join us on the podcast. Deneen DeFiore, VP & CISO at United Airlines, has figured out how to provide clarity in a sea of complexity while managing the multiple business priorities of her mission-critical role.
Deneen sat down with Dan Roberts to unpack her leadership journey and philosophy and discuss how she balances the need to secure the business with the need to enable business agility and innovation.
Tune in as we explore:
- How great cyber leaders balance the nuances of collaboration, business operations, and risk tolerance while enabling agility and innovation
- The rise of generative AI and the risks it brings
- Why CISOs need to be expert communicators and storytellers
- The urgency to build a pipeline of cyber leaders who possess both technical and management skills
- The role of self-care for leaders, particularly when pressure and burnout are high
When we think of a top leader that is serious about creating future-ready leaders, cutting through the noise to identify the right issues, and who climbed the ladder through vision, goal-setting, and meticulous planning, we think of none other than Segra CEO, Kevin Hart.
In this episode, Dan sits down with Kevin at Segra’s in-house studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, to unpack Kevin’s amazing career journey and the lessons he has learned along the way.
We discuss:
- Advice for CIOs aspiring to be CEOs
- Why investing in leadership development brings increased ROI
- How Kevin implemented a 5-year centralization strategy while working at Cox
- How to narrow your focus to identify the core problems that need solving
- Kevin’s journey from CIO to CEO
As work culture has shifted to quicker employee turnover, people like Panera Bread CIO, John Meister are becoming a rare species: seven years at Accenture, 15 years at Mastercard, and now approaching his 10th year with Panera.
In this episode, we are unpacking John’s leadership playbook and exploring how stability, intentionality, dedication, and hard work have helped John have successful tenures at each company that he has worked with.
We discuss:
- How ownership of a problem contributes to innovation
- How to work with ever-changing leadership
- Explaining new technology concepts to senior leadership
- How AI technology like ChatGPT is changing the way technology teams are working
- How to develop resiliency and why every leader needs it
Featuring audience questions from:
Anita Klopfenstein, CIO at Little Caesars
Gary VonderHaar, EVP, Operations & Technology at Mastercard
Naomi Hamilton, Director of Human Resources at Panera Bread
How does someone go from being a KGB spy and one of the most wanted men in America to becoming a fully-fledged American citizen and a top-notch CIO? Jack Barsky, author of Deep Undercover: My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America, joins Dan to talk about his incredible journey and the best leadership principles he has picked up along the way
We discuss:
- Jack’s experience as a KGB spy
- How Jack left the KGB
- Best practices for professional networking
- Advice for leaders joining a new organization
Featuring audience questions from:
Robin Dreeke, Founder & CIO of Forged by Trust
Kelly Lyman, CIO at Exelon
Greg Flay, VP for Technology and Data at Austin Energy
Wafaa Mamilli is the Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Zoetis, the world’s leading animal health company, a Fortune 500 company with more than $8 billion in annual revenue. Wafaa has also taken on P&L responsibilities as a Group President over China, Brazil, and Precision Animal Products.
Join us as we discuss:
- How to balance multiple major leadership roles
- Why more tech leaders are being asked to serve on boards
- Advice for tech leaders looking to join a board
- Wafaa’s incredible journey from growing up in Morocco to her current role
- Zoetis’ Five Pillars that help them innovate in animal health
Featuring audience questions from:
Caroline Serfass, Board Member at NNIT and Former CIO at Canon Europe
Today’s guest is Dwayne Allen, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Unisys. Dwayne’s professional history, which includes leading at companies like Marriott, Wachovia Bank, and Microsoft, has given him a wide breadth of industry knowledge and a passion for people and for continual growth. In February 2023, a week prior to our recording, Dwayne was also awarded the Florida CIO of the Year ORBIE® in the Global category for his work at Unisys.
We are unpacking Dwayne’s leadership playbook and perspectives so you can learn what it takes to lead at a company like Unisys and become CIO of the year in your own journey.
Join us as we discuss:
- Best practices for joining a board and understanding your personal value proposition
- Key lessons learned from working at Microsoft, Marriott, Wachovia, and Unisys
- How to evaluate new career opportunities
- How to balance accountability with positive support and reinforcement
- Maintaining a successful professional network
Featuring audience questions from:
Melanie Sandlin, VP - Americas IT at Allegion
Vasu Iyer, Global IT Business Partner at Corteva Agriscience
From leading at great companies like Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Express Scripts to now leading as the CIO of Little Caesars, Anita Klopfenstein, has an incredible personal and leadership journey that we are excited to unpack for you.
In addition to her career journey, Anita and her husband, Lynn, have 12 kids, total, between homegrown and adoption, but they’ve also fostered over 30 children, in what Anita describes as “controlled chaos.”
Join us as we discuss:
- How Anita embraces her role as an “obstacle remover” for her team
- Why Anita developed a passion for helping children grow and be successful
- How Little Caesars implemented a cloud-first store platform
- How to create a meaningful and fulfilling personal life while balancing a very busy professional life
Featuring audience questions from:
John Meister, CIO of Panera
Jen Wise, CIO at Inspire
Geana Kay-Nash, Vice President, Customer & Information Technology Systems Support at Little Caesars
Jessica Young, Teacher and Anita’s daughter
In this episode, we are unpacking the leadership playbook of Abhi Dhar. Ahbi has been the Chief Digital Officer for a Fortune-50 company, a tech startup co-founder, and now serves as the Chief Information and EVP of Global Technology for TransUnion. Yet, for someone who has managed organizations with budgets in excess of $1Bn, Abhi has maintained his quiet, calm, and genuinely humility through it all.
Join us as we discuss:
- How can CIOs encourage C-Suite leaders to take a seat at the “digital table”
- How TransUnion considers budget, growth, and stakeholder priorities in its strategic planning
- Why digital leaders need to take on a multi-dimensional approach to transformation
- How to minimize disruption when reorganizing teams
- How to maximize developer productivity by focusing on experience instead of efficiency
In this episode of Tech Whisperers, we are unpacking the amazing journeys of two CxO giants and industry leaders: Kim Mackenroth and Chris Nardecchia. Kim is the Global CIO for Textron, a Fortune 500, multi-industry company with 33,000 employees worldwide. Chris is the SVP and Chief Digital & Information Officer for Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest pure-play industrial automation and IoT company.
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of the industry or early in your tech leadership career journey, there is something for everyone in this conversation as we explore over 3 decades of combined digital leadership experience.
Join us as we discuss:
- How to lead effectively when wearing multiple hats
- The keys to success for any business transformation
- Strategic initiatives for 2023
- How Rockwell Automation made data a part of its business DNA
- How Kim has made Textron a go-to employer for top technology talent
- Generational shifts and trends for new digital professionals
As companies and workers continue to adjust to constantly changing workplace environments and cultures, there remain many questions about what it means to “return to work,” what the future holds for in-person, remote, and hybrid work, and how that will impact the way people relate to their work.
In this episode, Bob Johansen, Joseph Press, and Christine Bullen join the show to talk about their brand new book, Office Shock, which aims to paint a vivid picture of the future of work, and equip workers and businesses with the tools and mindset they need to be successful moving forward. In their book, they describe “Office Shock” as an “abrupt, unsettling change in where, how, when, and even why we work.”
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why organizations and workers need to be “Future-Ready”
- “The Seven Spectrums” that guide our decision-making about our work and home life
- The concept of the “Officeverse” and how it relates to the Metaverse
- How to think “Present-Forward” while properly weighing the next 10 years and the previous 50 years.
Leadership takes a certain level of boldness that not many people can achieve, but even with that boldness, many leaders are still afraid to say what they think and be honest about their experiences.
Then there’s Wendy Pfeiffer, CIO at Nutanix. Wendy is known for her courage to say what everyone else is thinking and sharing what’s on her heart. That radical transparency and courage is what sets her apart from her peers, and as a CIO, makes her uniquely poised to handle the ever-changing job expectations that can sometimes evolve even faster than the world around it.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How CIOs can deal with the increasing pressure and responsibilities placed on them
- How to build and run a highly effective IT team despite a tightly-constricted budget
- Why leaders should prioritize one-on-ones with their team members
- How to speak from your heart even when it may put you at risk
- Predictions for the next 10 years in tech leadership
Recruiting the best technology talent has been on everyone’s mind throughout 2022, and CIOs still struggle to find the very best talent to their teams that are not only experts in their field, but also a perfect fit for the organization. So we’ve invited two of the top executive recruiters, Martha Heller and Art Hopkins, to unpack everything you should be considering as your team looks to bring on the best talent possible in 2023.
Martha Heller is the CEO of Heller Search Associates, and the author of several books including Be the Business and The CIO Paradox. She is a thought leader in the CIO and recruitment space, and shares her knowledge through the monthly newsletter, Movers and Shakers.
Art Hopkins is global co-leader of the Technology Officers Practice for Russell Reynolds Associates and is a member of Board & CEO Advisory Partners. He brings expertise in the CTIO, digital, data, and CTO roles, as well as diversity and inclusion best practices.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What qualities hiring authorities are looking for in technology leaders
- How to properly assess a candidate’s desire to leave their current role and their interest in the role they’re applying for
- The right and wrong questions people are asking around technology talent
- How to acknowledge and own when you’ve been fired in the past.
Ensuring a smooth transition between an outgoing and incoming CxO is one of the most complex projects for any organization to take on, but Owens Corning CIO, Steve Zerby, is taking a different approach.
Steve has more than doubled the average CIO tenure during his time at Owens Corning, with the key to his success being his dedication to investing in his team members to ensure that as Owens Corning finds success, so do his people.
Annie Baymiller is one of those people, currently serving as a VP of IT and a Market-Facing Digital Leader for Owens Corning. After a legendary 36-year career as CIO at Owens Corning, Steve is preparing to hand the reins to Annie, so we’ve invited both of them to talk about what it really means to craft a high-quality succession plan and how strong mentorship can make or break any leadership transition.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What it means to consider succession as the end of a journey, rather than the beginning of a new one
- How to build a great organizational culture as a data leader to become a great place to work
- The importance of matching the actual employee experience to the promised “brochure” experience.
- Why the greatest technology leaders focus far more on their people than their technology
What kind of career experience, confidence, and leadership capability does it take to have a company’s CTO, CIO, and CDO all report directly to you? As Teladoc’s Chief Innovation Officer, Claus T. Jensen is the answer. He holds a PhD in Computer Science, he has 17 patents to his name, and has published six books, including the most recent, Digital Transformation for Dummies.
Throughout his career, which includes experience in all the roles that now report to him, Jensen has become expert at leading multi-year transformations. He brings his unique talents and skills to the table to help companies get to the next level.
Join us as we discuss:
- Creating a healthcare experience that is more personalized, connected, and meaningful
- Why leaders need to deal with the “pink elephant” in the room
- Recruiting the right multidisciplinary talent
- Successful learning programs for developing talent
- The importance of living out one’s values as a leader
More information about Claus T. Jensen and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claustorpjensen/
- Company Website: https://www.teladoc.com/
Leadership accomplishments are always significant, but when put in the grander context of a leader’s journey, that significance can increase dramatically. How does someone find the inspiration and motivation to become a global leader in digital and transformational leadership having come from a small town in India, where he was raised by his mother?
Sanjib Sahoo, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Digital Officer at Ingram Micro, joins our show to share insights from his career journey, how he took hold of his life to build a successful career, and how his team’s work at Ingram Micro is transforming the way people engage with technology.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How experience-driven organizations should think about digitization and personalization
- How Sanjib led the development of XVantage, Ingram Micro’s new integration platform and digital operating model, from vision to reality in only 15 months
- Building trust with senior executives before trying to drive business transformation
- How Vision, Convocation, Credibility, Communication, and Compassion all work together in transformational leadership
- The importance of continued learning and growth for digital and technology leaders
More information about Sanjib and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjibsahoodigital/
- Company Website: https://corp.ingrammicro.com/
- About XVantage: https://media.ingrammicro.com/
The military is often regarded as the best leadership development organization in the world, and for good reason. Discipline, focus, accountability, execution, planning, vision, and more are vital components of any successful military member, and they translate into civilian life in profound ways.
Digital leaders need to simultaneously understand the grand vision and what their team is seeing from their boots-on-the-ground perspective. Like military leaders, they also need to be able to support their teams, execute under pressure, and make the tough calls when necessary.
In honor of Veteran’s Day, we bring together three powerhouse CIOs and military veterans:
Mike Goodwin, CIO of PetSmart and former Army officer
Woody Groton, CIO of Draper and Brigade Commander for the Army National Guard
DiAnna Thimjon, CxO mentor, four-time CTO/CIO, and former Army officer
In this episode, these IT leaders share how their military experience has shaped their careers and discuss the skills tomorrow’s digital leaders need in order to get ahead.
Join us as we explore:
- How military leadership experience can inform civilian leadership
- The importance of supporting team members by asking for input and providing logistical support
- The importance of reacting well and executing plans well, even if they aren’t perfect
- How veterans contribute to the workforce
- Maintaining a “complete-the-mission mindset” while also avoiding burnout
- Balancing leadership soft skills and teachability with technical skill expertise
What does it mean to be a trailblazing CIO in one of the biggest and most celebrated sports organizations in America, the National Football League (NFL)? How can a digital leader leave their mark in such a complex organization with countless moving parts to manage every day?
Michelle McKenna, Founder & CEO of the Michelle McKenna Collaborative, served as the first-ever CIO for the NFL and its first female C-suite executive. She went on to achieve a number of other “firsts” during 10 seasons with the organization before she stepped away in April of 2022.
In addition to driving digital transformation and launching new businesses, Michelle led the league through the 2020 virtual draft and the 2020 season during a global pandemic. She spearheaded the implementation of new technologies and processes that have led to better experiences for players, coaches, refs and fans alike. Michelle knows what it takes to think differently about the possibilities of technology and how to create a powerful legacy of digital leadership.
Join us as we discuss:
- How Michelle laid out a 10-year plan during her interview process
- How to shape the role you’re interviewing for before you’re hired
- Why all tech projects are really about the human experience
- Why digital leaders need the curiosity and courage to move out of their comfort zones
- How Michelle led her team through complex production and operational challenges
- Some of the unique moments Michelle experienced while working on the field
- How Michelle led the charge to replace sideline printers for play information with digital tablets
More information about Michelle and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-mckenna-194472a/
- Company Website: https://www.mckennacollaborative.com/
As businesses embrace more digital technology and tools to drive revenue and transform their operations, CEOs are expecting their tech leaders to step up to a new role: transformation leader. This elevation in the organization requires not just a technology leadership mindset but also a business leadership mindset.
To make that transition successfully, it takes a true visionary, someone who is dialed in to what the business needs and proactively anticipates and guides innovation rather than waiting around for marching orders. It takes the ability to lead with grace, empathy, and confidence even while under extreme pressure to perform. Rich Gilbert, Aflac’s Chief Transformation Officer, is the embodiment of this kind of executive.
While Rich’s career journey has spanned technology leadership roles at a number of major companies, he’s now not only responsible for the digital services organization at Aflac but also its largest P&L. In this episode, recorded at the CIO 100 Symposium & Awards, he draws on his experience to share how to break through glass walls, create business value as a digital executive, and lead through an inspiring vision.
Join us as we discuss:
- How to develop and cast a grand vision and inspire your team to embrace it
- The importance of iteration and starting from the right place when tackling goals
- Rich’s secret sauce for leading with grace even while under extreme pressure
- The story behind Aflac’s famous mascot, the Aflac Duck
More information about Rich and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richlgilbert/
- Company Website: https://www.aflac.com/
The best digital leaders know how to build loyalty within their teams by extending trust, leading with intentionality, and always seeking constructive feedback so they can grow. Without these elements, leaders risk a major disconnect between how they lead their teams and how their teams operate — which can damage productivity and, ultimately, business outcomes.
Our guest this week is Sabina Ewing, Global CIO and VP of Business & Technology for Abbott, a Fortune 86 company and a global leader in the healthcare industry. Sabina is acutely aware of the fact that when you’re responsible for leading such a massive organization, intentionality is a prerequisite. It’s how she artfully juggles the seemingly unmanageable demands placed upon a global CIO while nurturing and balancing high EQ and IQ.
Join us as we discuss:
- The importance of managing your personal brand by continuously soliciting feedback, leading with intentionality, creating impact, and refining your execution
- Why you should honor the legacy of your organization and how to carry it on through your leadership
- How V.I.C. Initiatives can help aspiring tech leaders advance in their careers
- The need for creating loyalty and building trust within your team
More information about Sabina and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabina-ewing/
- Company Website: https://www.abbott.com/
We are back for part 2 of our two-part episode with Ralph Loura, recorded onsite at The CIO 100 Awards held at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
Ralph is the SVP CIO at Lumentum and has worked at companies like HP, Cisco Systems, and Clorox, and he serves as an advisory board member for several more. In part 1, we unpacked how Ralph approaches truth-telling and storytelling for effective communication. In part 2 we’re exploring Ralph’s career journey more closely and digging in to the importance of mindset, getting out of your comfort zone, and Ralph’s path toward more sustainable tech standards and processes.
While you can listen to Part 2 without having heard Part 1, we highly encourage you to listen to both parts.
Join us in part 2 as we discuss:
- Why leaders need to have a steadfast mindset and a preparedness strategy to confront and overcome volatility and uncertainty with calm confidence
- How to move out of your comfort zone without losing trust or confidence from your team
- Why Ralph joined Lumentum
- How to prioritize sustainability as a tech leader and influence positive change
More information about Ralph and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphloura/
- Company Website: https://www.lumentum.com
- Other Relevant Links: https://sustainableit.org, https://genesysworks.org/
We had an incredible opportunity to sit down in person with Ralph Loura, the SVP CIO at Lumentum, for a special two-part conversation at The CIO 100 Awards in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Ralph’s leadership journey encompasses some of the most well-known technology and consumer products companies around. Along the way, he’s been recognized time and again as an inspiring, transformational CIO whose innovative approaches create real business value.
But that’s not all there is to Ralph Loura. He also plays a few other vital “roles” for his team: the Chief Truth Telling Officer, Chief Storytelling Officer, Chief Motivation Officer, and the Chief Sustainability Officer. In part one, we open up Ralph’s playbook to unpack his superpowers of truth-telling and storytelling, and how he cuts through the noise to communicate effectively and with clarity. In part two, we explore how Ralph motivates his teams as well as his work to improve sustainability in the tech industry.
Join us for part 1 as we discuss:
- How to earn a “seat at the table” in significant conversations and meetings
- How to take inspiration from multiple sources to focus on solving problems in unique ways
- How leaders become more effective when they get out of the mix and widen their perspective.
- Why leaders need to cut through the noise with clear communication so their team can unite around a clear mission in order to collaborate and innovate
- The importance of research, preparation, and “the meeting before the meeting” when making big decisions
More information about Ralph Loura and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphloura/
- Company Website: https://www.lumentum.com
While most companies share some standard ways of operating, it’s that unique sliver in approach that truly differentiate the great companies from the mediocre ones. At Discover Financial Services, CIO and Executive VP Amir Arooni is spearheading those differentiators.Amir is a strong believer in the importance of empowering people to do great work and developing them to be the kind of innovative anticipators who will continually create greater and more differentiated value for customers. He leads with a philosophy that we can deliver powerful business results through a combination of process agility, technology, and talented people.
In this episode, we unpack Amir’s playbook to learn:
- How to win internal stakeholder support for the vision
- How to build a true appreciation for the current state organization as a new CIO
- How to keep the customer at the heart of all company operations
- How Amir’s Drive for Small workforce strategy led to a 6x increase in productivity
More information about Amir and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirarooni/
- Company Website: https://www.discover.com/
The best leaders across all industries are leading their people with HEART: humility, empathy, adaptability, resiliency, and transparency. They are balancing organizational goals with the needs of their teams, delivering consistent results along the way. For a tech leader like Kristie Grinnell, it’s a work of art to not only develop those qualities, but also balance them with the often rigorous demands of the tech world – Kristie has always been up to the challenge.
Kristie is the SVP and CIO at DXC Technology and is an award-winning executive with over 20 years of experience driving change in public and privately held professional services companies. Through our conversation, Kristie opens up her playbook to share how she leads her teams with HEART.
Join us as we discuss:
- How Kristie embodies each part of the HEART acronym in her leadership approach
- The importance of accountability and the need to have the hard conversations
- How Kristie inspires a culture of collaboration within her team
- How to build a strong and agile team with a great culture
- Why building trust needs to precede transparency
More information about Kristie and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiegrinnell/
- Company Website: https://dxc.com/us/en
Larry Quinlan is a Hall of Fame CIO who is widely regarded as one the most successful and impactful leaders to ever take on the role.
As the Global Chief Information Officer at Deloitte, one of the world’s largest professional services firms, Larry oversaw over 10,000 IT professionals across 175 countries for over 11 years and drove impressive revenue for some of Deloitte’s larger clientele. He now provides technology professionals and C-suite executives the benefit of his leadership experience and wisdom as a mentor, a strategic advisor to private equity, and a member of 13 boards of directors.
How do you unpack the playbook and multiple superpowers of someone like Larry? You bring in the reinforcements! We invited a number of individuals whose lives Larry has impacted, both personally and professionally, to contribute to this interview. As each guest poses a thoughtful question, we gain more insight into what makes Larry Quinlan so special and how current technology leaders can apply the experience he has gained to make a real difference in the organizations they lead.
Join us as we discuss:
- How to effectively lead an organization through economic turmoil and uncertainty
- Why tension can be good for organizations
- How to guide constructive dialogue to help your team discover the right answers
- Why a passion for people is the foundation for successful leadership
- What SCUBA diving and technology leadership have in common
- How to maintain balance between your professional and personal lives as a technology leader
More information about Larry and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larryquinlan/
We are back for part 2 of our 2-part series with Charlie Feld, an industry legend who helped to shape the modern CIO role before it even existed! Charlie Feld is the founder and CEO of The Feld Group Institute and currently works with 80 companies on executive leadership development. He has been instrumental in transforming the narrative about technology throughout his 55-year career journey and is credited with not just transforming companies, but entire industries, as well.
While you can listen to Part 2 without having heard Part 1, we highly encourage you to listen to both parts. You won’t want to miss all the amazing insights Charlie shared!
Join us in part 2 as we discuss:
- How evolving technology introduces new problems that must be solved
- The importance of implementing strategies that can adapt to ongoing changes in the world
- Agility-based frameworks, and stories from companies that are using agility effectively in their strategy
- The pattern-seeking secrets of successful modern digital leaders
More information about Charlie Feld and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-feld-a7790aa0/
- Company Website: https://feldgroupinstitute.com/
As someone who has helped to shape the modern CIO role before it even existed, Charlie Feld is an industry legend who has been instrumental in moving the narrative about technology forward. He’s credited with transforming not just companies, but entire industries as well.
This giant among giants has so much leadership wisdom to share that we couldn’t fit it all into one episode! In this special two-part episode, Charlie shares learnings from 55 years of transformation, leadership experiences, and battle scars, as well as his views on the challenges today’s digital leaders are confronting.
Join us for part 1 as we discuss:
- The evolution of leadership in technology-driven transformation over the last 50 years
- Navigating complexity and the need for leaders to focus on multiple outcomes — business, architectural and productivity
- The blind spots between business leaders and IT leaders
- Model frameworks for getting buy-in and support from executive leadership
More information about Charlie Feld and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-feld-a7790aa0/
- Company Website: https://feldgroupinstitute.com/
Few people truly appreciate the complexity, effort, and vision required to establish and maintain global leadership in any industry, let alone luxury beauty products. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is the global leader in prestige beauty and a Fortune 500 company with over 25 brands spanning across 150 countries.This week, we take a look inside the playbook of the company’s CIO, Michael Smith, who is spearheading innovation through technology in exciting new ways. Prior to joining The Estée Lauder Companies, Michael spent 22 years in IT leadership roles at Nike and 4 years leading technology and digital innovation at Mylan. Michael also sits in board advisory positions at multiple companies. He is the founder and Chair of The TechPACT, a coalition of tech leaders and CIOs that is leading the charge for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the technology industry. He also founded Tech Day of Pink to unite technologists and IT professionals worldwide around breast cancer awareness, education, and fundraising.
Join us as we discuss:
- Michael’s leadership philosophy of joy, and how it helps him bring out the best in people
- The value of “patient persistence” and “confident calm” in a constantly changing environment
- How Estée Lauder is using technology to anticipate customer needs and deliver innovative, superior products
- How The TechPACT is working for increased representation and equity in the technology space
More information about Michael and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwshome/
- Company Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-estee-lauder-companies-inc/
- Other Relevant Links:
https://techpact.org/
https://www.techdayofpink.com/
In this episode, you’ll have the chance to hear from not one but three remarkable CIOs: Julie Cullivan, Wayne Shurts, and Carol Zierhoffer. In addition to being accomplished digital leaders and executives with impressive track records across a multitude of companies and industries, they currently serve on a dozen public and private boards of directors combined. Julie, Wayne, and Carol have generously agreed to share their journeys from the C-suite to the board room, their advice on how to get there, and what you can do to be a differentiator once you’re there.
You’ll also learn why you should consider pursuing a board seat even if you’re not ready to retire, especially if you’re ready to expand your influence, gain new perspectives, and take your leadership to the next level.
For more information about each guest:
- Julie Cullivan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliecullivan/
- Wayne Shurts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayneshurts/
- Carol Zierhoffer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-zierhoffer/
As CIO for Consumer & Community Banking (CCB) at JPMorgan Chase, Gill Haus plays a major role in the firm’s business and its success, leading more than 12,000 technologists globally and overseeing an annual technology budget of $4 billion — a third of the firm’s overall annual investment in technology. He is also a member of the CCB Leadership Team and the firm’s Global Technology Leadership Team (GTL).
Gill’s passion for technology has taken him on a career journey that has spanned such organizations as PayPal, AOL and Capital One, and each of these diverse experiences has played a part in informing his leadership philosophy today. As he will tell you, delivering a world-class experience to JPMorgan Chase’s 60 million active digital customers requires more than just great technology, systems and processes; it also requires a team of forward-thinking engineers, technologists and problem-solvers who understand and are driven by the opportunity to make a difference in their customers’ lives.
Join us as we unpack Gill’s playbook and explore:
- His vision and intention around reimagining software delivery practices
- How he’s using agile principles to improve the employee and customer experiences
- How to strategically apply the lessons of startups and large corporations to lead a successful technology organization
- Technology’s role in creating a frictionless customer experience — and why the technology you can’t see is just as important as the end design
More information about Gill and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orongillhaus/
- Company Website: https://www.jpmorganchase. com/
In the healthcare industry, advances in technology and innovative digital services are not only transforming the patient and employee experience, they’re transforming lives. It takes bold leadership, a clear vision and an engaged and supported team to deliver on those big promises.
In addition to serving as EVP and Chief Transformation & Digital Officer at Novant Health, a not-for-profit healthcare system serving communities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, Angela Yochem has taken on significant P&L responsibilities as COO and General Manager of its spinoff, Novant Health Enterprises, with ancillary ambulatory locations spanning 13 states.
Join us as we discuss:
- Angela’s journey of building Novant Health Enterprises
- How to engage talent and technology to build a disruption-proof organization
- Best practices for building a culture that values openness, curiosity and learning
More information about Angela and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayochem/
- Company Website: https://www.novanthealth.org/
As the technology agenda grows bigger and bolder, today’s CXOs need to empower their teams to make decisions, take action, and create real business value.
How can you draw on your experience and personal leadership style to engage your teams, accelerate collaboration, and increase business impact?
In our conversation with Neal Sample, CIO at Northwestern Mutual, you’ll hear:
- The key soft skills for leading high-performing teams
- The importance of getting started vs. having the perfect plan
- Unique approaches to attracting, retaining, and growing tech talent
- Actionable steps to show up as a true business partner
More information about Neal Sample and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealsample/
- Company Website: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/
- https://events.foundryco.com/event-series/cio100-symposium-and-awards/awards/cio100-awards/
In this introductory episode, host Dan Roberts, CEO of Ouellette and Associates, provides a sneak peak of what listeners are in store for with these candid conversations with the world’s best digital leaders..
Tune in for:
- More about the show and its mission
- A preview of topics and guests
- Highlights of what you’ll learn from these influential leaders
More information about Dan Roberts and today’s topics:
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-roberts-21b9357/
- Company Website: https://www.ouellette-online.com/
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